Eddie Hearn admits that an agreement regarding a potential fight between Amir Khan and Sheffield’s Kell Brook has a “long way to go”. For the first time, however, he is adamant there is a “real desire from both fighters” to finally secure a date.
Matchroom’s Hearn is exploring a possible fight between the two – which would be Britain’s biggest outside of the heavyweight division – for May 2017.
“I think they are looking at the end of May and they only day we have here is June 4,” said Hearn to Sky Sports." I try not to get too excited and we try to keep the talks going behind closed doors, and hopefully we can get it over the line.”
"It might be a fight to take up north [to Wembley], because obviously you've got (David) Haye-(Tony) Bellew and Joshua-Klitschko here, so I think maybe that's a time to take one up north for later in the year."
After years of Brook aggressively pursuing his rival, Khan recently became the aggressor on Twitter when in a post referring to the IBF welterweight champion he wrote: “Ready when you are”.
Hearn believes Brook’s recent fight with Gennady Golovkin has grown his profile to the extent Khan is finally tempted to face him, but has also stressed that previous negotiations have progressed further than the present ones without actually succeeding.
“I’m hopeful rather than confident,” said Hearn. “But when both fighters are calling each other out, it’s always a good sign.”
One possible reason Khan, 30, could be tempted is the likelihood Brook will struggle to return to the 147lb welterweight limit having challenged Golovkin at middleweight.
"I had a brief chat. I just said that I'm speaking to [Khan's adviser] Asif [Vali]. I wouldn't say we are in talks, but we've had a few conversations and there seems to be a desire from Amir to look at the fight."
