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Brook-Khan doubtful as Hearn plots Marquez showdown

Kell Brook fighting Juan Manuel Marquez at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane is an option © Getty Images

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Kell Brook is not waiting for Amir Khan to make up his mind about fighting him and hopes to face either Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez or American Brandon Rios this summer.

After flooring Jo Jo Dan four times en-route to a fourth round demolition job on Saturday, Brook's promoter Eddie Hearn said Wembley Stadium is still on hold for a showdown with Khan on June 13.

A clash with British rival Khan is what Brook wants next after a swift execution of Dan in a first defence of his IBF world welterweight title at the Motorpoint Arena. Problem is, Khan does not want it - for now at least. Khan's strategy is to land a fight against boxing's biggest stars Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao and facing Brook could jeopardise his chances of landing either superstar later this year.

Khan has yet to announce who he will be facing next before mid-June after once again being left disappointed in his quest to land a money-spinning fight against American Mayweather Jr, who faces Filipino Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2.

American Chris Algieri is a possible opponent for Khan on May 30 and Hearn is not optimistic about the chances of Brook-Khan happening. Instead Hearn hopes to bring over either 41-year-old Marquez, a former world champion in four weight divisions and who KO'd Pacquiao in 2012, or former world lightweight champion Rios to meet Brook at Bramall Lane - home of Sheffield United - in June or July.

"I've got a meeting with Sky Sports next week to determine a date for Kell's next fight," Hearn said. "Kell wants to move as quickly as possible and he's come out of that fight with no damage, so any date in June or July.

"Negotiations have been going on with a number of fighters for a while now because we have to move quickly. Marquez and Rios are fights that are possible, I particularly like the Marquez fight and we would love to do that outdoors.

"Marquez feels OK with his knee injury now and Marquez will help build Kell in terms of profile. I think Marquez is definitely an outdoor fight. We've had interest from [American TV companies] Showtime and HBO in Kell's next fight.

"June 13 at Wembley is still on hold and available but unless we get a phonecall in the next 48 hours that fight with Khan is quashed.

"When you are offered the biggest pay day of your career and a shot at the world title, at Wembley Stadium, and you still don't want to negotiate it says something."

Brook's ruthlessly dispatched Dan six months after a machete attack left him with life-threatening injuries to his left leg which required 32 staples. But Brook showed there were no ill-effects from the stabbing while he was on a night out in Tenerife less than three weeks after winning the IBF belt on points from American Shawn Porter.

After defending the IBF belt in front of his home fans in Sheffield, Brook hopes to be at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2 - the day before his 29th birthday - to see Mayweather-Pacquiao when the other three versions of the world will be on the line.

Facing either multi-weight world champions Mayweather or Pacquiao - regarded as the top two pound-for-pound boxers in the world - will be a huge step up from the benign challenge Dan offered. But Brook insists a world title unification clash against the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao is a possibility.

"It was overwhelming the reception I got but I held myself together and I think I showed I'm world class because he had never been stopped before," Brook said. "That wasn't even the best of me because I've had a long time out and I had the leg injury to deal with.

"I'm a world class operator and I'm a world champion. I'll fight anyone but people know who I really want, to put an end to it all. What does Khan bring to the table? He doesn't have a world title and he doesn't want it. I've no idea why he doesn't want the fight.

"There are others and it's a piping hot division. There will be some massive fights for me. Why can't the fight with Mayweather or Pacquiao happen? I'm unbeaten, a world champion, so why not for all four world titles? It would be a dream come true to get a world title unification fight with one of them."

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