Fight fans have read by now how the long…….the very, very, very….long awaited showdown between Amir Khan-Kell Brook is on. Manchester, February 19th. Finally! But is it too late? The two men, both former world champions, both having seen far better days, came face-to-face today, and the two veterans did their best to hype the fight, to get us, as well as themselves, excited.
Am I being too cynical? Maybe. Will I watch the fight that, the press blurb tells us, has taken years to simmer? Yes. But will I pay for it? Maybe. Far more importantly, will YOU pay for it? Is this fight, as far past its sell-by date as it is (imagine how massive this one would have been/could have been in, say, 2015, 2016, 2017), still a pay-per-view attraction? We will find out shortly after Feb.19, when (or if) Sky Sports release their P-P-V numbers. But if this fight has to go out on P-P-V, shouldn’t it at least go out at a discount price? Is the standard £25 far too much for this one now?
Despite the cynicism, this fight is an interesting one, still, because of one simple fact: we do not know who will win. It’s really a basic thing when it comes to a fight, or at least it can be. Sure, we’ll all shell out cash and do it happily to see a superstar score the expected blowout (see Mike Tyson in his prime), but other than that, a 50-50 match-up is what pulls in the big bucks. Again, we will have to wait and see if Brook-Khan (who is the A-side here??) pulls in the big money, but a strong case can be argued for either man winning.
Brook, as we know, has wanted this fight for the longest time. Khan? – he seemed far more reluctant to take it; happier, his critics said, to risk losing to an international fighter instead of to a fellow Brit. Now a case can be made for the bigger Brook (perhaps too big – will Brook be able to make the 147 limit and be healthy?) cracking Khan’s well-documented suspect chin? Or will Khan, who may not be as shot as Brook appeared to be when being taken apart by common opponent Terence Crawford in his last fight, outbox, dazzle and humiliate Brook?
Both scenarios are distinctly possible. Some people say later is better than never, and who knows, maybe Khan, 34-5(21) and Brook, 39-3(27) will give us a fantastic action fight. There is, after all, pride at stake. But after this fight has reached its outcome, might some people be saying how never rather than far too late are the more accurate words?
Let’s see how much dough we will be expected to pony up for this overripe offering.