In the main event fan-favorite [autotag]Stamp Fairtex[/autotag] (11-2) fought former UFC fighter [autotag]Seo Hee Ham[/autotag] (26-9) for the vacant 115-pound title. The championship bout was one of three on the card, but the only that was MMA.
The co-main event featured a 125-pound muay thai title bout between champion [autotag]Smilla Sundell[/autotag] and [autotag]Allycia Rodrigues[/autotag], who battled after rising sensation [autotag]Danielle Kelly[/autotag] went up against [autotag]Jessa Khan[/autotag] in a championship grappling bout.
Former UFC standout [autotag]John Lineker[/autotag] (37-10) also competed on the card, as he battled [autotag]Stephan Loman[/autotag] (17-3) in a matchup that was originally scheduled to take place in 2021.
Kell Brook turned showdown with Amir Khan into a one-sided beat down Saturday in Manchester, England.
The build-up lasted forever. The fight was short and one-sided.
Kell Brook showed countryman Amir Khan who is the better fighter when they finally met in the ring Saturday at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, dominating and then stopping his rival in the sixth round of a scheduled 12-round 149-pound showdown of 35-year-olds.
Khan was game. He always is. He was also outclassed for five-plus rounds and – with his weak chin on full display — he ultimately couldn’t withstand the pounding Brook dished out.
Brook (40-3, 28 KOs) hadn’t fought since November 2020, when he was knocked out by welterweight titleholder Terence Crawford.
However, the former beltholder from Sheffield showed no ring rust or a lack of confidence. Indeed, he stalked Khan from the opening bell and quickly broke him down.
Khan was having a solid opening round, sticking and moving, when he was hurt by a power jab. He continued to use his feet in an attempt to avoid trouble the rest of the fight – and had some success from the outside — but he couldn’t avoid Brook’s hardest punches.
And when they landed, they did damage. Khan seemed to fight on shaky legs the entire bout.
By Round 5, Khan began to fade badly as Brook landed punishing blows almost at will. The brave Bolton fighter continued to fight back but he couldn’t stem his opponent’s momentum.
Then, moments after the bell to start Round 6, Brook buckled Khan’s knees with a simple jab and then followed with a non-stop onslaught that prompted referee Victor Loughlin to stop the fight 51 seconds into the round.
At that moment, Brook jumped into the arms of one of his trainers and then onto his shoulders, savoring a victory he has long envisioned.
Brook never looked better, although praise should be tempered given Khan’s apparent decline. Still, the winner, after such a sensational victory, is again in a good position to face the elite 147-pounders in lucrative fights.
Khan? The quick-handed 2004 Olympic silver medalist and two-time 140-pound champ might be finished as an elite fighter.
He’s now 3-3 in his last six fights – with all three losses coming by sixth-round knockouts – and hasn’t won a meaningful fight in more than half a decade. And now he has fallen in brutal fashion against his arch rival, which surely is a tremendous disappointment for him.
All Khan (34-6, 21 KOs) can say is that he went down swinging. That’s about all he could accomplish against a good, determined version of Brook.
Kell Brook turned showdown with Amir Khan into a one-sided beat down Saturday in Manchester, England.
The build-up lasted forever. The fight was short and one-sided.
Kell Brook showed countryman Amir Khan who is the better fighter when they finally met in the ring Saturday at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, dominating and then stopping his rival in the sixth round of a scheduled 12-round 149-pound showdown of 35-year-olds.
Khan was game. He always is. He was also outclassed for five-plus rounds and – with his weak chin on full display — he ultimately couldn’t withstand the pounding Brook dished out.
Brook (40-3, 28 KOs) hadn’t fought since November 2020, when he was knocked out by welterweight titleholder Terence Crawford.
However, the former beltholder from Sheffield showed no ring rust or a lack of confidence. Indeed, he stalked Khan from the opening bell and quickly broke him down.
Khan was having a solid opening round, sticking and moving, when he was hurt by a power jab. He continued to use his feet in an attempt to avoid trouble the rest of the fight – and had some success from the outside — but he couldn’t avoid Brook’s hardest punches.
And when they landed, they did damage. Khan seemed to fight on shaky legs the entire bout.
By Round 5, Khan began to fade badly as Brook landed punishing blows almost at will. The brave Bolton fighter continued to fight back but he couldn’t stem his opponent’s momentum.
Then, moments after the bell to start Round 6, Brook buckled Khan’s knees with a simple jab and then followed with a non-stop onslaught that prompted referee Victor Loughlin to stop the fight 51 seconds into the round.
At that moment, Brook jumped into the arms of one of his trainers and then onto his shoulders, savoring a victory he has long envisioned.
Brook never looked better, although praise should be tempered given Khan’s apparent decline. Still, the winner, after such a sensational victory, is again in a good position to face the elite 147-pounders in lucrative fights.
Khan? The quick-handed 2004 Olympic silver medalist and two-time 140-pound champ might be finished as an elite fighter.
He’s now 3-3 in his last six fights – with all three losses coming by sixth-round knockouts – and hasn’t won a meaningful fight in more than half a decade. And now he has fallen in brutal fashion against his arch rival, which surely is a tremendous disappointment for him.
All Khan (34-6, 21 KOs) can say is that he went down swinging. That’s about all he could accomplish against a good, determined version of Brook.
“King Kahn” has never really become boxing royalty.
Oh, Amir Khan has unusual ability. His quickness and all-around skill set has allowed him to win a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, defeat a string of top-notch opponents over a decade-plus as a pro and become a two-time 140-pound champion.
The 35-year-old Briton has one glaring weakness, though: a weak chin, which, combined with his fighting spirit, has resulted in some cringe-worthy knockout losses that have held him back in his pursuit of greatness.
Of course, Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) isn’t quite finished: He finally will take on countryman Kell Brook on Saturday in Manchester (ESPN+).
Will he give Brook a boxing lesson, as he has done to many of his opponents? Or will Brook follow the lead of those who have turned out Khan’s lights?
That’s the story of Khan’s career: We never know which way it’s going to go.
Here are three of his best and three of his worst performances.
BEST
Marcos Maidana
Date / location: Dec. 11, 2010 / Las Vegas Result: UD 12
Khan was near the peak of his abilities when he agreed to face knockout artist Marcos Maidana in the third defense of his junior welterweight title. The champion put the Argentine down with a left hook to the body in the final seconds of Round 1 and boxed beautifully to build a lead on the cards against his hard-charging, but largely ineffective opponent. However, Maidana rallied late in the fight to give himself a chance to win. That included a wild Round 10, in which he hurt Khan badly with an overhand right that turned his legs into overcooked spaghetti. It seemed the end was near. But, in this fight, Khan, demonstrating tremendous heart, survived the round and the rest of the fight to win a unanimous decision.
Zab Judah
Date / location: July 23, 2011 / Las Vegas Result: KO 5
Judah, 33, wasn’t the same fighter who dazzled fans with his athleticism and ability seven or eight years earlier but he was still formidable. He was on a five-fight winning streak, including a seventh-round knockout of Kaizer Mabuza four months earlier to win his last major title. Just as important, his name carried weight. A victory over Judah would be perhaps his biggest step toward becoming a star. And Khan was never more dominating. He frustrated the veteran with his boxing ability and then ended the fight with a vicious right to the gut in the last 30 seconds of Round 5. Khan was now a unified champion and on a roll.
Devon Alexander
Date / location: Dec. 13, 2014 / Las Vegas Result: UD 12
People might forget that Alexander was one of the best in the business at one time. The quick, slick southpaw had only two losses, close decisions against Timothy Bradley and Shawn Porter. And he rebounded from the Porter setback by easily outpointing Jesus Soto Karass leading into the showdown with Khan. Alexander was a genuine threat. However, once the opening bell rang, he was overwhelmed. Khan, fighting brilliantly behind his jab, gave his capable opponent a boxing lesson to win a one-sided decision that bolstered his reputation as a rising force in boxing. He was never better than he was that night. Two fights later, though, his momentum came to an abrupt end when he moved up in weight to face a high-profile Mexican.
WORST
Breidis Prescott
Date / location: Sept. 6, 2008 / Manchester, England Result: KO 1
Khan was still considered a can’t-miss prospect when he ran into a relative unknown named Breidis Prescott at M.E.N. Arena. Those watching received a tremendous surprise. The Colombian laid bare something for which Khan would become known: a weak chin. Prescott landed a monstrous left hook that hurt Khan 22 seconds into the fight and then put him down with the same punch. He was able to get to his feet but was stopped by one more left moments later. The official end came 54 seconds into the fight. To his credit, Khan bounced back from the setback to build a successful career. It was that fighting spirit. At the same time, his inability to take a big punch would haunt him three more times.
Danny Garcia
Date / location: July 14, 2012 / Las Vegas Result: TKO 4
Khan embarked on a strong run after the Breidis setback, winning eight consecutive fights and a major 140-pound title. And although Lamont Peterson upset him by a split decision, the result was controversial and Peterson later admitted he had ingested testosterone pellets. That allowed Khan to be reinstated as champion. Next up for him? Hard-punching Danny Garcia in a title-unification bout. Khan acquitted himself well for two-plus rounds and then it happened again, a left hook in third round. that put him down in a moment eerily reminiscent of the Breidis fight. Khan continued to fight bravely but suffered two more knockdowns and couldn’t get out of Round 4. He would never hold a major title again.
Canelo Alvarez
Date / location: May 7, 2016 / Las Vegas Result: KO 6
Khan took a big swing in this fight, moving up to 154 pounds to take on the dangerous titleholder from Mexico. And, again, he paid a price. He boxed well for five-plus rounds, using his speed and ability to fight Alvarez on even terms. However, the rising young Mexican star was closing the distance by the middle rounds. Everyone was thinking the same thing: When is the punch going to land? Then it did, with around 32 seconds left in Round 6. Khan threw two lazy jabs, Alvarez stepped in and he landed an overhand right that put Khan flat on his back. He didn’t move, which made the count unnecessary. Khan has fought only four times since that setback, including one more knockout at the hands of Terence Crawford.
“King Kahn” has never really become boxing royalty.
Oh, Amir Khan has unusual ability. His quickness and all-around skill set has allowed him to win a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, defeat a string of top-notch opponents over a decade-plus as a pro and become a two-time 140-pound champion.
The 35-year-old Briton has one glaring weakness, though: a weak chin, which, combined with his fighting spirit, has resulted in some cringe-worthy knockout losses that have held him back in his pursuit of greatness.
Of course, Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) isn’t quite finished: He finally will take on countryman Kell Brook on Saturday in Manchester (ESPN+).
Will he give Brook a boxing lesson, as he has done to many of his opponents? Or will Brook follow the lead of those who have turned out Khan’s lights?
That’s the story of Khan’s career: We never know which way it’s going to go.
Here are three of his best and three of his worst performances.
BEST
Marcos Maidana
Date / location: Dec. 11, 2010 / Las Vegas Result: UD 12
Khan was near the peak of his abilities when he agreed to face knockout artist Marcos Maidana in the third defense of his junior welterweight title. The champion put the Argentine down with a left hook to the body in the final seconds of Round 1 and boxed beautifully to build a lead on the cards against his hard-charging, but largely ineffective opponent. However, Maidana rallied late in the fight to give himself a chance to win. That included a wild Round 10, in which he hurt Khan badly with an overhand right that turned his legs into overcooked spaghetti. It seemed the end was near. But, in this fight, Khan, demonstrating tremendous heart, survived the round and the rest of the fight to win a unanimous decision.
Zab Judah
Date / location: July 23, 2011 / Las Vegas Result: KO 5
Judah, 33, wasn’t the same fighter who dazzled fans with his athleticism and ability seven or eight years earlier but he was still formidable. He was on a five-fight winning streak, including a seventh-round knockout of Kaizer Mabuza four months earlier to win his last major title. Just as important, his name carried weight. A victory over Judah would be perhaps his biggest step toward becoming a star. And Khan was never more dominating. He frustrated the veteran with his boxing ability and then ended the fight with a vicious right to the gut in the last 30 seconds of Round 5. Khan was now a unified champion and on a roll.
Devon Alexander
Date / location: Dec. 13, 2014 / Las Vegas Result: UD 12
People might forget that Alexander was one of the best in the business at one time. The quick, slick southpaw had only two losses, close decisions against Timothy Bradley and Shawn Porter. And he rebounded from the Porter setback by easily outpointing Jesus Soto Karass leading into the showdown with Khan. Alexander was a genuine threat. However, once the opening bell rang, he was overwhelmed. Khan, fighting brilliantly behind his jab, gave his capable opponent a boxing lesson to win a one-sided decision that bolstered his reputation as a rising force in boxing. He was never better than he was that night. Two fights later, though, his momentum came to an abrupt end when he moved up in weight to face a high-profile Mexican.
WORST
Breidis Prescott
Date / location: Sept. 6, 2008 / Manchester, England Result: KO 1
Khan was still considered a can’t-miss prospect when he ran into a relative unknown named Breidis Prescott at M.E.N. Arena. Those watching received a tremendous surprise. The Colombian laid bare something for which Khan would become known: a weak chin. Prescott landed a monstrous left hook that hurt Khan 22 seconds into the fight and then put him down with the same punch. He was able to get to his feet but was stopped by one more left moments later. The official end came 54 seconds into the fight. To his credit, Khan bounced back from the setback to build a successful career. It was that fighting spirit. At the same time, his inability to take a big punch would haunt him three more times.
Danny Garcia
Date / location: July 14, 2012 / Las Vegas Result: TKO 4
Khan embarked on a strong run after the Breidis setback, winning eight consecutive fights and a major 140-pound title. And although Lamont Peterson upset him by a split decision, the result was controversial and Peterson later admitted he had ingested testosterone pellets. That allowed Khan to be reinstated as champion. Next up for him? Hard-punching Danny Garcia in a title-unification bout. Khan acquitted himself well for two-plus rounds and then it happened again, a left hook in third round. that put him down in a moment eerily reminiscent of the Breidis fight. Khan continued to fight bravely but suffered two more knockdowns and couldn’t get out of Round 4. He would never hold a major title again.
Canelo Alvarez
Date / location: May 7, 2016 / Las Vegas Result: KO 6
Khan took a big swing in this fight, moving up to 154 pounds to take on the dangerous titleholder from Mexico. And, again, he paid a price. He boxed well for five-plus rounds, using his speed and ability to fight Alvarez on even terms. However, the rising young Mexican star was closing the distance by the middle rounds. Everyone was thinking the same thing: When is the punch going to land? Then it did, with around 32 seconds left in Round 6. Khan threw two lazy jabs, Alvarez stepped in and he landed an overhand right that put Khan flat on his back. He didn’t move, which made the count unnecessary. Khan has fought only four times since that setback, including one more knockout at the hands of Terence Crawford.
Fight Week: Amir Khan and Kell Brook finally will collide; Jaime Munguia returns.
FIGHT WEEK
Amir Khan and Kell Brook finally meet Saturday in England. Also, unbeaten middleweight contender Jaime Mungia faces D’Mitrius Ballard in Tijuana, Mexico.
Amir Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) vs. Kell Brook (39-3, 27 KOs)
When: Saturday, Feb. 19
Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
Odds: Brook 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs. Chris Namus, junior middleweights (for vacant WBO title); Charlie Schofield vs. Germaine Brown, super middleweights
Prediction: Brook KO 8
Background: Finally. Khan and Brook, two of the best British fighters of that past few decades, have spoken about fighting for another for almost as long. They’ll meet at long last near the ends of their careers. Khan is a former junior welterweight titleholder known for his quickness and weak chin, which has failed him in four of his five losses. He was stopped by Breidis Prescott, Danny Garcia, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. He has a strong resume – with victories over Marco Antonio Barrera, Paulie Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana, Zab Judah, Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander – but he hasn’t had a significant victory since he outpointed Chris Algieri in 2015. The 35-year-old from Bolton is coming off a fourth-round knockout of veteran Billy Dib in July 2019, which means he will have been out of the ring for more than 2½ years. Brook, also 35, was a borderline pound-for-pounder when he outpointed Shawn Porter to win a major welterweight title in 2014 and made three successful defenses. However, that was followed by back-to-back knockout losses to Gennadiy Golovkin at middleweight and Errol Spence Jr. back at welterweight in 2016 and 2017, after which he was never the same. He last fought in November 2020, when Crawford stopped him in four rounds.
Also on the card: William Zepeda vs. Luis Viedas, lightweights; Rafael Espinoza vs. Alie Laurel, featherweights
Prediction: Munguia KO 9
Background: Munguia, the former junior middleweight beltholder, is marching steadily toward a shot at a middleweight championship. The 25-year-old Mexican won his 154-pound title by stopping Sadam Ali in 2018 and making five successful defense before moving up to 160, at which he’s 4-0 against good opposition. He’s coming off a wide-decision victory over veteran Gabriel Rosado this past November. He’ll be fighting in his hometown for the first time since 2017. Ballard, 28, is a solid opponent. The product of the Washington, D.C. area was an amateur standout who fought in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, turning pro the following year. He’s unbeaten as a pro – with only a draw against Yamaguchi Falcao in 2019 – but has never faced an opponent the caliber of Munguia as a professional. Ballard is coming off a one-sided unanimous 10-round decision over Paul Valenzuela Jr. on the Munguia-Rosado card. He has fought outside the United States only once, in Canada in 2016.
Also fighting this weekend: Lightweight prospect Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) will face Nahir Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout Friday in Orlando, Florida, on Showtime. Also, Saturday in Ekaterina, Russia, former three-division titleholder Jorge Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) will take on Zaur Abdullaev (14-1, 8 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round fight.
Fight Week: Amir Khan and Kell Brook finally will collide; Jaime Munguia returns.
FIGHT WEEK
Amir Khan and Kell Brook finally meet Saturday in England. Also, unbeaten middleweight contender Jaime Mungia faces D’Mitrius Ballard in Tijuana, Mexico.
Amir Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) vs. Kell Brook (39-3, 27 KOs)
When: Saturday, Feb. 19
Time: 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
Odds: Brook 1½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Natasha Jonas vs. Chris Namus, junior middleweights (for vacant WBO title); Charlie Schofield vs. Germaine Brown, super middleweights
Prediction: Brook KO 8
Background: Finally. Khan and Brook, two of the best British fighters of that past few decades, have spoken about fighting for another for almost as long. They’ll meet at long last near the ends of their careers. Khan is a former junior welterweight titleholder known for his quickness and weak chin, which has failed him in four of his five losses. He was stopped by Breidis Prescott, Danny Garcia, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. He has a strong resume – with victories over Marco Antonio Barrera, Paulie Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana, Zab Judah, Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander – but he hasn’t had a significant victory since he outpointed Chris Algieri in 2015. The 35-year-old from Bolton is coming off a fourth-round knockout of veteran Billy Dib in July 2019, which means he will have been out of the ring for more than 2½ years. Brook, also 35, was a borderline pound-for-pounder when he outpointed Shawn Porter to win a major welterweight title in 2014 and made three successful defenses. However, that was followed by back-to-back knockout losses to Gennadiy Golovkin at middleweight and Errol Spence Jr. back at welterweight in 2016 and 2017, after which he was never the same. He last fought in November 2020, when Crawford stopped him in four rounds.
Also on the card: William Zepeda vs. Luis Viedas, lightweights; Rafael Espinoza vs. Alie Laurel, featherweights
Prediction: Munguia KO 9
Background: Munguia, the former junior middleweight beltholder, is marching steadily toward a shot at a middleweight championship. The 25-year-old Mexican won his 154-pound title by stopping Sadam Ali in 2018 and making five successful defense before moving up to 160, at which he’s 4-0 against good opposition. He’s coming off a wide-decision victory over veteran Gabriel Rosado this past November. He’ll be fighting in his hometown for the first time since 2017. Ballard, 28, is a solid opponent. The product of the Washington, D.C. area was an amateur standout who fought in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, turning pro the following year. He’s unbeaten as a pro – with only a draw against Yamaguchi Falcao in 2019 – but has never faced an opponent the caliber of Munguia as a professional. Ballard is coming off a one-sided unanimous 10-round decision over Paul Valenzuela Jr. on the Munguia-Rosado card. He has fought outside the United States only once, in Canada in 2016.
Also fighting this weekend: Lightweight prospect Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) will face Nahir Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout Friday in Orlando, Florida, on Showtime. Also, Saturday in Ekaterina, Russia, former three-division titleholder Jorge Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) will take on Zaur Abdullaev (14-1, 8 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round fight.
Welterweight contender Conor Benn made a strong statement by stopping Chris Algieri in four rounds Saturday in England.
That’s what you call making a statement.
Conor Benn, facing one of his biggest tests, stopped veteran Chris Algieri with two seconds remaining in Round 4 of a scheduled 12-round welterweight bout Saturday in Liverpool, England.
Only Errol Spence Jr. had been able to knock out the former 140-pound champ before Benn turned the trick.
Benn (20-0, 13 KOs) had dominated the bout before the knockout, fighting behind his jab to land power punches to both the head and body and taking little in return.
Algieri (25-4, 9 KOs) landed a few punches but spent most of his time covering up and doing his best to move out of harm’s way.
Then, with Algieri’s back against the ropes, Benn countered a weak jab from the American with a left and then a right hand that found Algieri’s chin and sent him tumbling to the canvas.
Conor Benn watches as Chris Algieri crashes to the canvas. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing
There was no reason for referee Bob Williams to count; Algieri was out.
Benn celebrated immediately after the fight was waved off but assumed a more somber posture when he realized that Algieri remained on his back a minute or two after the stoppage.
Finally, when Algieri regained his senses and got up, Benn could enjoy his victory in earnest.
“I didn’t expect nothing else,” Benn said. “I work extremely hard and I knew the knockout was coming. I said the same thing about [Samuel] Vargas. I knew the knockout was coming.
“… I hope the Yanks know that I’m the best fighter in Britain, No. 1. And, No. 2, I’m coming for them.”
That said, neither Benn nor his promoter Eddie Hearn seem to be in a hurry because of his limited experience. He had only a reported 20 amateur fights.
Benn mentioned the intriguing possibility of facing the winner of the Feb. 19 Kell Brook-Amir Khan fight or 147-pound gatekeeper Adrian Broner.
And Hearn, interviewed as he stood beside Benn after the fight, didn’t bring up any names but he clearly wants to avoid the likes of titleholders Spence and Terence Crawford for the time being as Benn continues to develop.
“The job is to position him for a world title fight in the most difficult and dangerous division in boxing,” Hearn said. “147 pounds. There are no easy belts, there are no easy fights at the top.
“It’s about preparing him and making sure he’s perfectly ready … to swim with the sharks.”
Benn has one supporter close to him who believes the sky is the limit.
“This is the fight that Conor made his own path,” said Nigel Benn, his father and former world champion. “He’s not in my shadow no more. … Unbelievable, unbelievable. He’s going all the way.”
Welterweight contender Conor Benn made a strong statement by stopping Chris Algieri in four rounds Saturday in England.
That’s what you call making a statement.
Conor Benn, facing one of his biggest tests, stopped veteran Chris Algieri with two seconds remaining in Round 4 of a scheduled 12-round welterweight bout Saturday in Liverpool, England.
Only Errol Spence Jr. had been able to knock out the former 140-pound champ before Benn turned the trick.
Benn (20-0, 13 KOs) had dominated the bout before the knockout, fighting behind his jab to land power punches to both the head and body and taking little in return.
Algieri (25-4, 9 KOs) landed a few punches but spent most of his time covering up and doing his best to move out of harm’s way.
Then, with Algieri’s back against the ropes, Benn countered a weak jab from the American with a left and then a right hand that found Algieri’s chin and sent him tumbling to the canvas.
Conor Benn watches as Chris Algieri crashes to the canvas. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing
There was no reason for referee Bob Williams to count; Algieri was out.
Benn celebrated immediately after the fight was waved off but assumed a more somber posture when he realized that Algieri remained on his back a minute or two after the stoppage.
Finally, when Algieri regained his senses and got up, Benn could enjoy his victory in earnest.
“I didn’t expect nothing else,” Benn said. “I work extremely hard and I knew the knockout was coming. I said the same thing about [Samuel] Vargas. I knew the knockout was coming.
“… I hope the Yanks know that I’m the best fighter in Britain, No. 1. And, No. 2, I’m coming for them.”
That said, neither Benn nor his promoter Eddie Hearn seem to be in a hurry because of his limited experience. He had only a reported 20 amateur fights.
Benn mentioned the intriguing possibility of facing the winner of the Feb. 19 Kell Brook-Amir Khan fight or 147-pound gatekeeper Adrian Broner.
And Hearn, interviewed as he stood beside Benn after the fight, didn’t bring up any names but he clearly wants to avoid the likes of titleholders Spence and Terence Crawford for the time being as Benn continues to develop.
“The job is to position him for a world title fight in the most difficult and dangerous division in boxing,” Hearn said. “147 pounds. There are no easy belts, there are no easy fights at the top.
“It’s about preparing him and making sure he’s perfectly ready … to swim with the sharks.”
Benn has one supporter close to him who believes the sky is the limit.
“This is the fight that Conor made his own path,” said Nigel Benn, his father and former world champion. “He’s not in my shadow no more. … Unbelievable, unbelievable. He’s going all the way.”
Amir Khan vs. Kell Brook: Is late really better than never?
Ben Shalom is strutting around after getting one of British boxing’s biggest rivalries over the line.
And for good reason. The newcomer to boxing has managed to do what more high-profile promoters before him couldn’t achieve by making Amir Khan vs. Kell Brook a reality. The pair meet on Feb. 19. And Shalom will be the man staging it.
It shouldn’t have been this difficult to get Khan and Brook in the ring. This was a dream fight for British boxing for about a decade, as both are talented, charismatic and accomplished. That included a potential showdown for domestic supremacy around 2014, near their peaks.
The fact Brook was the bigger man was an obstacle but it would’ve taken only a one-division move up or down from either boxer to make the match. Finally, in 2022, 18 years after Khan won the hearts of a nation by taking home a silver medal from the 2012 Olympics, it’s happening.
The fight won’t determine who’s the better man of the two because the best version of each warrior no longer exists. Khan is 34, Brook 35.
We can only imagine this engagement happening immediately following Brook’s narrow win over Shawn Porter in 2014 or after Khan was handing out schoolings to Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander the same year.
In 2016 both men chose to be bounced around the ring by middleweights rather than taking on each other. Khan’s knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez was sickening, while Brook suffered damage to his eye socket against Gennadiy Golovkin that also troubled him in a loss to Errol Spence Jr.
Both men bolstered their finances in these fights but the damage done relegated them to gatekeeper status. Then, when both of them were stopped by Terence Crawford, any potential fight between Khan and Brook appeared to lose its appeal. Or did it?
Perhaps because of their name recognition and constant bickering over the years, some people aren’t ready to give up on it just yet.
At the press conference to formally announce the fight, Khan and Brook teased each other on a variety of subjects, including who performed better against Crawford. And based on the reaction of fans afterward, it’s obvious that this is a contest people are eager to see.
A tense head-to-head followed by multiple teasers have given this fight considerable weight. Shalom and Sky Sports deserve huge credit for that. The fight probably will deliver on many fronts. It will do a solid buy rate, it will provide boxing fans with a memorable night and it will close the book on a lingering rivalry.
