When the referee stepped in to save a battered Amir Khan from yet another barrage from Kell Brook in the sixth round, it brought an end to a storied rivalry that had been simmering for nearly two decades. Brook emerged the clear winner in the deeply personal, much anticipated grudge match between two popular British boxers.
The bout, held in front of a sell-out 21,000-capacity crowd at the AO Arena in Manchester, may have been a non-title fight, but it was not short on significance. The two boxers had been on a collision course since their days as amateurs, but circumstances had stopped them from facing each other in the ring.
So much so that there was a serious possibility of the fight never happening. Brook and Khan, both 35, were at the end of their careers; time was running out.
Their rivalry began when Khan was picked ahead of Brook to represent Great Britain in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Khan won the silver medal in the lightweight category at the Games, and became an overnight sensation. He quickly turned professional, and enjoyed tremendous stardom and wealth with his boyish charm and quick punching hands.
Laboured approach
Brook, on the other hand, took a more laboured approach to success. He started his professional career with wins over journeymen boxers, before winning his maiden title — the British welterweight crown — four years after his debut.
Brook did collect a few world titles later, but his resume lacked big-name fights. A resilient, talented fighter, Brook was long criticised for taking easy fights and not challenging himself against the best in the business. The few times that he did take the plunge — against the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford — he tasted defeat.
To Brook’s credit, he did constantly push for a fight with Khan. The fans wanted it, and for Brook, it was a chance to prove the doubters wrong.
Brook was also deeply hurt that Khan never rated him. “Amir is a deluded man. He believes the yes men behind him, and he's living in cloud cuckoo land. He's never respected me, never acknowledged me as a great fighter. We’re the same weight, same age, from the same country. But I’ve always acknowledged him — he’s done great in his career, and I’ve never dissed him in any way,” Brook told ESPN before their fight. “I don’t like his face basically,” he added.
Khan added fuel to the fire, stating in a press conference, “I’m coming levels down to take this fight. I’ve fought the best around the world. I’ve conquered America. I’m coming levels down because people want to see this fight. They want to see me punch Kell in the face.”
It is true that for a large part of his career, Khan had his sights set on bigger and better things. After suffering a shock defeat to Colombian Breidis Prescott in 2008, Khan made a bold move to Los Angeles (USA) to train under the renowned Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym.
Khan had long wanted to win over the American fans, and he made a fine debut in the USA with a win over former light-welterweight world champion Paulie Malignaggi in 2010. He then passed a huge test against tough Argentinian slugger Marcos Maidana, in a thrilling bout that was voted ‘Fight of the Year’ by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
The unanimous decision win over Maidana made Khan hot property in the lucrative American boxing market.
From there, however, Khan’s graph dipped. In 2016, in a failed effort to reach super stardom, Khan moved up two weight divisions to middleweight to fight the dangerous Canelo Alvarez.
Fears that Khan would be utterly outmatched proved to be true, as the bigger Alvarez knocked him out cold with a devastating punch in the sixth round. Despite the loss, Khan grabbed a handsome payday.
Khan once again chased after a pot of gold, taking on the acclaimed Crawford for the WBO welterweight title in 2020. Crawford proved too good on the day, and once again, Khan left with nothing more than a paycheque.
While trying to break new ground in the USA, Khan was in no mood to take an all-British, non-title fight against Brook. Fans and pundits made it clear that if Khan continued to avoid Brook, his reputation would take a severe beating. It was only after the Crawford loss that Khan, in the final stage of his career, signed the contract with his old compatriot.
Both fighters were well past their primes at Manchester, but nevertheless, it was a case of better late than never. Khan was magnanimous in defeat, embracing and praising Brook after the bout. Brook was happy to bury the hatchet as well, acknowledging that Khan had proven to be a worthy foe. The bad blood was now in the past.
Khan admitted that the time had come for him to consider retirement seriously.
“I’ve had 40 fights, winning two world titles, fighting in America and around the world. I need to sit down with my family. But it is more towards the end of my career. The love for the sport isn’t there anymore,” Khan told Sky Sports.
There is a rematch clause in the contract, but Khan is unlikely to activate it.
Brook, however, might look to cash in on this blockbuster success with a few more fights. Young talents Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn have already called him out.
“I’m big news now; I’m a superstar now. My mojo is back, and I want to fight on. I’m friends with Conor Benn, but there’s money and bragging rights at stake. Chris Eubank — I don’t like the guy. They all can get it. There are many options for me,” Brook told Sky Sports in a recent interview.
Brook will do well to avoid these potential fights against younger, fitter, hungry opponents. It would be ideal if he can exit on a high, with his legacy as a British great untarnished. With his health intact and morale high, it is time to ride into the sunset.
