Hearn urges Khan to take Brook bout

BARRY HEARN has urged Amir Khan to give British fans the fight they want to see before it’s too late.

The promoter believes a domestic duel between Khan and Kell Brook would capture the imagination.

‘The danger for both of them is the clock’s ticking,’ Hearn said. ‘They need to sit down now in a quiet room and say let’s get this fight signed for September or October.

‘My crystal ball is cloudy. I don’t know if Amir will retire. I’m biased as a fight fan and I want to see him and Brook in the ring. I think Kell Brook would sign tomorrow and if Amir would do the same, then we know where we are going.

‘For Amir it’s about giving the British fans the fight they want to see before it’s too late. There’s no shame in losing to Terence Crawford, is there? He’s a pound-for-pound great, whereas Amir’s legacy probably would be slightly eroded if he got beat by Brook.

‘It’s difficult to judge Amir. Is he over the hill, or was he simply just quite not good enough to beat Crawford? I think the latter is probably closer to the mark. He showed an energy and a drive that suggests he still has something left in the tank.

‘There are big fights out there for both Brook and Khan, and Brook has got to think about bringing himself down to 147lb if he’s going to fight Khan, and it gets progressively harder to take off weight in safe fashion.

‘They need to sign it and fight fans can plan for what I think will be a big fight. If they don’t make that decision now, frankly Father Time is ticking away and so is the interest in the fight.’