[Wallet]

Khan v Brook fight an impossible dream

Steve Bunce
October 23, 2012

Kell Brook has arrived at IBF champion Devon Alexander's doorstep after winning his latest eliminator against Hector Saldivia. But the worst kept secret in boxing is that Alexander is probably going to vacate his welterweight title.

Alexander faced Randall Bailey to get hold of a belt and make himself a two-weight world champion, which gives him real bargaining power when it comes to pushing for big, big fights in the future. Brook is high risk for Alexander, but the bout wouldn't generate a significant amount of cash, so it won't be his first priority.

If he does vacate, it's great news for Brook: he will then have to fight someone for the title who is weaker than Alexander. The American may not be pleasing on the eye, but he is a fantastic fighter and, as he's been in with some terrific boxers (Tim Bradley, Junior Witter, Marcos Maidana and more), a very dangerous opponent. I'm staggered when I hear people say Alexander will be an easy night for Brook.

If I'm Brook, then I'm saying a little prayer to the boxing gods every night in the hope Alexander will relinquish the IBF strap.

With a vacant title up for grabs, who knows who Brook will fight? I wouldn't like to say - it could be any one of 30 guys. There was a time 30 years ago when you had to beat somebody in the top ten to get a world-title shot; now you just have to be pushed by your promoter and national governing body.

It could easily be someone worse than Saldivia, who wasn't even the best man Brook has faced - and yet it was a final eliminator. Bizarre.

As for the Khan v Brook fight - well, you can forget about that: nobody will agree terms. Eddie Hearn (Brook's promoter) and Khan's people are tough guys to negotiate with, and neither side will want to let much go. That will create deadlock.

Let's say hypothetically that the fight happens next April. If Khan loses, he can't get back on the dollar wagon he's riding in America, where he remains a huge attraction despite recent defeats. At the moment, he can move in and out of title fights, hop from big name to big name. He has a lot to lose by facing Brook.

Khan is the attraction here, let's not forget that, and Brook needs Khan more than Khan needs Brook. Look at what Khan's done - it eclipses anything Brook can even dream of at the moment. In my opinion, a 60/40 split of the cash in Khan's favour would be fair. That shouldn't be a problem for Brook: he needs to get a figure in his mind, and if it's met then he shouldn't care if it's 1% of what Khan's getting.

Hearn has predicted both Khan and Brook can make £2m from the fight; Brook has never made 10% of that in his career. If he's been making relative peanuts, he can't now expect parity with Khan. His attitude should be: I'll accept less than Khan now, because if and when I beat him I'll be getting a whole lot more.

Ricky Hatton has been mentioned alongside Brook - but he's tied up on a journey towards Paulie Malignaggi, the WBA welterweight champion. If Brook v Hatton happens, it won't be for a while yet.

And by the way, Hatton's comeback opponent Vyacheslav Senchenko is ahead of any welterweight Brook has faced - and Hatton has been out of the ring for more than three years.

http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/sport/story/175797.html

 

[Casual Benson's Unknown]

Could have just said he doesn't like/is told not to like Brook and saved some time.

 

[Vano-irons]

Pretty scathing stuff there.

Firstly, I agree with him on Khan - Brook. No way does Brook deserve a 50-50 split. Amir, despite his faults, is more well known, is a bigger attraction, has beaten better fighters, and brings more to the table overall.

But he is a little too critical of Brook. He has done everything asked of him, and passed every test with flying colours, besides the last 5 rounds vs Jones.

'If I'm Brook, then I'm saying a little prayer to the boxing gods every night in the hope Alexander will relinquish the IBF strap.' - bollocks is he. Devon is far from unbeatable. He beat a shot Witter and KO'ed Urango and he was touted as a superstar, a label which he didn't deserve, and one that put a bit too much pressure on him, a bit unfairly. He is a good fighter, but is he levels and levels above Brook? I'm not sure. Bradley aside, I think Kell could have beaten all of Devon's opponents to date.

Senchenko is probably better than anyone Brook has beaten, but I think Brook beats him anyway, so I don't really understand his point here.

 

[Bajingo]

Jones >>> Senchenko in my opinion.

 

[Noonaldinho]

I pretty much agree with all that Bunce says there, it's a measured assessment IMO

 

[Bryn]

I pretty much agree with all that Bunce says there, it's a measured assessment IMO

I couldn't imagine him writing a similar piece on Nathan Cleverly though. It's stinks of biased journalism, but I wouldn't expect anything else when Bunce is working for Frank. It would be impossible for him to start ripping into Warren fighters, but he should extend that same courtesy to all fighters if he's not going to rip into the Warren ones.

 

[layton]

Jones >>> Senchenko in my opinion.

Mine too, Carson still being under rated

 

[JamieC]

Mine too, Carson still being under rated

yep and purdy massively overrated by hearn, hes a good tough fighter but had levelled out at english/british level, jones will probably stop him. It's amazing how Hearn and Purdy are talking about world rankings, the guy lost to Lynes and Vassell

 

[Lunny]

I couldn't imagine him writing a similar piece on Nathan Cleverly though. It's stinks of biased journalism, but I wouldn't expect anything else when Bunce is working for Frank. It would be impossible for him to start ripping into Warren fighters, but he should extend that same courtesy to all fighters if he's not going to rip into the Warren ones.

Spot on. That's the way this stuff goes though I suppose.

I'd like to see an article on what he thinks Cleverley's world title reign has been like so far...

 

[Holmes]

I make Bunce right on the whole but totally agree with the bias points. Had Brook still been fighting for Frank I guarantee this article wouldn't have been writen.

Brook loses to Khan widely for me, points. As for Purse splits, Brook should aim for £500k if his highest has been £200k or less.

 

[Miguel2010]

Yeah Khan has been on bigger stage for a lot longer and in bigger fights, even as a Brook fan over Khan I see that, even though I dont want it to be true, it is.

Why not if Devon vacates as a lot of us expect, why cant Khan come up to 147 and take Brook on for the vacant IBF title. See how much they want the fight then.