IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook will potentially fight bitter domestic rival Amir Khan next summer according to promoter Eddie Hearn, though not before a mandatory defence against little-known Canadian Kevin Bizier, which has been ordered by the sanctioning body.
Hearn took to his social media accounts this week and warned fans to log a summer ’16 dust-up between the pair of Brits, before then also warning of the Bizier mandatory, which is going to be another tough sell for the Sheffield fighter, especially in the UK where fans are keen to see a step-up in competition, meaning he will potentially travel to North America for it.
“We’re pushing forward for the Amir Khan fight and we expect it to happen at the end of May or early June,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “We’re speaking to their team and I believe the fight will happen. It’s the biggest fight out there for both of them. It’s common sense and I believe common sense will prevail.”
Brook had been due to fight rough and awkward Argentine, Diego Chaves in October before pulling from the fight with a rib injury, and it’s looking increasingly likely that clash is no longer going to take place, with the ostensibly ‘softer’ option of Bizier preferable to ‘The Special One.’
“The IBF have ordered us to fight Bizier. We had an agreement to fight Chaves but if the fight’s not for the IBF world title then the agreement is void,” Hearn continued without explaining why it would not be for the title. “If we have to deal with the mandatory then it’s likely we’ll travel to America to do it because it’s more appealing there than here.
“[Bizier] is a decent fighter but it’s not the easiest to sell and we need to prepare for the Khan fight, which is what we’re heading towards. It’s all feet to the pedal on that.”
Brook has only boxed the one voluntary [Frankie Gavin, May] since his last mandatory challenger, Jo Jo Dan was blasted out way back in February and the champion is under increasingly heavy fire from fans in the UK disappointed at the promise of big fights that thus far, haven’t come to fruition.
Khan had been in the running as an opponent for Manny Pacquiao’s final hurrah in April, although is feared to have again lost out on a big money opportunity, this time to Terence Crawford or Tim Bradley. He last boxed in May, making hard work at times of New York’s Chris Algieri.
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