By B.G.B: Boxing fans have just about finished rubbing their eyes after Amir Khan’s Thursday night announcement. Yes, it has been confirmed that Khan will face former light-welter weight world champion Chris Algieri on May 30th. Algieri was badly beaten by Manny Pacquiao in November.
Although a former light welter weight champion, Algieri can’t really be labelled as the opponent Khan promised to fight fans after his impressive display defeating Devon Alexander. Unfortunately for them (us), broken promises are becoming all too familiar when it comes to Amir Khan.
Rather than keep to his word and land a mouth watering contest with any top welter weight, Khan has taken the seemingly strange route for less money, less credibility and less popularity. Whether Algieri is a tune-up for Brook later in the year or a strategic move from his management is unclear. What is clear is that boxing fans will not get what Khan promised them and that is a fight against a dangerous Welter weight. However, one’s failure is anothers’ success and as disappointed as rival Kell Brook must be feeling, Khan’s head scratching decision may just be a blessing in disguise.
Yes, as sad as it is Brook v Khan will not be another terrific addition to what is increasingly becoming the most exciting time for boxing in years. Shame on Khan. He spits in the face of the hardcore fans that pay for his glamour (most expensive shorts in history) and sits on a throne that rules no kingdom. Brook on the other hand is growing day by day and fight by fight, but let’s be real and just slow down. Khan’s mouth may have confused us many times over but ‘No No Dan’ is one of his more accurate statements. Dan’s inflated ranking was to ensure a smooth return to the ring for Kell and pave the way for a Brook v Khan fight. But Khan has grabbed his bag and packed his ego with it and headed for the land of…nothing. Dan may not have made way for Khan, but it could have made way for much, much more.
At 28 Brook is on the brink of hitting his prime and as an undefeated world champion in the hottest division in the sport things could not look any brighter. One thing Hearn and Brook cannot do is an ‘Amir Khan’. An ‘Amir Khan’ refers to fighting an opponent that will gain no merit, is a low risk low reward fight that infuriates the fans. Rather than pull an ‘Amir Khan’ Brook needs to choose a powerhouse opponent that will catapult his career beyond his rival. Marquez, Thurman, Rios, Maidana, Guerrero, Bradley. These are the guys Hearn needs to be targeting.
Okay, yes Khan Brook is the biggest fight out there for both and it would be very difficult to see how a missed opportunity could lead to bigger and better things for the man from the steel city. But thanks to Khan top welter weights are all looking in Brook’s direction. Now a world champion, Brook is about to find out just how difficult the 147 pound division truly is and he should welcome that challenge. Khan’s questionable career path this time round cannot be repeated by Brook. Forget Khan! I think I speak on behalf of all boxing fans when I plea to Hearn not to give Brook a soft touch for his next fight and then sit and wait for Khan to come to the table. They need to capitalize on Khan’s mistake and send him down the pecking order. A victory over Marquez (as an example) can only lead to one thing and that is the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao. What a way to kick Khan whilst he’s down. Beat a fighter that has more credibility than him (referring to Khan) and stealing what he so longs for, a showdown with the soon to be crowned best fighter on the planet. That’s the road that Khan has opened up for Brook and it would be truly tragic if Brook pulls an ‘Amir Khan’ himself. Brook has had his tune-up now is the time to step it up to the big league.
The sad reality that we all know is boxing is a business. It would be all too familiar and likely that Hearn will match Brook softly next, get the win, make noise and hope Khan will have nowhere else to turn. Is the winner of Mayweather Pacquiao going to fight a man with decreasing popularity coming off a nothing win? (Or loss, who knows!) Absolutely not. Is Khan going to fight Keith Thurman, Bradley, Marquez, Maidana rather than Kell Brook? It’s unlikely. So yes there is a possibility that Hearn will keep Brook warm, offer up another No No Dan, pull an ‘Amir Khan’ and then bank on a Brook V Khan blockbuster late 2015 or 2016 making millions and millions in the process. Let’s hope that Brook and Hearn do not let Amir Khan dictate the future of an undefeated world champion that can now achieve so much. Brook has been gifted an opportunity to surpass Amir Khan at 147 pounds and he should take it with both hands. Leave Khan in the dust and fight the wealth of talent the division has to offer. Be in memorable championship fights right now! Not in a years’ time!
Of course I’m not saying that Brook is a guaranteed victor over the fighters mentioned earlier. In fact it would not be foolish to suggest that Brook would be the underdog against any one of those opponents. The lack of world class opposition is concerning for Brook and he needs to start adding those scalps to his record if he is to stake a claim to fight the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao. If Brook wants to send Khan and the boxing world a message now is the time to take a risk. If Brook is happy to let Khan decide where, what, when, who and why then this window of opportunity that is so wide open will indeed be slammed shut and time will be wasted. Let’s hope for the fans sake Brook goes with the former not the latter.
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