Tuesday 21 July 2015 06:13, UK
Promoter Eddie Hearn plans to hold talks with Amir Khan this week about a possible fight with Kell Brook in November.
Khan and Brook both attended last weekend’s big Manchester bill, topped by Scott Quigg and Anthony Crolla’s world title fights, but the British rivals did not come face-to-face.
In recent months, Khan has distanced himself from a showdown with IBF champion Brook, opting instead to pursue a lucrative fight with Floyd Mayweather.
But the American superstar is expected to overlook the Bolton man again, with reports suggesting he will face Andre Berto, and Hearn hopes he can offer an alternative big-money bout against Brook later this year.
Who else other than Kell Brook can give him what he needs and give him the numbers that he needs?
Asked whether he spoke to Khan at the weekend, Hearn told Sky Sports: “No I didn't, he was upstairs in a box, but I did speak to him via text.
“I've said that I would like to grab an hour with him this week to talk about the fight. It looks like September 12 is not happening for Amir Khan against Floyd Mayweather, so therefore he won’t be able to fight (him) until May at the earliest.
“He must be looking at a big fight, November time. Who else other than Kell Brook can give him what he needs and give him the numbers that he needs?”
Manchester’s Crolla could also return to action in the same month as Hearn wants to swiftly arrange a rematch with Darleys Perez, who clung onto his WBA lightweight title after holding the Mancunian to a draw on Saturday night.
Liverpudlian Derry Mathews is the mandatory challenger for Perez, but Crolla could be granted a return bout before the Colombian has to fulfil that obligation.
“I think realistically we've got a good chance of them ordering a rematch," said Hearn. "I think everybody felt that Crolla had won. I haven’t found one person who scored it a draw or gave it to Perez.
"They haven’t called the mandatory on yet. Perez has just become champion. Of course from Mathews’ side they are going to be pushing for that as hard as they can.
“There is much more money for Perez in a rematch. I have spoken to Gary Shaw his promoter already and they are certainly up for considering a rematch."
Revealing a potential date, Hearn added: “November, back in Manchester. They have both done 12 rounds, it was quite a tough fight. They will need three or four weeks then get back into camp, middle or end of August.”
Quigg stayed on course for a bumper bout with the likes of Carl Frampton, Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux after retaining his WBA super-bantamweight title with a second-round stoppage of Kiko Martinez.
Over in America, Frampton was floored twice before taking a points win over Alejandro Gonzalez Jr on the same night, and Hearn will hold fresh talks with the Northern Irishman’s advisers about a major domestic fight.
“I'm speaking to Al Haymon’s team about the Carl Frampton-Scott Quigg fight as well,” said Hearn, who held recent discussions with Donaire’s promoters.
“I've got a meeting with them early next week. That’s still our No 1 priority. We've had a few initial discussions with Rigondeaux’s team and (manager) Gary Hyde. I don’t see that fight happening next, but that fight has to happen within 12 months because Scott Quigg is going to run out of opponents.
“He wants to fight the best in the division. For me at the moment, Rigondeaux against Quigg is No 1 and No 2 in the division. But I think the two favourites next are Frampton or Donaire.
“Whether they like to hear it or not, their stock dropped on Saturday night and Scott Quigg’s stock rose. I was thinking about potentially going back and making a revised offer, but I don’t think we need to. The original offer is fair and even more fair now after what happened on Saturday."
