Ricky Hatton was one of British boxing’s biggest stars. He, like many of us, would love a fight between two of the best British welterweights who are also two of the best welterweights in the world, Amir Khan and Kell Brook. Brook has been calling out Khan, but it seems Khan is patiently waiting for a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in September. Hatton told ESPN.com that he feels Khan has as good a shot as anybody to land the Mayweather fight.
“Amir’s got as good a chance as anyone (to face Mayweather),” Hatton said. “When you look at the names left out there for Mayweather to fight, he’s already beaten Saul Alvarez, and Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin are too big at middleweight, so among fighters around his weight I can only think of Khan or Danny Garcia.”
But Hatton feels that if there is no Mayweather fight, Khan-Brook could be huge and lead to a trilogy.
“If Amir doesn’t get Mayweather then I think he should go with the Kell Brook fight,” stated Hatton. “Benn and Eubank made themselves with a domestic rivalry; Carl Froch and George Groves had a great rivalry. Khan and Kell Brook could have a trilogy of fights. If you can get 80,000 into Wembley for Froch and Groves, you could definitely get 80,000-plus for Khan and Brook so that’s the one I’d be heading for if Mayweather doesn’t come off.”
Hatton says the fight between the two is too close to call.
“I think it’s a 50-50 fight and I keep changing my mind,” he said. “I could make an argument for both of them. When Amir Khan boxed against Devon Alexander and (Luis) Collazo I thought he looked a million dollars, but then last time out he showed his vulnerabilities. I think Amir’s had a couple of times he’s been hit on the chin, but lately he’s looked a lot more solid.
“Kell Brook fought against Frankie Gavin and looked really good in doing it, but Amir Khan will say, ‘that’s a level down from where I’ve been fighting’. He might have a point in that, but Brook went over to the US and won the world title against (Shawn) Porter, so I really wouldn’t like to say.”
