Eddie Hearn: Brook-Khan edging closer

By Rob Smith - 01/28/2016 - Comments

Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn says he has made a breakthrough in the negotiations between his fighter IBF 147lb belt holder Kell Brook and challenger Amir Khan for a fight that Hearn would like to stage on June 4 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Hearn says he had a conversation in the last day with one of Khan’s people and he now believes the fight is possible. If the fight can be made, it will be televised on Sky Box Office pay-per-view, and it will do very well. It might also sell out Wembley Stadium.

“We’ve made decent progress in the last 24 hours, but these are the ups and downs of making a fight,” Hearn said to skysports.com. “If you had asked me 48 hours ago, I would have told you this is dead, a waste of time and then all of a sudden you have one phone call and you think ‘you know what, this might just get made.’”

This would be the first major fight for the 29-year-old Brook. He’s been looking for a huge mega-fight his entire career, but he’s been ignored by the stars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The only fighter that would make sense to face him, Amir Khan, never showed much interest in facing him until now.

Khan is in a situation where he doesn’t have many options for big money fights. Mayweather retired and Pacquiao is about to retire after his next fight in April. If Khan doesn’t take the fight with Brook, he’d likely have to take a much smaller payday against WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia. The World Boxing Council has already ordered Garcia to fight Khan on or before June of this year. Garcia isn’t too pleased with the idea of fighting Khan again because he already knocked him out in 2012, and he feels a rematch is unnecessary.

“We had one of those conversations in the last 24 hours. So, boxing fans, don’t give up hope on Brook against Khan on June 4 at Wembley just yet,” Hearn said.

This could blow up in Hearn’s face if Khan takes the fight and outboxes Brook to give him his first defeat of his career. Khan has the better hand speed and boxing ability than Brook. It’s a bad style match-up for Brook, who well against stationary fighters and guys that come straight him like Shawn Porter. Brook will need to change his game to beat a long-armed fighter like Khan.

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