Although he didn’t get the knockout he claimed to be looking for in the build up to the fight, Kell Brook none the less dominated veteran gatekeeper Lovemore N’dou at the Hillsborough Leisure Centre in Sheffield, England last night. In the process capturing the vacant WBA intercontinental championship.
One person who wasn’t impressed with Brook’s performance however was WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, who has had a long standing feud with the young welterweight.
Shortly after Brook’s win over Lovemore N’dou, Khan tweeted:
“Kell brook is fighting a guy who has lost a lot of fights, Paulie Malignaggi beat twice (at) 140lbs, if they say Brook is good. Test him with a genuine 147lb top 15 not even top 10 fighter. allhype”
It should perhaps be noted that while N’dou isn’t necessarily a big name he also took Saul Alvarez the distance in his last appearance, and has been used as a stepping stone to greater things by promoters for several years, having faced 6 eventual world champions.
Brook quickly replied to Khan:
“Amir don’t talk rubbish if you want it you can have it your chin can’t stand up to my power and you know this!! By the time you move to 147 lbs ill have a belt waiting for you so no excuses !!!”
If the apparent animosity between Khan and Brook seems surprising given that they are countrymen and once shared a promoter, a brief glance at some of Brook’s press clippings over the years however sheds some light on the matter.
Despite fighting seven pounds heavier, Brook has called out Khan consistently for several years. Even going as far as having his then promoter Frank Warren make Khan an offer to fight him last year.
Also similarly to Breidis Prescott, whenever Khan is looking for an opponent, Brook is often among the first to try to talk his way into the fight.
Making matters worse the pair also sparred as amateurs, with both men claiming to have gotten the better of the encounter. Advertisement
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Of course aside from Khan, Brook has also called about just about every other top ten welterweight as well, including on numerous occasions Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and even Mike Jones.
Until recently he held the WBO intercontinental title to Jones’ WBO NABO title, and was eager to face the unbeaten American in order to establish a number one contender to the champion proper Manny Pacquiao.
Brook was stripped of his title for failing to defend it within 120 days, despite having had his bout with N’dou already booked just outside of the limit.
As long as he keeps winning though, Brook’s handlers are expecting a shot at a world title in the next year or so, which with the WBA intercontinental title now around his waist will likely be against Viacheslav Senchenko.
Khan meanwhile faces IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah next month which he hopes will get him one step closer to unifying the four major titles before moving up in weight.
Martin Smith, Pitt: “Brook should start fighting better opponents, he’d still wipe the floor with Senchenko though”
