By Robert Addams: Former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir ‘King’ Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) says he’ll be returning to the ring in March of next year possibly against Kell Brook. Khan will be meeting with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to discuss his next fight in the first quarter of 2020.
Khan says he does NOT want a tune-up fight. He wants to go straight into a huge match-up, He’s already had his tune-up fight against super featherweight Billy Dib last July in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Khan stopped the smaller Dib in round 4.
Khan says he would like the Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) fight, but he’ll gladly sweep that match to the side if Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. show interest in fighting him. Neither of them have said anything about wanting to fight the 32-year-old Khan, but you never know. Khan says he’s also interested in a rematch against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. He lost to Crawford by a 6th round knockout on April 20th earlier this year. The fight ended on a low blow from Crawford that incapacitated Khan, causing his trainer Virgil Hunter to pull him out of the fight.
Khan looking at facing Brook in February or March
“I want to be back out in March next year,” said Khan to IFL TV. “I want to rest this year, and get my training camp in early next year and fight in March. A few fights we’re looking at. The Kell Brook fight. I’ll be meeting with Eddie [Hearn] next week. He wants me to sit down and talk to him about that. I’ve got a lot of options. Normally, people retire when they have no options, but for me, I have a ton of options.
“The only fight that I think the crowd would want is the Kell Brook fight. That’s the reason me and Eddie are going to sit down. We’ve got a meeting next week, and we’re going to see if that fight is possible. What weight the fight is going to be at, as well as where the fight is going to be at. It has to be neutral, and a place where we’re both going to be happy at. And there’s other big names. The only big name that would wipe the Kell Brook fight away is Manny Pacquiao or [Floyd] Mayweather or someone big like that. But at the moment, Kell Brook wants the fight, and that could be a fight for us next,” said Khan.
The interest from the boxing public in watching Khan and Brook fight each other is quite low. If that fight did happen, the success of the event would depend on the old timer fans to purchase tickets and order it on Sky Box Office. It’s too many years since Khan and Brook did anything in the sport. The younger fighters pretty much know them from their knockout losses rather than wins.
Amir wants a “Top world fighter” in March or April
“Listen, I’m ready to go into a tough big fight next,” said Khan. “After the [Terence] Crawford fight and the Billy Dib fight, which was a good little tune-up for me, I want to fight a big world title fight for me right now. I want the top world fighters. I don’t want to take a tune-up fight. In March or April time, I want a big fight. I know I still have a fight left in me, and as I say, it’ll be early next year.
If Khan insists on fighting one of the top world level fighters in his next match, then he can forget about Brook. That guy has been inactive for too long for him to be considered a relevant world level guy. A good match Khan would be against one of these world level welterweights:
- Danny Garcia
- Shawn Porter
- Yordenis Ugas
- Adrien Broner
- Gervonta Davis
- Josh Taylor
- Regis Prograis
- Mikey Garcia
- Jessie Vargas
- Sergey Lipinets
- Josh Kelly
- Subriel Matias
- Josesito Lopez
To get boxing fans interested in his next fight, Khan needs to think outside the box, and pick someone different. Brook has been inactive for too long, and it would be a waste of time for Khan to fight him. He’d be better off looking to face Mikey Garcia, Josh Taylor, Gervonta Davis, Prograis or Danny Garcia.
Khan hoping for rematch against Crawford
“I’d love to do it again,” said Khan about him wanting a rematch against Terence Crawford. “I don’t think the fight finished the way. That’s another fight in the future that could happen, but he is up there as #1 in the division in my opinion. My name is still in the mix [among the top fighters at 147]. And my name has been in the mix for the last 10, 12 years, and I’m still on top.
Any of the top 10 fighters can become world champion, because they’ve got enough to become world champion. I still got it in me to go for a world title still. I still feel young and strong. People think I’m 40-years-old. I’ve got no gray hairs. That’s where people get it wrong. I’ve had 40 fights almost, and I’ve been in the game for a long time. I’m only 32. I still got a lot left in me. What do you want me to do? Retire at 32? Then what would I do with my life? I’d probably get sick, and want to return, because I love the sport. Boxing is what I’ve been doing since the age of 8. Boxing is what’s made me, so I have to be loyal to it,” said Khan.
Top Rank Boxing wouldn’t likely be interested in setting up a rematch between Crawford and Khan. For the fight to be worth making, it would need fans to be asking for it. Unfortunately for Khan, fans aren’t calling for a rematch between him and Crawford. In fact, Crawford is still being criticized for taking an easy fight against Khan. If Crawford fights Khan again, it’ll look pathetic.