Kell Brook Clowns Amir Khan for Working with Terence Crawford
On February 19, UK welterweight “The Special One” Kell Brook (39-3, 27 KO’s) will face the challenge of Amir “King” Khan (34-5, 21 KO’s). The two are slated to collide in the belly of the Manchester Arena located in the United Kingdom. When they do test their might against one another, it will be a bout long in the making. It’s no secret that, as two top fighters out of the UK, they have shared an extended and very bitter rivalry.
In fact, a great many boxing fans will say that this fight is coming years after its sell-by date. There is no question that this bout ‘should’ have taken place years ago. When the potential duel had its greatest buzz, both men were very relevant players within the welterweight division. Brook was even the IBF welterweight champion for a portion of their rivalry.
Now, both men have not only been defeated multiple times, they are essentially completely irrelevant in the division. Their overall devalued position in the sport is likely the only reason that they are fighting now.
THEY DON’T RESPECT YOU!
Why they are competing now is of little relevance. Now that they have agreed to duel however, it’s been revealed that Khan, who is ranked #11 (WBC), has enlisted the help of WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. The extremely talented switch-hitter is actually a former opponent of both Khan and Brook. Crawford toppled both by way of stoppage.
While the WBO champ is certainly a wonderful resource to utilize, the Special One doesn’t see exceptional results emerging from the team up. Going a step further, Brook questions the purpose of training with someone who believes King Khan quit!
“He [Amir Khan] quit in that fight! They said that he got hit low, he quit. He quit in that fight. My thoughts of Terence Crawford and him working together, I just think that Terence Crawford was telling him straight to his face that he quit!
“His trainer [Brian McIntyre] was telling him that he would quit and they was giving him nothing but grief before and after the fight.
“And now that they’re all pretending to be friends, it is what it is. At the end of the day, he had never worked with Terence Crawford’s trainer. He [McIntyre] doesn’t know nothing about Amir Khan, how he reacts in training and he don’t know when to lay off the gas, when to push it. So if he thinks that’s best for Amir Khan then good for him!”
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Generally speaking, it does take a notable acclamation period before a new trainer/fighter duo can truly merge with one another and show results in the ring. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what wrinkles, if any, that Crawford and McIntyre put in Khan’s game.
Obviously, Brook, who is ranked #13 (WBC) remains almost criminally unbothered by the recent development. In the end though, it doesn’t matter who guides the training because only the fighters will slide in the ring to compete! So, let’s sit back and see how this years-long feud concludes itself on February 19!
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By: Bakari Simpson
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