This is Rummy’s Corner.
Pip pip cheerio.
I don’t know shit about boxing.
Last Saturday night at Manchester Arena in a bout that was broadcast on ESPN+, former
champions Amir Khan and Kell Brook squared off in a long overdue British showdown.
The rivalry had been brewing outside of the ring for years, and it finally happened, albeit
much later than most would have preferred.
Khan needed to get off to a fast start in this one, and that didn’t happen.
Instead Khan struggled to find attack angles to utilize his speed advantage, which was
less pronounced than I expected.
Brook was patiently stalking and studiously gauging, and he nailed Khan good with about
a minute left in the opening round.
Khan was wobbly and he appeared buzzed, but he survived the follow-up.
That big punch effectively set the tone for the rest of the fight.
Khan was giving it his best, trying to unload with speedy attacks, but even when he was
landing some nice shots, he was unable to inflict any serious damage to deter Brook.
Khan seemed to be off balance a great deal, and Brook was patiently measuring him up for
some well timed attacks of his own.
And every time Brook landed something solid, Khan appeared visibly uncomfortable.
By round 5 Khan was offering very little resistance, and he was being battered by Brook all around
the ring.
Khan fought bravely, but Brook’s methodical efforts were proving too formidable.This trend
continued into the next round and Khan was absorbing a real beating, until the referee
mercifully waved it off early in round 6.
It was a 6th round technical knockout for Kell Brook.
It was an excellent performance from Brook, and with the victory, I think this officially
closes the book on their heated domestic rivalry that long predated their recent showdown.
Khan has suggested he may retire, and at the end of the day Khan had a terrific career.
There is no shame in losing this one.
Khan has effectively been a part time fighter in recent years, fighting just 3 times since
September 2018.
Brook was always the naturally bigger guy who was closer to his prime.
Khan’s prime fighting years were more than 10 years ago at 140 pounds, where he was a
talented junior welterweight player for a number of years, including a very nice championship
run which included notable wins against Andreas Kotelnik, Paulie Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana,
and Zab Judah.
If this is indeed the end for Amir Khan, he had an outstanding career that produced a
lot of fun and entertaining matches.
Brook looked good, and while he also suggested he might retire, he may still have some lucrative
paydays on the horizon.
Perhaps another future domestic rivalry against someone like Chris Eubank Jr or Conor Benn,
and it is not inconceivable to think that Brook might yet have a chance to position
himself for another title shot.
I’m not sure if that is in the cards, but depending on what Brook does next, it’s
possible.
He could definitely wind up getting another big opportunity.
Brook still carries a lot of name value, and he has only lost against the best of the best
at welterweight, in Errol Spence Jr and more recently against Terence Bud Crawford, and
also in against Gennady Golovkin at middleweight, which is probably a gamble he should never
have taken, either in retrospect, or even at that time really.
At 35 years old, Kell Brook could still potentially make a little noise, and a little money, should
he decide to continue with his career.
But I guess part of the equation here, is how much of Brook looking this impressive
had to do with Khan being well past it?
Regardless, Brook remains a big name and he’s coming off a nice win.
The fight between Brook and Khan may have been 4 or 5 or even 6 years too late, but
better late than never.
Had it happened somewhere back in that range around 2016, Khan may have had a little more
left where he could have conceivably done better, but at the same time, Brook was still
in his prime form 6 years ago, so he may have been even sharper and more formidable than
he was last weekend.
But it didn’t happen 6 years ago, it happened on Saturday, and Kell Brook earned himself
the victory and the bragging rights, with a solid effort when he stopped Khan in 6.
Whatever each man decides to do next, best of luck to Kell Brook and Amir Khan in the
future.
So what did you think of Kell Brook’s victory in his long awaited showdown against Amir
Khan?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Thanks for watching everyone, I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful night.
This is Rummy’s Corner.