Amir Khan vs Kell Brook: Where will Saturday’s grudge match be won and lost?

Bolton-born Khan and Sheffield’s Brook go head-to-head in Manchester this weekend

Amir Khan and Kell Brook go head-to-head this weekend (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Wire)

Long-time rivals Amir Khan and Kell Brook will end years of back-and-forth trash-talking when they face each other in a much-anticipated grudge bout at a 149lbs catchweight this weekend.

It is a case of better late than never for the two British fighters, whose contest in Manchester should still attract plenty of eyeballs not least because they seem evenly matched despite contrasting styles.

Khan’s professional record stands at 34-5 (21 knockouts), while Brook is 39-3 (27 KOs). Khan enters this weekend’s main event on the back of a TKO victory over Billy Dib, though that contest took place nearly three years ago, while Brook last fought in November 2020 when he lost to Terence Crawford – who beat Khan in 2019 but is aiding his old foe ahead of Saturday’s bout.

Here is a look at the respective skill-sets of the 35-year-old combatants and whether that gives an indication of who may have their hand raised on Saturday evening.

Speed

Unquestionably Khan is quicker. Brook is not cumbersome by any measure but his opponent’s rapid hand speed and footwork, his ability to get in and out of danger and crucially get off the first punch – the jab could be crucial for Khan – is well noted. Khan, a former unified light welterweight champion, may not be as quick as he once was and there were signs he was slowing down against Terence Crawford in 2019 but he is still likely to be the faster of the two.

Power

Khan’s ability to overwhelm his foes with punches they do not see coming has largely been responsible for the 21 stoppages he has gained from his 34 wins to go with five defeats, but Brook is more heavy-handed. This should not be billed as ‘speed vs power’, which is too simplistic. Certainly on the world stage, former IBF welterweight titlist Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) has relied as much on timing as he has done on outright obliterating previous opponents.

Defence

Kell Brook, left, has been chasing a bout against Amir Khan for some time (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive)

Khan was renowned for leaving himself wide open in the first half of his career but his work with ex-trainer Virgil Hunter brought out a more pragmatic side. Still, Khan remains vulnerable to being clipped. Brook, the bigger of the two fighters, arguably has the sharper ring IQ and a more varied set of skills. But this is the bout he has coveted most for a while now so when the sell-out crowd are cheering and the blood is pumping, will he be drawn into a war?

Conditioning

Khan’s swiftness has meant he has been able to set a high tempo and he has rarely shown signs of gassing as a fight wears on. Of the two, Bolton-born Khan is more committed to staying on top of his fitness, with Brook often ballooning in weight between fights. Boiling down to welterweight has proved difficult in the past for the Yorkshireman and, while he has two extra pounds to play with, how he gets down to the weight could be instructive.

Chin

Khan has been knocked out a few times in his career (Dave Thompson/PA) (PA Archive)

Khan has suffered some devastating knockout defeats, most notably against Breidis Prescott early on in his career and then Saul “Canelo” Alvarez following an ill-advised leap to middleweight. But Brook’s three losses have all been inside the distance. Setbacks against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr necessitated surgery and metal plates to fix breaks in both eye sockets while he was stopped on his feet by Crawford in his last outing.

Overall

Better late than never for fans of Khan, left, and Brook (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Wire)

There is a reason why fans have been clamouring for this fight for several years: No one can say with any degree of certainty who will come out on top. This fight may not have the prestige it undoubtedly would have had when Brook ruled as a 147lbs world champion from 2014 to 2017 but both fighters being shop-worn adds an element of intrigue to proceedings. The victor could receive one more world title shot but there is nowhere for the loser to turn.