By Martin Lennon: So, it is on for late 2017, or so we hope, it is certainly on everyone wish list and it should be delivering nice fat pay checks to all those concerned.
Firstly, let us take out of the equation Amir “King Khan” and Kell “The Special One” Brook getting destroyed by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin respectively. Whatever you think about these fights, the weight classes etc., it just doesn’t matter. Both these fights showed us that these guys have balls the size of which only their thirst for a payday can match.
Looking at the records however, when we consider the names on Khans record, he has mixed it up with a vast array of top notch fighters over the years, his and Kell’s resumes are like chalk and cheese.
Khan has been in these big fights, exciting fights, beatings, controversies, Kell sadly, for unfathomable reasons has not, be it mismanagement or the so-called avoidance’s. Indeed, only the Porter fight showcased him to a greater audience overseas but even after that I imagine stateside he still isn’t as big a name like Khan is. He did what he needed to do against Shawn Porter and ripped the belt away from the champions backyard, job well done, total respect.
I feel like I’ve grown up watching Khan on mainstream TV with the big sponsorship’s, marveling at the lightning fast hand speed and seeing him wreck everything put in front of him and then, well, as we know the wheels came off, badly. Throughout all this Kell has been grinding away, paying the bills, sharpening his skills and unless you were a serious boxing fan flying very low under the radar. It feels like Kell has never been fed with a silver spoon and this you must love about the guy.
It is hard to pick a fighter in recent times that has shown such tenacity in shutting everyone up as Khan has after his loses. Perversely, the Danny Garcia fight was probably the best and worst thing for his career. For what it is worth, I believe that a 2017 Khan beats the current Garcia. All eyes will be look on with mouth-watering intrigue for the Garcia vs. Thurman bout in March.
Broken down simply, it is a tale of Kell’s accuracy and timing versus Khan’s speed and volume, might I add with an infinitely improved defence. Kell showed he can absorb shots extremely well from arguably the biggest puncher in the boxing world, GGG. I don’t believe Khan has a KO in store for Brook. It’s going to be all about work rate and pure boxing talent this one, I cannot wait. This is a genuine 50/50 and whoever can keep their head and game plan in tact will reign victorious. From the both of them though, I foresee the mistakes Amir makes being more far costlier than the ones Brook will make. Khan at times is there to be hit cleanly and when this happens, he is in serious trouble. The Marcos Maidana recovery and heart shown in “that round” shut up the glass chin brigade for a while.
Brook would handily take care of a pre-Vigil Hunter Khan. The keys to this one are Kell to get early on his amazingly measured distance and timing and for Khan to get scoring his combinations whilst refraining from going toe to toe and thus staying out of any serious trouble.
I have Khan winning a tactically thrilling boxing match by a tight decision, if not maybe we will see him calling it a day and focusing on his business ventures.