By Charles Brun: In what many fans view as an example of a fighter twisting history, Amir Khan is claiming that Kell Brook ducked their fight all these years. Khan (34-5, 21 KOs).
Khan, 33, denies that he ran from Brook (39-2, 27 KOs) all these years, even that’s what the general perception is with fans.
Brook won’t be too pleased with hearing that Khan is saying he’s been ducking him all these years because it makes him look bad. Moreover, Brook knows that he’s been the one singlehandedly trying to make the fight with Khan happen.
Even now, former IBF/WBA light-welterweight champion Khan isn’t showing interest in facing Brook. Both guys are near the end of their careers, and they need to fight each other now if they want to take advantage of the interest that is still there with British boxing fans.
Khan says he tried to set up Brook fight
“The reason I signed with Eddie Hearn was to get that Kell Brook fight. But then he’s gone up to 154lbs. People feel like it’s me running away, but it’s not.
“It’s Brook that moves up a weight and avoids the fight. It shows he doesn’t want to fight me,” said Khan to Fighthub.
Brook tried hard to get the fight with Khan, but he couldn’t get him to agree to take the fight. Khan’s decision not to face Brook was a perfect example of how one boxer can’t force another to fight them if they don’t want the fight to happen.
Years ago, it would have hurt Khan’s career if he had fought Brook and been beaten soundly, but not anymore. Khan has lost so many important fights; the fans won’t take notice if Brook beats him too.
It’s evident that Brook has been seeking a fight against Khan ever since he turned professional in 2005. Indeed, Brook mentioned Khan’s name so often during interviews that some boxing fans felt that he was obsessed with him.
Amir wanted Kell fight
“At this time we’re talking to the likes of Kell Brook, there’s Manny Pacquiao. My first choice would be Manny Pacquiao; he’s such a legend in the sport,” Khan continued.
“Kell Brook, obviously he’s not going nowhere. He’s British. The third fight on that contract was probably the Kell Brook fight after the Lo Greco fight and the Vargas fight.”
Khan can still put the Brook fight together
It’s too late for Khan to contact his promoter Eddie Hearn and tell him to start negotiation with Brook to put the fight together. Brook still doesn’t have a match for this year.
Top Rank reportedly offered Brook $1.5 million to face WBO 147-lb champion Terence Crawford, but Hearn says that’s too low.
Khan can quickly move in and take the Brook fight from out under the nose of Crawford, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Brook can make more money fighting Khan than he can face Crawford.
Khan mentioned wanting to put together a fight against Manny Pacquiao, but that’s not going to happen in 2020. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach already said recently that Pacquiao wouldn’t be fighting this year. He wants to focus on the pandemic.
So unless Khan has another option available to him, he should start negotiations with Brook. It’ll be interesting to see if Top Rank increased the offer that they made to Brook/ My guess is that’s what they’ll do.
Brook would need to come down to 147 to face Khan, but he’d likely do that. If Brook is willing to come down to 147 for a smaller payday against Terence Crawford, then he’ll have no problems in making that weight for a bigger purse against Khan.