It wasn't so long ago that fighters would jump at the chance of being involved in the biggest fights, whether that be domestically or worldwide, but boxing has evolved to such an extent where the elite-level competitors have options and the sport doesn't revolve around belts. That can be put down to a number of factors, but the prestige and honour of competing for a world title has started to lose its value in favour of a money-orientated sport that is becoming further dominated by image and self-profile.
We need to fall short in branding that disrespect to the belts and statuses that provide goals for everyone involved. Boxers hold varying personal ambitions and are willing to put their lives at risk to achieve them, but childhood dreams are now being cast aside in favour of earning an extra dollar, to be known around the world for being a bigger draw than your rivals in order to hold a stronger position at the negotiating table when moments are picked and chosen. Fighters have that right to decide when and where they would ideally like to face an opponent, but sometimes situations arise that appear to be no-brainers and where plans should be scrapped.
British welterweight Amir Khan has established himself as one of the biggest stars in British boxing. Winning a silver medal at the Olympic Games at the age of 17 and making the transition into the professional ranks to win a world title at 22 is something that will rarely be replicated. The Bolton fighter also deserves to be described as one of the most exciting competitors in the world and has earned his tag of being prepared to step into the ring with anyone. However, since the emergence of Kell Brook as a world champion, Khan is now risking his reputation in failing to accept a fight with his long-term rival.
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It's no secret that Khan and Brook are not on each other's Christmas card list. There is a genuine bitterness between the two that has only grown year on year. Khan has always been a step ahead of Brook, both inside and out of the ring, but on Saturday night Brook catapulted himself into all of the bright lights of a stacked, lucrative division by dismantling an opponent in Jo Jo Dan who, while not a star name, was a mandatory challenger who came to win, who had never been stopped and who is known to some extent in North America. Brook was a heavy favourite to prevail, but not in the manner in which he took apart the Romanian, who had no answer to Brook's power and accuracy from the opening bell.
It was a performance that drew a response from Khan on social media, where he congratulated Brook but branded the night as "easy work". Fair comment, perhaps, but Brook made it look easy work because of his transformation as both a fighter and as a person. Becoming IBF welterweight champion looked a distant dream when the 28-year-old's lack of discipline in training saw him go life and death with Carson Jones, while three successive disappointments in trying to face Devon Alexander for the world title threatened to derail someone whose desire and mentality was being thrown into question, despite undoubtedly having the talent to hack it at world level.
But times have changed, and so has Brook. A couple of years ago, Khan could question every part of Brook's repertoire and claim he was the better man, and it's unlikely that you'd find many people disagreeing with his statements. On an episode of Sky Sports' Ringside in 2012, Khan rightly said that Brook hadn't faced anyone significant and that he hadn't proven himself. But going to the United States and winning the world title off Shawn Porter before destroying Dan in four rounds just seven months after being stabbed has secured Brook as a respected world champion, whether Khan likes that or not.
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But in the aftermath of Brook's display in Sheffield last weekend, Khan has reiterated his standpoint that he calls the shots, despite being without a world title belt in three years, which also came in a lighter weight class. Brook has been accused of "disrespect" for calling Khan out, but doesn't the world champion get to call the shots, to decide who is deserving of a chance to compete for his world title? Ever since 2009 when Khan won his first world belt, Brook has watched on patiently in the shadows for his opportunity to at least match Khan. He knew the showdown wouldn't happen without a world strap hanging around his waist, and it's the motivation of potentially meeting Khan that probably made the biggest difference in his rise to the top.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has proposed a date and venue of June 13 at Wembley Stadium for Brook to defend his IBF strap against Khan, but Khan has cited Ramadan and Brook's lack of credible opponents as justifiable reasons not to pen a deal. Ramadan begins five days after June 13, and there are reports that Khan could face Chris Algieri, the former WBO light-welterweight champion who, despite being handed the decision against Ruslan Provodnikov, has been knocked down eight times in his last two fights. It's not only a bout that wouldn't do anything to strengthen Khan's bid to face Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao, but it wouldn't satisfy his fans' desire, both home and abroad, to see him progress from his very impressive performance over Alexander in December.
If Khan agrees terms to face Adrien Broner or Miguel Cotto, then he would be earning the progression required, and it's a decision that would be respected because he would be taking one of those fights on the basis that it earns him less money than the Brook showdown. However, if the reports regarding Algieri prove to be correct, it's not quite career suicide, but it's not far off. A dream mega fight with Mayweather or Pacquiao would be much further away and the Brook fight wouldn't happen until next year, if at all. Ramadan begins earlier next year and the logistics of securing Wembley as the venue could prove much more difficult.
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Khan is at a stage of his career where he is around his peak, and it's at this point where decisions need to be made about where he sees himself at the end of this year. He is an elite name but with Mayweather and Pacquiao realistically out of the equation, it's hard for anyone to see his perspective in turning down an opportunity to win the world title from his biggest rival and to earn a permanent place in British boxing history. It wouldn't quite eclipse Carl Froch and George Groves, that probably won't ever be topped, but he's being handed a first-class ticket to the front of the queue for one of the fights that he has longed for since he became a professional, and as of right now, he is saying no.
Maybe there is a feeling of being backed into a corner by Hearn - something he has previously been accused of by Groves when he could have fought James DeGale in April - but nevertheless, Hearn is pushing for the fights that make sense, and from a financial, career and motivational perspective, they surely tick all of Khan's boxes. There would only be two months to promote the fight, but this is a rivalry that doesn't need selling. It's real, it has depth and the reward for the winner isn't just bragging rights, it's the chance to hold that world title aloft in one of the biggest stadiums in the world in front of 80,000 people.
Both men were present when Froch experienced the adulation of seeing off Groves last summer, and both would have relished the theatre that surrounded the fight, whether that be the extensive media coverage, packed weigh-in or elaborate ring walks. That occasion had it all and even though Khan may feel like he is being told what to do, resistance needs to weaken and common sense needs to prevail. This is a 50-50 world title fight which generates public interest on both sides of the pond, which has been Khan's long-term target since he made his Stateside debut against Paulie Malignaggi in 2010. He has made huge strides in taking British boxing to another level, but now he needs to take his biggest step of all to avoid tarnishing a legacy that, so far, he is full value for.
Darren Plant
