Khan-Brook targeted for early 2020, talks ongoing

Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that talks are ongoing for the long-awaited British showdown between Amir Khan and Kell Brook.

"Talks ongoing, but nothing too serious at the moment," Hearn told Sky Sports. "I think they both want a fight in December, and then try and make the fight in the spring."

Khan (34-5, 21 KO’s), 32, of the United Kingdom, a former 140-pound world titleholder, recently announced a renewed interest in facing his longtime rival. A bout between the two English boxers has been talked about for over a decade.

Both fighters are looking to fight one more time this year before potentially squaring off in early 2020. Brook is aiming for the chief support fight of the highly-anticipated rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz, which goes down on December 7 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

"Yeah, I believe I can fight on that," Brook told Sky Sports. "It's something different, it would be a different look. I know that I would be ready for that time.

"It will be a year by the time I get in, so I don't want an elite fight, but I want a good fight just to dip my feet back in the water.”

Brook legitimately loathes Khan, but implied that he may have to hold back some of his emotions to make the fight.

In an interview last year, Khan told The Sun that Brook was a closet homosexual and urged him to come out. He also claimed that Brook’s stabbing attack in Tenerife was a result of the former 147-pound world champion trying to have sex with an unwilling man.

"I've got to the stage now where I just want to sit down and try and make the fight, instead of trying to strangle him! I would rather sit down and talk about the fight, what's holding it up. What we can do to get it across the line. That's all I would be interested in, because the fans are missing out.

"I want to fight December, [then] February or March. It would be ideal for us to fight then. sked about a venue, the Sheffield fighter added: "It don't matter to me as long as he's opposite me."