Hearn frustrated that he can’t get Khan to fight Brook

By Boxing News - 02/26/2015 - Comments

hearn333By Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn, the promoter for IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, says he’s frustrated that he’s not been able to get Amir Khan to agree to fight Brook.

Hearn understands why Khan was sitting on the sidelines hoping to pick off either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao recently if the two of them weren’t able to setup a fight with one another. But now that Mayweather and Pacquiao have signed for a fight on May 2nd, Hearn doesn’t see why Khan won’t fight Brook now.

“It’s frustrating because Khan is the fight that we all want. We feel like the nation wants it as well and really, there is no reason why that can’t happen next,” Hearn said via Skysports.com.

Khan has recently said that he’s interested in fighting Miguel Cotto, Tim Bradley or Juan Manuel Marquez. Getting any of those names to agree to a fight against Khan may prove difficult because of Khan not having the name recognition in the United States of yet for him to be a viable opponent.

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Additionally, there’s talk that Khan is still under contract with Showtime for one more fight. Bradley, Cotto and Marquez all fight on HBO. Unless Khan were free of his contract with Showtime, he’s not going to be able to get a fight against any of them.

Khan’s adviser is Al Haymon, and he doesn’t work with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. That in itself will likely be enough to finish any chances of Khan getting Bradley in the ring. Marquez says he only wants to fight world champions, and Khan no longer holds down a world title. As such, Khan isn’t going to be getting any of those three fighters.

“Brook-Khan for me is just a natural fight and we can’t wait for Amir,” Hearn said. “We are going to be looking at Marquez, we’re looking at Maidana, even the winner of Mayweather against Pacquiao, because the bottom line is with those two fighting there will only be two world champions in that division.”

It doesn’t make sense that Khan isn’t taking the Brook fight now that he knows that he won’t be getting Mayweather or Pacquiao to fight him. Fighting Brook would give Khan a chance to fight someone worthy enough for him to get a much bigger fight against someone like Cotto, Mayweather or Pacquiao.

That would be Khan’s first real victory over a named fighter where it wasn’t controversial like Khan’s win over Marcos Maidana was. Khan could then brag about the win 24/7 and say he rightfully deserves a world title shot.

I personally, think Khan needs more than a win over Brook to rate him a shot against Pacquiao and Mayweather. Khan needs to beat someone like Keith Thurman AND Maidana before he gets a fight against Pacquiao and/or Mayweather. But more importantly, Khan needs to prove that he can bring in ratings and sell tickets, neither of which he’s proven he can do in the United States.

For Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight Khan, he’s got to be a recognizable name in America, not the UK. The fight would be held in the U.S, and if Khan can’t sell tickets or bring in high ratings, then there’s no point in Mayweather and Pacquiao ever fighting him.



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