Former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson has encouraged one former world champion to steer clear of a comeback fight in the face of return talk.
Conor Benn was continuously linked to a showdown with Chris Eubank Jr in a rivalry that dates back to the 1990s – their fathers twice battled in the squared circle to settle their feud, with Eubank Sr scoring a knockout win over fan-favourite Nigel Benn in their first meeting before fighting to a draw in the rematch.
However, talks for the clash have now collapsed, and, despite Benn’s ongoing difficulties with the British Boxing Board of Control, he will be fighting in Las Vegas on February 3.
One name that had been suggested before that fight was made or perhaps further down the line is former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, who hung up the gloves after an impressive win over his own long-term rival Amir Khan in February 2022.
In an interview with Pro Boxing Fans, Nelson, a former stablemate of Brook, urged ‘Special K’ to decline any offer.
“I don’t want Kell to come back. I think that the opportunity knocks for Kell, where he can make a lot of dough in a comeback fight. I don’t want him to come back, Brendan [Ingle] always told us not to make money of God. Kell is bored, Kell is frustrated, but if you put a big carrot on the table, I’m quite sure that it’ll tempt most men to come out of retirement.
“That’s my personal opinion, I don’t talk for Kell. I’ve known Kell since being a kid, but that is his call, it’s his shout, but if he were to ask my advice, my advice would be ‘don’t do it’.”
Brook has also been linked to fights with Eubank and Liam Smith, although he has admitted that the Benn bout would give him proper motivation to train.