Promoter Eddie Hearn is holding out hope that Kell Brook will give boxing another shot.

The Matchroom head formerly promoted Sheffield, England’s Brook, who retired last year not long after knocking out bitter rival Amir Khan in six rounds.

But Brook, a career welterweight, has periodically hinted at a return to the ring stressing that it would have to be for the right opportunity. His name has been connected to active fighters such as Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr.

Brook has stated that he would only entertain a fight with Benn if the British Boxing Board of Control fully clears Benn of his two positive performance-enhancing drug tests from last year.

It was reported today that the BBBofC rejected Benn’s application to box Eubank Jr. for early next year, reportedly on Feb. 3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

“I don’t know, I have not spoken to him for a while,” Hearn said of Brook’s status in an interview with Boxing Social. “He’s been a little bit quiet. The thing is with Kell, you need to give him the time to prepare for a fight and it’s difficult to commit to a fight that far out. If Kell needs 16 weeks or whatever it is to make 150 or more likely 154, can you get a fight agreed within that time frame? If February 3rd, Conor Benn—he wouldn’t be ready for February the 3rd, in my opinion, because it’s only nine weeks. So, it’s difficult for the guys that have been out of the ring for a while that need that extra time to actually make the time frame work.

“I hope Kell fights again because he still has a lot that he can offer. You saw it in the Amir Khan fight. I still like Conor Benn against Kell Brook. I don’t know if he’s in the gym. I hope we see him back.”

Brook was thrown into the tabloid limelight earlier this year, when he was outed for snorting a substance that appeared to be cocaine in a video that went viral. Brook has apologized for his behavior. 

Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.