What’s next for Brook and Khan?
Two decades after the bitter rivalry between Kell Brook and Amir Khan began, it finally came to a head at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday February 19.
Despite both fighters being past their best, they put on an absolute show for the crowd and produced a classic fight with Brook coming out on top in a breathless battle, stopping Khan in the sixth round.
Immediately after the fight, questions began to fly regarding the future for both of these legends of British boxing – would it be retirement or do they have enough in the tank to keep going?
What happened in the fight?
The atmosphere was absolutely electric in the AO Arena, with the 19,000 fans in attendance providing an incredible setting for the bout. Both entrances were spectacular, and it was clear from the ring walks that Khan was the favourite with the crowd, as Brook was widely booed as he made his way to the ring. That didn’t phase him at all however, and he went to work quickly, staggering Khan twice in the first round and hurting him in the process. Khan improved in the second and proved to be more elusive than he was in the opening round, but Brook turned on the pressure in the third and fourth before dominating in the fifth. Many were surprised Khan was still standing by the time the sixth rolled around, and he wasn’t for long. The referee stepped in early on in the sixth round as Brook could sense victory and went in aggressively early on in the round.
After the fight, Brook said: “After being in a ring together and a fight like this, nothing but respect. He’s had a fantastic career full of exciting fights that has been great for British boxing. We’re all right now.” Khan also heaped praise on his long-time rival, saying: “He fought out of his skin. I wasn’t ready for that. Nor for his strength. No excuses from me. He was much the better man. We can go for coffee whenever he wants.”
What’s next for Kell Brook?
After finally putting Khan away after a rivalry that lasted for so long, some pundits were suggesting that this may be the perfect time for Brook to hang up his gloves and call it a day, but after the fight, he made it clear he had his sights set on more box office fights in the future. He said: “I feel 23 once more. Fresh, strong, alive, full of running. I’m the main man again. I’m glad I’ve closed the book on this rivalry but I still love challenges and the competition.” He was questioned about the possibility of another all-British showdown, with one of Chris Eubank Jr. or Conor Benn, both of whom called Brook out after the big fight. “They can wait in line,” Brook said: “They should fight each other before the winner thinks about taking me on.”
He also told the BBC: “My mojo is back and I love this game. We will listen to loved ones and see, but I'm back, baby. I can walk away but I could fight [Chris] Eubank [Jr]. I don't like Eubank. If the fight is right I will fight – I'm a prize fighter." Eubank JR. would present an interesting fight, with him being at the opposite end of his career to Brook, and Brook has said if the fight is to go ahead, Eubank Jr. would have to come down a weight class to catchweight at 155 lbs. Eubank Jr. said on the PPV broadcast of the Brook vs. Khan fight: “He’s proven tonight that he still has the spice. Now I wanna see how spicy he can get with me because I’m not Amir Khan. We have history, he’s the reason I didn’t fight Gennady Golovkin and I’ve never forgiven him for that.”
Is it time for Amir Khan to retire?
After he was thoroughly outclassed by Brook, it seemed as if it was the last time we’d seen Khan step foot in a boxing ring. He said he would “take time to discuss his future with his family,” and added: “I’ve achieved more than I could ever have imagined. I won my Olympic medal at 17. I won my first world championship at 22. Perhaps I peaked too early. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time. I’ve been in dramatic fights both sides of the Atlantic against great fighters. But you can’t go on and on being hit and hurt like I was here. It can make you fall out of love with boxing. It can be bad for your future life.” If this is the end for Khan, it has been a sparkling career for the Boltonian and one he can be very proud of. The 35 year old would end his career with a record of 34 wins and six losses with 21 knockout victories as well as multiple titles, fights across the globe and even an Olympic silver medal in 2004.
What are the next all-British fights to look out for?
On Saturday February 26, a Super Lightweight clash for the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBA World titles between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall looks to be an incredibly interesting matchup. Taylor is the big the favourite, with odds of 1/10 according to this list of betting offers, while a Catterall victory is 13/1 on. The other big all-British fight for boxing fans to look forward to is a massive Heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte on Saturday April 23. Fury is the favourite for that fight, with odds of 1/6 to win, while Whyte has odds of 5/1.