There’s no denying the animosity between these two. For several years they have been jawing at each other, but circumstances have not allowed Kell Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) and Amir Khan (34-6, 21 KOs) to settle their differences on top of the ring.
Until now. It’s a fight that should have happened five years ago, when both men were still in their prime, but hey, better late than never—and nobody’s complaining.
Here are our three possible scenarios for this intriguing welterweight clash.
FIRST. Amir Khan starts out fast, popping that impressive jab behind the tremendous hand speed he is known for. He pretty much wins the early rounds behind that jab alone as Brook is seemingly unable to mount a sustainable offense.
Things turn around big time in the fourth however as Brook catches Khan with a left hook from hell.
Khan, who is also notorious for having a glass jaw, gets up at five but wobbles a bit, despite motioning to the referee that he is fine.
The bell saves him as Brook is unable to catch him clean again, but you get the sense that this was the turning point of the evening.
Brook starts getting more aggressive just as Khan becomes more sparing with his offense. Obviously wary of being countered, he doesn’t let go of his hands that often and this allows Brook to get ahead on the cards, entering the championship rounds.
Sensing he is behind, Kahn tries to be aggressive in Round 11. Big mistake as Brook was just waiting for Khan to open up more. Brook times Khan coming in and lands an overhand right to the side of the head which knocks Khan down. This time he is badly hurt and unable to beat the count.
SECOND. Brook is the aggressor from the get-go as he takes the fight to Khan. He is clearly bent on cracking Khan’s jaw but the latter boxes well and fends off the initial surge from Brook.
Things settle down in the 5th and this is where Khan’s boxing skills shine through. He controls the pace of the fight behind a beautiful jab that discombobulates Brook as he is unable to find a solution for it.
Brook tries to roughhouse Khan in the 9th and finds mild success in turning the fight into a phone booth brawl. In the 11th Round, Khan lands a left hook that opens up a cut. The ref takes one look at it and allows the fight to continue.
Khan wisely avoids unnecessary exchanges in the final round and coasts his way to a unanimous decision victory.
THIRD. A war erupts in the very first round as both men throw caution to the wind. It’s no Hagler-Hearns but as the bell rings, both men walk back to their corners as if five years have been taken off their lives.
The second round is pretty much the same in terms of violence, but Brook gets some headway just before the bell rings as he knocks Khan down with a vicious body shot.
Unfortunately, still feeling the effects of that gut punch, Khan reverts to survival mode the rest of the fight and this turns what was initially a war of attrition into a boring, clinch-fest.
Brook wins via a wide unanimous decision.
LAST ROUND. It’s on my favorite judge and my better half, Hon. Charina Navarro Quijano who recently celebrated her birthday.