Amir Khan braced to snub career-defining Kell Brook fight in favour of Terence Crawford
Bolton star looks set to disappoint boxing fans by turning down a scrap against his fellow Englishman
AMIR KHAN is on the verge of snubbing a career-defining fight with long-time nemesis Kell Brook for a bout no one wants to see.
The Bolton star looks poised to agree a £4million deal to fight WBO welterweight king Terence Crawford in America on March 23.
It will kibosh a domestic war — worth almost double that figure — which promoter Eddie Hearn has been building towards since signing 31-year-old Khan on a three-fight deal in January.
Khan wants a crack at claiming the WBO strap — and feels he can still land the Brook fight after battling American Crawford.
Both Brook and Khan have won two tune-up fights each this year, with Sheffield fighter Brook bagging a points win over Australian Michael Zerafa on Saturday night.
But Hearn fears Khan is about to disappoint British boxing fans with a fight not on many fans’ Christmas wish list.
The Matchroom boss said: “Khan vs Brook is the fight that his people want.
“Nobody is calling for the Crawford fight. Have you seen the British public saying, ‘You’ve got to fight Crawford?’
“When Khan and Brook get together it will be the biggest thing going, because they cannot stand each other. And it will be the most epic build-up for a completely 50-50 fight.”
Brook, 32, battered super- welterweight Zerafa into a bloody mess at the Sheffield Arena, with his nose appearing broken as early as the second round.
But Brook was also hit far too often in the second half of the fight — and looked miles off the elite level the former IBF welterweight champ insists he can still mix it at.
Khan watched the WBA eliminator on TV and was far from impressed.
Plus he was warned Brook will not hang around for his most bitter rival to agree to the fight.
Hearn hopes Khan saw his 147lb enemy look vulnerable and that it will help convince him to eventually sign up to a domestic battle.
Hearn said: “I’ve told Amir it is now or never. I think he will decide in the next week.
“He may sign the Crawford fight. Before this fight I would have said he would go with the Crawford fight.
“If I was Amir Khan, I would be on the phone now.
“It sells out any arena in double-quick time. I think it sells around 60,000 or 70,000.
“People will forget about that Brook performance in two days.
“It is already chip paper. People will know about the history and the build-up to Khan vs Brook.
“When they get together, it will be an absolute epic. They are both petrified of losing. It will kill them forever.”