Amir Khan: British fighters [are] running the sport of boxing right now

The similarity between Amir Khan’s brave but ultimately unsuccessful step up to fight Saul Canelo Alvarez, and Kell Brook’s decision to do likewise against Gennady Golovkin has not been lost on fight fans. Some fans have applauded Brook, as they applauded Khan, but others have criticised Golovkin the way they criticised Alvarez, for picking on a naturally smaller man. But whether you liked Khan’s challenge of Canelo or not and whether you like Brook’s challenge of GGG or not, one thing is clear: both fights are recognised as huge fights for British boxing.

And Khan – who says Brook’s challenge again shows how “British fighters [are] running the sport of boxing right now, so many fighters willing to fight the best and take chances” – is right behind the fighter he has often seen as a potential rival. Khan took to Twitter to make his proud declaration regarding British boxers and he also gave Brook props for “taking a leaf out of my book.”

“Behind you 100%@SpecialKBrook glad you took a leaf out of my book, tough ask but anything can happen, just don’t pull out,” Khan wrote.

The big question is, can Brook go one better and actually defeat the middleweight monster he is facing? Khan used his excellent boxing skills to win some early rounds against Canelo, before being brutally knocked out in the middle of the exciting contest. Brook’s daunting task – namely that of defeating a fighting machine that has never been beaten at pro level – is even more daunting than Khan’s was. And that’s saying something. Brook will be fighting GGG at the full 160-pound limit, whereas Khan at least had the “advantage” of fighting Canelo at a catch-weight of 155-pounds.

Brook is massive for a welterweight, as his promoter Eddie Hearn has said a number of times, insisting his fighter will be even stronger and more powerful up at middleweight, and he might not be as heavily out-weighed on the night as Khan was back in May. Golovkin is no giant middleweight at a fraction above 5’10” – big enough of course, but until recently he said he would be able to make 154 for a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather. And if Brook has been starving himself to make 147, he might be successful in his bid to fight effectively as a middleweight.

But this is Golovkin he is facing, not an average middleweight. The size factor aside, Brook is up against it in so many ways. But as Khan says, British warriors are not afraid to go for it, to dare to be great. British boxing currently boasts 13 reigning world champions and though this number will not change if Brook causes the sensation and defeats Golovkin on September 10th, such a result would reinforce Khan’s, and others’ belief that British boxing is where it’s at today.

Canelo-Khan was a big fight that attracted plenty of attention. Golovkin-Brook is also big, and in the opinion of some it is a far more competitive match-up than the May fight was. Could Golovkin even be approaching his toughest test yet?