Kell Brook defeated fierce rival Amir Khan in Manchester on Saturday night
(Picture: Action Images via Reuters)Kell Brook earned ultimate bragging rights over long-time rival Amir Khan as one of British boxing’s most enduring modern feuds was finally settled in a pulsating grudge match.
The dominant Brook defied a pre-fight backstage row over his gloves - having to change them in the ring - to produce a superb performance full of power, poise and expert timing and stop his nemesis 51 seconds into the sixth round of Saturday night’s electric bout in Manchester, with referee Victor Loughlin stepping in to end the contest after a brave but determined Khan had been badly rocked several times but would not quit.
An absorbing clash almost two decades in the making certainly did not lack for explosive excitement despite the general consensus that it had come several years too late, with each fighter - both now 35 - now facing decisions over whether to continue their illustrious careers or else hang up the gloves.
For the triumphant Brook, who rolled back the years with a terrific display to move to 40-3, another mammoth all-British showdown with Chris Eubank Jr could lie in store next.
“I can walk away. Eubank, I don’t like Eubank. We could fight Eubank. There’s some big fights out there for me,” the former IBF welterweight world champion told Sky Sports.
“If the millions are right, I’ll fight. I’m a prizefighter at the end of the day.”
However, Khan strongly hinted at bringing his illustrious 40-fight professional career to an end after admitting that he just “could not get going” against Brook and that his love for boxing no longer burned brightly.
“40 fights, that’s a lot of fights. Winning two world titles, fighting up and down America and around the world,” he said.
“I need to sit down with my family, but I think it is more towards the end of my career now, yeah.
“Obviously that love of the sport is not there anymore, like it was before. When I was in the ring I used to have that excitement and that push, but I just didn’t have that in me, I felt quite flat.
“I think that’s maybe a sign for me to know that I should be calling it a day maybe. But let’s see, I’m going to go back and watch the video. Let’s see where we go from here.”
On Saturday’s undercard, Natasha Jonas finally realised her world title dream at the third attempt.
After previously running both Terri Harper and old Olympic foe Katie Taylor close, ‘Miss GB’ defied a three-division weight jump to blitz former world champion Chris Namus of Uruguay inside two rounds to pick up the vacant women’s WBO super-welterweight belt.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist and former Team GB Olympic captain Frazer Clarke made a dominant start to his professional heavyweight career, stopping novice late-replacement opponent Jake Darnell in the first round of a total mismatch.
The highly-rated Azim brothers continued to impress as Adam knocked out Jordan Ellison in round three and older sibling Hassan looked solid in a four-round points defeat of awkward journeyman MJ Hall.
Local favourite Bradley Rea delivered a devastating first-round knockout of Craig McCarthy in the battle of unbeaten middleweights, driving home an emphatic left uppercut to make a serious statement in front of a hometown crowd.
Boxer, YouTuber, internet personality and rapper Viddal Riley made his first appearance back in the ring for two years and dominated Willbeforce Shihepo, cruising to the easiest of points wins in a six-rounder against the 39-year-old Namibian.
Germaine Brown picked up the English super-middleweight title with victory over Charlie Schofield, while Amir's teenage cousin Abdul Khan outpointed Ricky Starkey and the Ricky Hatton-trained Ibrahim Nadim beat Taka Bembere.
