Kell Brook wins grudge match against Amir Khan via TKO in 6

After years of resentment, Kell Brook and Amir Khan finally fought, but Brook was too much for Khan to handle. Brook got the win via TKO in round 6. 

British boxing welterweights Kell Brook and Amir Khan have disliked each other for years, but they finally came together on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Manchester Arena. Brook fought with anger, and Khan fought like a shot fighter.

The lead-up to Brook vs. Khan was contentious. There was a lot of smack talk and some pushing, but it was all Brook in the ring.

Khan (34-6, 21 KOs) once had a promising career, but his questionable chin has always been his Achilles heel. Coming in against Brook, Khan had lost four of his five losses by knockout. He can add another digit to that tally.

Brook (40-3, 27 KOs) had three losses on his records and was stopped in all of those fights, but not because he was knocked out cold. He fractured orbital bones against Gennadiy Golovkin and Errol Spence. Terence Crawford just outclassed him in 2020, but Brook always finished bouts on his feet.

Kell Brook bested Amir Khan in front of the Manchester Arena crowd via round 6 TKO

Brook vs. Khan looked like a 50-50 contest on paper. Brook was inactive for two years, and Khan was out of the ring for three years. Both are 35 years old and are missing a step, but Khan’s weak chin was always more of a liability than the durability of Brook’s face.

Khan landed the first meaningful blow in round 1. He connected with a left hook, but significant punches for Khan were hard to come by as the match continued. Brook staggered Khan in the final minute with a right. He landed another, and Khan was fortunate to finish the round upright.

In rounds 2 and 3, Khan regained some composure, but Khan was hurt again at the end of round 3. When it looked like Khan might be finding something, Brook would connect with a hard right.

In rounds 5 and 6, Khan looked like a shell of his former glory. He stayed in a high guard as Brook had his way with him. Brook was smashing a defenseless Khan in round 6, and Khan wasn’t offering anything back. The referee saw enough and stopped the fight.

It was a fair stoppage as it looked like it was only a matter of time before Brook would knock Khan senseless. Khan likely won’t fight again, but this breathes new life into Brook’s career. At 35 years old, he is too far gone to compete with the current champions and contenders, but he could still find at least two more noteworthy fights to close the show on his career.