• Welterweight

Khan-Brook won't happen this year, says trainer

Kell Brook defeated Shawn Porter in California to take the IBF welterweight belt © Getty Images

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Kell Brook and Amir Khan are likely to fight next year rather than December, according to the new IBF world welterweight champion's trainer Dominic Ingle.

Brook, 28, captured the IBF belt last weekend by out-pointing American Shawn Porter in California and is expected to make a first defence at the end of the year.

The unbeaten Sheffield boxer has long called upon Bolton's former world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan to meet him.

Inside Boxing: Making of a champion

Kell Brook was mesmerized by gym-mate Naseem Hamed as a kid © Getty Images

• Trainer Dominic Ingle describes to Nick Parkinson how Kell Brook's points win over American Shawn Porter for the IBF world welterweight title last Saturday was 20 years in the making
• Read the full story here

Until the defeat of Porter, Khan had shown no interest in fighting Brook but now believes the all-British clash could be as big as the super-middleweight bout between Carl Froch and George Groves, which attracted a crowd of 80,000 to Wembley Stadium last May.

Khan is also clinging to the hope that he will face boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr next May, but Ingle is confident about the chances of Brook-Khan happening in 2015.

"The biggest fight is either Khan over here or Floyd Mayweather in America and somewhere down the line Eddie Hearn will try and make it happen," Ingle told ESPN.

"Kell fights again in December. There's no point in him having a lesser opponent than Shawn Porter for the next fight because once you get to the next level like Kell has, it's what motivates you. Kell gets up for big fights.

"If you gave him an easier fight he's likely to take the foot off the gas. It needs to be a decent threat-level for Kell.

"But I don't think the next fight will be Khan in December. I know Khan is looking to fight again in December, as Kell is, but it will probably happen next year.

"In his next fight, Kell needs to beat a decent opponent. Ideally, Mayweather will say Khan and Brook should sort it out between themselves in May and then he will fight the winner later next year.

"Kell knows he has got a limited time to cash-in now and needs the big fights. He has got the talent to do it, though, in big fights."

Ingle also insists Brook has no problem making the welterweight limit.

"Training Kell Brook is the easy bit; managing his lifestyle outside of the ring, making sure his weight is on an even keel, that's the more difficult bit but it's becoming easier," he added.

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