Khan targets a world title before Brook showdown
Briton wants Broner or rematch with Garcia ‘I will fight Kell because it will seal our legacy’
Phase one of Amir Khan’s comeback was completed with the least damage and maximum impact as the 31-year-old returned from a two-year absence to beat Phil Lo Greco in Liverpool with two knockdowns and a finish in 39 seconds.
Phase two, however, looks more complex. Khan declared that a fight with his Sheffield rival Kell Brook “could happen down the line”, but that this summer he favoured taking on the Americans Adrien Broner or Danny Garcia in a staronnie dium in Britain. “The fight with Kell Brook will happen, but I want to regain a world title and become a three-weight world champion,” said Khan, highlighting the issue over what weight a fight with Brook should or could be made at.
Khan wants the contest to be at welterweight (147lb); Brook would like 150lb, but revealed to The Daily Telegraph he would be prepared to come down to 147lb. Promoter Eddie Hearn admits it will be complex to negotiate, though the Matchroom Sport boxing head is optimistic it will eventually take place.
Behind Anthony Joshua, Khan is arguably the next biggest draw in British boxing. His defensive vulnerabilities, allied to his effectiveness as an attacking fighter, intrigues both the boxing aficionado and the wider sporting public.
“I fancy fighting Broner, who is serious again [he gained an impressive draw on Saturday against Jessie Vargas]. But I know if I fight the likes of Broner, Danny Garcia, or Kell Brook, I can’t afford to make any mistakes,” said Khan. “But it was great to get a knockout to show the power is there. I do think Kell and myself should fight, because it will seal our legacy.”
In Belfast, Carl Frampton boxed masterfully against former fourweight world champion Nonito Donaire as the featherweight eased himself back into world title contention with a wide points win. Promoter Frank Warren told The Daily Telegraph that the options for the Northern Irishman are either a challenge for the World Boxing Organisation title against Oscar Valdez, or for the International Boxing Federation title against the winner of Lee Selby and Josh Warrington.