• Welterweight

Brook rules out Khan fight, targets Mayweather or Pacquiao

Kell Brook faces Jo Jo Dan in his first IBF world welterweight title defence after beating Shawn Porter © Getty Images

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Kell Brook hopes Saturday's first defence will be a step closer to a world title unification title fight with either superstars Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.

The Sheffield boxer defends his IBF world welterweight title against Romania-born Canada-based Jo Jo Dan at the Motorpoint Arena in his home city on Saturday.

It will be the first defence of the belt Brook - unbeaten in 33 fights - won from American Shawn Porter on points in California last August.

Brook, 28, plans to fight again in the summer at Bramall Lane if he can overcome his mandatory challenger Dan and then hopes he can then meet the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao, who clash in the biggest fight in decades for the WBC, WBA and WBO versions of the world welterweight title in Las Vegas on May 2.

Brook's British rival Amir Khan is also vying for position to face either Pacquiao or Mayweather in the next year.

But Brook believes he has a better chance of meeting one of boxing's pound-for-pound top two and says plans to face Khan have been shelved until 2016.

"I don't know why not I could fight Mayweather or Pacquiao later this year," Brook told ESPN.

"On May 3rd there can only be two world welterweight champions: Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao, and me.

"It makes sense to do a unification fight. No contact has been made yet with either of them and I'm just focusing on my mandatory challenge at the moment, but I want to be involved in the big fights.

"It's about winning this fight and winning well and then if we can't do Wembley we are looking at fighting at Bramall Lane in June or July against a massive name.

"I want to bring massive fights to the UK for the fans here.

"But I think the Amir Khan fight is gone for this year. I'm the world champion and I will fight some other massive name. I'm not interested in what he does next now.

"I've got the carrot, the world title, and these top fighters - why wouldn't they want to challenge me for it? What are they going to gain from fighting Amir Khan because he doesn't have a belt?"

Brook admits he is lucky to be even talking about fighting on Saturday after he needed 32 staples in his leg and a blood transfusion after being slashed by a machete on a night out in Tenerife following his win over Porter.

There were fears the 12-inch stab wound - which the Sheffield fighter described as looking like a shark bite - had ended Brook's career just three weeks after his finest moment.

This time around, Brook is planning a low-key celebration if he extends his unbeaten record against Dan to set up bigger pay days.

"I'm excited to be back boxing again and I've actually enjoyed going through all the pain in training, pushing my body, the dieting and being disciplined," he told ESPN.

"I've enjoyed it because I'm just so glad to be actually boxing again. When the attacked happened, to think I could never box again… words can't describe how I felt about that thought. I was thinking am I going to walk again, let alone box again.

"I'm going to stay at home this time around and there will be no holiday after the fight. I will go shopping with the missus and spend time with the family instead."

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