‘I’ll be happy to be one to retire Khan’
KELL CONFIDENT OF VICTORY OVER ENEMY
KELL BROOK has vowed to end Amir Khan’s career in Saturday’s grudge match and finally settle their 20-year feud.
Brook and Khan have been bitter rivals since they first met as teenagers on the England amateur set-up.
The former IBF welterweight champion says Khan was cocky and got the red carpet treatment in comparison to him because the amateur chiefs liked his fighting style.
Brook has had to listen to Khan’s put-downs ever since and says it will be so sweet if he beats him in their 149lbs catchweight clash to knock him into retirement.
“We’ve known each from when we were 15 years old, all the way through,” said the Sheffield fighter.
“I remember the first time I met him. There was me, Brian Rose and Amir Khan in the same room. I think he was the year below me at school and had the style the England amateur team liked, that stand-up right style. They didn’t like my unorthodox style, even though I was winning national championships.
“You could see even then he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, being the governor in his weight. He was a bit lighter than me – he was 60kg, I was
63.5kg. It’s all going to get settled after all the talk over all the years of him saying he would beat me. Everyone is going to tune in and see who the winner is and it’s going to be me. I’ll be happy that I’ll be the guy to retire him. It will be very satisfying.”
Brook, 35, whose record is 39-3-0 from his 18-year professional career, was unfazed at being booed yesterday by the fans who gathered at Manchester’s Trafford Centre to watch him and Khan at their public workouts. He uses it as fuel and is confident he will have plenty of support among the 22,000-strong crowd on Saturday at Manchester’s AO Arena. “I got some pantomime booing, but I didn’t make much of it really,” he said. “I’m the king of the North. I knew it would be hostile and they’re probably hostile because Khan has kept them waiting so long for the fight to happen. I’ve had 42 fights before this and I’ve had it all in my career, from fighting Kevin McIntyre in Glasgow at British title level, going to people’s back yards. I can beat him 100 percent and that’s what I’m turning up to do.
“I’m not thinking about him, I’m only thinking about me.” Despite both men being past their prime, the Manchester AO Arena sold out in less than 10 minutes.
“It shows how much impact this fight has and the demand – people want to see this fight,” Khan said.
“We don’t like each other, everyone sees that. I cannot lose against someone like Kell Brook.
“It would be very upsetting in my career if I lost to Kell Brook.
“That’s why going into this fight we had to be 100 percent ready and we have to beat this guy in good fashion.”
It’s going to get settled after all the talk over the years