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The long-awaited British grudge match between former world champions Amir Khan 34-5 (21) and Kell Brook 39-3 (27) is just over a week away and the bad blood between the pair shows no signs of abating.
After almost a decade of trading barbs in the media the 149-pound catchweight bout will finally take place at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England on Saturday 19 February.
And while it is fair to say both boxers are past their primes, Khan insists that there is still demand for the match-up.
“One of the reasons why I took the fight was because of the public demand,” Khan told Sky Sports.
“The first press conference showed that we don’t really like each other. It’s war! We’re going to go in there and it’s going to be a fight.
“We’re not friends and obviously we do dislike each other, but I’m going to show people why I’m the better fighter on fight night. When I do a clinical job on him and I destroy him people will realise he was always smoke, he was always talk.”
The 35-year-old Khan from Bolton was last in action before the global coronavirus pandemic when he stopped the much smaller Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia in July 2019. It was his first bout since his unsuccessful challenge to WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford three months earlier that saw him stopped in six frames.
Khan has since teamed up with Crawford’s trainer Brian ‘Bomac’ McIntyre and has spent a full 10 week training camp with his new coach in the United States.
“I know I’ve done everything that I’ve needed to go into this fight. I’m fit, ready and strong to win this fight. It’s going to be tough but I’m going to go in there and do what I do best,” Khan said.
“I feel sharp, I feel good, the weight’s amazing – I’m literally there on the weight, so I can’t wait to get in the ring and fight.”
Sheffield’s Brook, also 35, last fought in November 2020 when he was stopped in four by Crawford. He was leading by one point on two of the judges’ scorecards at the time.
Khan believes the punishment Brook has taken in recent years will make him ripe for the picking.
“I think it comes down to how hard you’ve worked and how hard I’ve worked going into this fight. Obviously with the great sparring, the great game plan that we have for this fight and just go in there and hurt Kell,” Khan said.
“That’s what I want to do. I don’t want to go in there to just box him, I want to go in there to hurt him and to put him away. I mean, like I already said, he’s already beaten, he’s already got smashed up eye sockets, he’s already been beaten, knocked out.
“So you know what, this is the time now where I just finish him off, finish his career off so he never needs to look at boxing again. This is going to be a nice payday for you Kell Brook, so you just get this payday, walk off and leave this sport happy.”
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