Amir Khan fights Kell Brook in long-lasting grudge match

Amir Khan fights Kell Brook on February 19 at Manchester Arena in England.

If this match-up had gone down half a dozen years ago, the buzz would have been immense.

Khan had rebounded from a stunning loss to capture the WBA junior welterweight championship.

Brook, the holder of a British and Inter-Continental belt, was undefeated and steadily marching to a world title. The chatter was constant. When would they fight?

Soon, they both said.

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Khan made five successful defenses of his junior welterweight title before being knocked out by Danny Garcia in 2012. He returned to the ring with new trainer, Virgil Hunter, seven months later, defeating Carlos Molina. Four more victories followed.

Brook had won 33 fights in a row when he finally received a title fight against champion, Shawn Porter, in 2014. Brook won the belt by majority decision. The stage was set. Khan and Brook would fight.

No.

Khan challenges Canelo Alvarez

Instead, Khan moved up in weight and challenged middleweight champion,  Canelo Alvarez. Khan felt his quickness would give him an edge. He was right for four rounds. Then, in round five, he made a mistake, leaving his head on a platter. Alvarez zeroed in and nailed it with a huge right hand. Down and out went Khan.

Brook defended his welterweight title three times. Then, like Khan, he got ambitious. He wanted another belt, so he took on middleweight champion, Gennady Golovkin, in London. Like Khan against Alvarez, he did pretty well for a few rounds until Golovkin damaged his eye socket. Consistent punishment made it worse. The bout was stopped after round five.

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Khan laid off for two years following his brutal loss to Alvarez. Brook’s name popped up again. The fighters insulted each other. Again, nothing materialized. Khan returned to the ring against fringe contenders, Phil Lo Greco, and Samuel Vargas. Victorious, he met undefeated WBO welterweight champion, Terence Crawford, at Madison Square Garden in 2018. Crawford was knocked down in the opening round and consistently outworked. An accidental low-blow gave him some time in round six. Not enough. Trainer Hunter threw in the towel, stating that Khan couldn’t continue. Heavy criticism followed.

Brook returned to welterweight to fight champion Errol Spence Jr. in London. Spence entered the fight undefeated. He exited the same way, stopping Brook in 11 competitive rounds.

Khan ventured to Saudi Arabia to fight the much smaller Billy Dibb three months after losing to Crawford. The match was a money grab as Khan pocketed a reported seven million dollars. He won and talked of hanging up his gloves.

Brook spoke of retirement as well, but in 2018, he decided to give his boxing career one more go. He demolished Sergey Rabchenko in two, decisioned Michael Zerafa, and stopped Mark DeLuca. His victories earned him a surprising crack at Crawford in Las Vegas. Champion Crawford was favored. Brook spoke of “shocking the world.” He was reborn and refreshed, he said. Whatever he was, it wasn’t enough against Crawford. Brook started well, using his speed and jab to outbox Crawford. The champ, though, is one patient dude. No panic. He dissects opponents. A big right hand turned the fight in Crawford’s favor. The blow sent Brook sprawling into the ropes. Crawford pounced and punched until referee Tony Weeks called the fight off.

Khan hasn’t fought since the Dibb windfall. Brook has been inactive since being stunned by Crawford. Both are 35 and obviously past their primes.

But hey, like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao several years ago, Khan versus Brook is too many, must-see. Tickets sold out within 10 minutes.

So who Ya Got?

Oddsmakers have installed Brook as a slight favorite.

Check out the latest odds on the fight here

Khan told Sky Sports last week: “I think Kell Brook is very bitter and this is a good time for me to put the issue straight between us because he has always thought he is the better fighter than me. He’s always said he should have had the recognition that I had and believes that should have been him but, at the end of the day, my skills made me the name I am today.”

“This is a real grudge match,“ said Brook. “There’s no love lost in this fight and we both don’t like each other. The fans and the pundits can’t split us and that shows how even this fight is going to be.”

Though older and past it, I see a spirited fight. Two things that never grow old are competitive fire and pride. Khan is faster, but Brook is stronger. A factor in the outcome could come down to who’s fresher. If Brook wins, it will likely be by knockout. Khan has been stopped four times in his 39-fight career.

I give the edge to Brook but won’t be surprised if Khan wins.

Better late than never.