By David Noronha
A POSSIBLE AMIR KHAN KELL BROOK MATCH IN 2015
For too long Amir Khan has asked the question, ‘why should I fight Kell Brook?’ My question is a play on that, Amir, why not fight Kell? With Mayweather and Pacquiao due to finally get it on in May there really is no other sensible option for Khan’s next fight. Yes, Marquez and Bradley have been touted as opponents, but these guys represent huge risk coupled with low reward. Moreover a bout with either of these men will not be PPV material. And it certainly won’t capture the public’s imagination; contrastingly duelling Kell Brook will do just that.
Based on the available statistics displaying fighter earnings Amir Khan is nowhere near being in the top ten. He averages approximately £1,000,000 per fight which means he is no position to start calling the shots to men like Mayweather, Pacquiao, Marquez or Cotto. I wouldn’t normally include Cotto but given the fact Khan recently called him out for a fight at 155 lb made me re-consider. I highly doubt Cotto would take him seriously when one considers Amir has only fought once at 147 lb. Perhaps it is a sign of desperation from the Bolton man, he wants to be a visible presence for the boxing audience. But this is becoming less likely with big name fighters at 147 lb already tied up. Besides the big two, Thurman will be fighting Guerrero and Maidana is in no rush for a pay-cheque any time soon. Perhaps it is time for him to stop chasing the American dream. He will never replace Floyd Mayweather as the cash cow of boxing for the simple fact he is not American. Instead he need to focus on reclaiming the status of the golden boy of British boxing.
Amir Khan has not fought in a world title bout for three years. How many world class fighters can say that? Contrastingly Kell Brook is fresh off winning a world championship in his first effort against a man whose style would pose Khan a plethora of issues. Accordingly, Kell’s stock has significantly risen as well as his credibility in the boxing world. He is fast becoming Britain’s number one pound for pound fighter mainly because he fights fairly regularly and always in Britain. On the other hand Khan has barely fought in the last two years due to a false sense of entitlement. He felt he was owed a fight with Floyd Mayweather after triumphing over a washed up Luis Collazo and consequently remained inactive for far too long. A recent victory over Devon Alexander was well deserved but he beat a man who was well defeated by Shawn Porter. A man who in turn was taught a boxing lesson by Kell Brook thus it is hard for me to bombard Khan with credit.
LAST TIME AMIR BOXED IN THE UK
The last time Amir Khan fought in England, proceedings were certainly not smooth. He scrapped past a blown up light-weight in Julio Diaz, surviving a knock-down in the process. Some people including myself believe this particular fight has scarred Khan. One holds the view that he does not want to be embarrassed in front of his home fans, especially not against a fellow Brit. His fighting style has changed somewhat, he is now extremely cautious in the ring which makes for an improved fighter technically speaking. However it has also led to him being a more boring fighter for many fans. And when you demand recognition from mainstream fans, this is certainly counter-productive. Not many fans under ordinary circumstances would want to part with £30 to watch him on PPV. But a fight with Brook is one of three exceptions along with Manny and Floyd.
Reports estimate that Carl Froch collected a cool £5,000,000 in his first showdown against a domestic level fighter in George Groves. A bout between Khan and Brook would undoubtedly see Khan earn something close to that. Mainly because Brook is the lesser name yet is nonetheless the holder of a world championship unlike Khan which translates to an extremely marketable event. Brook’s profile today is greater than what Groves’ was heading into his first loss to Froch. That said, I see no plausible reason why Khan should be hesitant to take this fight. Eddie Hearn has booked Wembley for June and personally the prospect of Khan-Brook is the most realistic yet entertaining fight that could take place. Amir has so far shown little desire to take this fight but if he truly wants to stay in the spotlight, he may have to go against his instinct.
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