Former IBF World welterweight champion Kell Brook (38-2-0, 26 KO’s) appears to be preparing for life in a post-Crawford-Khan world, with reports suggesting he has been offered a bout with rugged Australian Jeff Horn (19-1-1, 13 KO’s).
Brook, who looked far from convincing last time out in a unanimous decision victory over another Australian in Michael Zerafa, has long been courting a domestic showdown with British rival Khan.
However, with Khan all-but-confirmed to be facing pound-for-pound luminary Terence Crawford in New York in April, the Sheffield man has been presented with former WBO welterweight champion Horn as a possible future opponent.
With the recent addition of former WBO 154lbs champion Liam Smith to Matchroom Boxing, 32-year-old Brook is suddenly inundated with potential foes at super welterweight.
Despite his lacklustre performance in overcoming Zerafa in his home city of Sheffield back in December, the victory afforded Brook mandatory status for unified champion Jarrett Hurd’s WBA ‘Super’ World title – a fight that the unbeaten American has voiced his interest in taking in the past.
Though Brook is yet to comment on a potential bout with Horn, the match-up has received a positive initial reaction from the boxing community. Horn, who was relieved of his WBO crown by Crawford in a one-sided Las Vegas drubbing in June of last year, competed at middleweight in his most recent bout – a crushing first round knockout of ancient countryman Anthony Mundine – and it is thought that his front-foot and, at times, crude all-action style would present an intriguing style clash with the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’.
Though Brook has once again missed out on a money-spinning showdown with arch-rival Khan, it would appear that he still has several attractive propositions in the near future. With Khan perceived to be a sizeable underdog in his own bout with Crawford, expect the landscape to change significantly before any talk of Khan-Brook in the future…