An exasperated Eddie Hearn says he thinks it is “ridiculous” that Amir Khan and his team will not agree to a fight with Kell Brook. Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports, said that after all this time, three years, his only conclusion as to why the fight hasn’t happened – and now most likely never will happen – is because Khan doesn’t want it.
So with all the time spent trying to make a Khan-Brook fight now nothing but a frustrating episode in his career as a promoter, Hearn is looking at what Brook will do next instead. Though Hearn wants Brook to move up in weight to 154, Brook himself is unwilling to give up his IBF welterweight crown. So that means a mandatory defence against the unbeaten and ultra-talented Errol Spence Junior.
Hearn says there is a very good chance, in the region of 70-80 percent, that Brook faces Spence next.
“We’ve talked about it for three years. I just don’t think Amir wants the fight,” Hearn said on the Brook-Khan saga. “I don’t think he wants to lose to Kell Brook and it’s a 50-50 fight. It’s one thing losing to Canelo, but it’s another thing losing to Brook, a guy from your country, who he has a grudge with. For me, it just seems ridiculous, and it frustrates me that they can’t seem to apply common sense to the situation. For that fact, I can only think that they don’t want the fight.
“I want [Brook] to move to 154, he doesn’t want to vacate, so if he doesn’t vacate his title, he has to fight Errol Spence. It’s a big fight, but it’s a tough fight. We’ve got a meeting on Friday and we will make our decision then. It looks like Errol Spence next.”
As big as Khan-Brook would have been in Britain, Brook-Spence might be a better fight. Spence really does look like the real deal, while Brook’s qualities have been shown. It will be interesting to see where the fight is held, as will it be interesting to see whether or not Brook suffered any long-term ill effects from his 5th-round hammering at the lethal hands of Gennady Golovkin.
If Brook can get past Spence he will arguably solidify his position as the world’s best welterweight. But for how long can the huge-for-the-weight Brook continue to make 147?