Amir Khan suffered a brutal knockout loss at the hands of Canelo Alvarez at the weekend, and countryman Kell Brook didn’t mind firing a jab under the guise of concern. Brook and promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing have been chasing a cash-raking showdown with Khan for some time, but Khan had generally labeled his rival as untested and in need of bigger names to build his worthiness.
So it’s quite likely Brook will have said the following with a distinct smugness on his face:
“I was watching it with a group of people and everyone wanted me to fight him, but I don’t think it would be safe,” Brook informed Sky Sports. “I’ve watched the fight a few times now. It’s not good taking those shots like he did. I’m not sure what Canelo weighed on the night but it was a lot bigger than Amir. He got knocked out in a really bad way. I punch just as hard as Canelo. It would just be a matter of time before the same thing happened.”
There’s three ways to interpret this statement from unbeaten IBF Welterweight champion Kell Brook; he’s pleased to see adversary Khan fall hard and be able to rub salt into the wound, is genuinely concerned about Khan’s punch resistance and health, or, is simply laying the foundations to set up a Brook vs Khan meeting. Personally, I think it’s a bit of all three.
How Brook vs Khan would play out isn’t as easy to call as Canelo vs Khan, but it seems like a more winnable affair for Khan given Welterweight is a safer place for him to campaign. Whether Khan can recover both neurologically and mentally is another issue, of course; fellow Briton Ricky Hatton was never quite the force he was once was after being drummed by Floyd Mayweather in 2007.
Should Brook vs Khan fail to materialize in 2016, there are many other options for Brook since Eddie Hearn is now prepared to ship him stateside to land big fights. The deep Welterweight scene is full of salivating potential matchups, but Brook vs Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr or Danny Garcia are arguably some of the best, most meaningful out there.
Teddy Atlas Appalled by Canelo vs Khan Judges
The straight-talking Timothy Bradley trainer didn’t mince his words when he told FightHub TV cameras that boxing needs to clean up its act and bring down the hammer on dubious scoring.
What do you think of the ‘concern’ Kell Brook holds for domestic rival Amir Khan? Too soon to deliver a low blow after Khan’s inspiring performance? Or is it just deserts for Khan who has always had an equally sharp tongue of his own? Also, what of Teddy Atlas’s summary of Canelo vs Khan and its bitter-tasting scoring?
