As British beefs go, an Amir Khan vs Kell Brook grudge match might seem way past its expiry date, but the former WBA/IBF 140lbs champion from Bolton says he hopes the long-awaited bout can finally be made a decade since it was first mooted.
After years of false dawns and failed negotiations, Khan says he is ready to take the fight against his Sheffield rival and has been in contact with promoter Eddie Hearn, in the belief the fight could even be staged at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United.
“I was on the phone to Eddie. I said, ‘Let’s get the fight made.’ We’re not getting a clear response from Kell’s team, that they want to take the fight,” Khan told Sky Sports.
“It has been a fight that we’ve been talking about and it obviously didn’t happen because I was campaigning in America, fighting over there. When I came back to the UK, I had mandatories. I had to defend my titles.
“I think now is the right time to make that fight happen with Kell. We both have been world champions. We’re both British and in the north as well. Imagine making a huge fight like that happen at the Old Trafford football stadium. It would be a massive fight.
“Look, we’re ready to take it, and I think it will be good for boxing, especially to settle the score and put him in his place. I’m still up there in the top 10, in the world. Getting a world title fight I don’t think will be a problem,” continued Khan.
“But what would be even bigger than a world title, because I’ve won a world title before, would be a British rivalry fight between myself and Kell Brook.
“That’s something that would be big in Britain. I don’t know how big it would be in America, but I know for a fact that us both being British, it would be a massive showcase here.”
Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) was last in action in July 2019, halting a much smaller Billy Dib in four rounds whilst former IBF 147lbs king Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) lost in four to WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford last November.