It may have lost a lot of its lustre, but an overdue showdown between bitter rivals Kell Brook and Amir Khan still carries some allure, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
Late last month, two-weight champion Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) appeared to green light a belated clash with former IBF welterweight king Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) after almost a decade of exchanged words rather than punches.
Brook, coming off a four-round loss to Terence Crawford last November, expressed his interest soon afterwards with both men probably eyeing one last major payday as their careers wind down to retirement.
Promoter Hearn, who has represented both men, says the fight still has value, even if the timing is a little off. “It’s not as big as it once was, but I’d still like to see it,” Hearn told Sky Sports.
“I text Kell and spoke to Amir, we will catch up. For novelty? It is still a competitive, intriguing fight. It’s not on the immediate radar but if we sit down and it works out? I’d like to see it.
“Khan gave an interview saying, ‘I would love to fight Brook and knock him out’. I thought: ‘I wish you said that three years ago!’ I’ve heard it before.
“Khan hasn’t boxed for a long time, his last fight was the Crawford defeat [actually, Khan last beat Billy Dib in four rounds in July 2019]. Brook is coming off the Crawford defeat, too, so there’s a narrative there. It’s always going to be spicy. If there’s a deal to be done, maybe we will see it.”