Hatton Pleads With Khan To Gain Activity Before Brook Clash

By Edward Chaykovsky

Manchester legend Ricky Hatton has advised Amir Khan to gain some activity before a potential mega-clash with IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook on June 4th at Wembley Stadium in London.

Khan's team is currently negotiating with Brook's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport.

Before that fight takes place, Brook will make a mandatory defense of his title against Canadian contender Kevin Bizier in Sheffield on March 26. Khan has been inactive since winning a twelve round decision over former junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri last May.

Khan wasted a lot of time waiting to secure showdowns with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Neither of those fights materialized.

"I think Amir needs to be fighting more regularly," Hatton told Sky Sports. "He just doesn't fight. Kell Brook, even though I'm sure he'll want the Khan fight, if the Khan fight doesn't come off he is making defenses and he's keeping busy. A busy fighter is always better. He's waited for Mayweather, he's waited for Pacquiao. It's not happened and Kell has been busy and fighting and improving."

The World Boxing Council has made Khan the mandatory challenger to WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia, who captured the title last Saturday night in Los Angeles with a twelve round decision over Robert Guerrero. Garcia is not very keen on that fight and there is no telling if that showdown will actually happen in the near future.

Hatton is worried that Khan - if he doesn't take any interim bouts - will have a lot of ring rust when he enters the ring with Brook - should that fight get finalized.

"Amir is a bit of a pal of mine and if that fight does come off, he hasn't had the best preparation," Hatton said. "Styles make fights. Amir has got the ability to beat Kell Brook and Kell Brook has got the arsenal to beat Amir, but it's all about timing. At the minute, the timing for Amir is certainly not ideal, is it?"