Boxing in Britain set to resume in February after Covid break

Amir Khan’s fight against Kell Brook next month is set to go ahead

Boxing will return to Britain from February after the British Boxing Board of Control issued a “circuit breaker” in January.

The change in measures means Amir Khan’s long-awaited fight against Kell Brook, on 19 February, will go ahead. The pause in boxing meant Chris Eubank Jr’s bout against Liam Williams was postponed to 5 February.

BBBofC general secretary Robert Smith confirmed the news and welcomes the return of the sport.

“I’m confident this is the right thing to do. I’m advised by the doctors, I have to take the advice,” Smith told talkSPORT. “If you’ve got the doctors, you need to listen to what they’re saying. Those decisions are hard decisions to make, but that’s why we govern a sport.

“Other sports are lucky. We’ve got Jurgen Klopp not being able to go to a football match because of Covid, you’ve got players unable to take part in matches because of Covid, but they can be replaced.

“In boxing, they can’t. Ultimately if something happens with regards to the virus or any contact with anybody, that’s the show finished. The decision the board have made – which I fully support – is, ‘Let’s have a circuit breaker for a month’.

“It’s only two weeks ultimately because no boxing generally happens in the first two weeks of January.”

While boxing has been on pause, the trash talk between Khan and Brook hasn’t stopped. Khan’s latest jibe says he doesn’t see his opponent beating him in Manchester.

“I feel like when I was 25, 26, and at the peak of my career,” he told Sky. “I can’t see Kell Brook beating me. I’m a better skilled fighter, I’ve been in there with better opposition, but look, come fight night, it’s time to show my skills off.

“I’m just going to keep calm, I’m not going to think too much or get over confident, because at the end of the day you can’t get too confident about this because one punch can change a fight.”