Monday 12 September 2016 15:48, UK
David Haye has called for Kell Brook and Amir Khan to finally settle their rivalry after they both fell short in world title attempts at higher weights.
Brook stepped up two weight divisions to challenge Gennady Golovkin on Saturday night, but suffered his first professional defeat after trainer Dominic Ingle threw in the towel in the fifth round at The O2.
Khan moved up to middleweight in May, suffering a sixth round knockout loss to Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.
Haye is fully aware of the demand for big domestic fights, having knocked out Dereck Chisora in 2012, and continues to be linked with a future showdown with Anthony Joshua.
The Londoner watched Brook's loss from ringside and believes his brave display will have won over some doubters who questioned whether he could trouble Khan.
"That's a really interesting fight," Haye told Michelle Joy Phelps of Behind The Gloves. "Both fighters have gone up two weight divisions to fight great fighters. Both fighters have lost. Amir Khan got knocked out, Kell Brook got stopped before he got knocked out, so to find who is the best between the two of them will be very, very interesting.
Amir Khan got knocked out, Kell Brook got stopped before he got knocked out, so to find who is the best between the two of them will be very interesting.
"Prior to that fight, Amir Khan would have been a heavy, heavy favourite going into that fight. But after this last performance, after seeing the shots that Kell Brook took, it's a lot more even, and I would love to get a ringside seat for that fight.
"Two great welterweights, maybe at light-middleweight, so they are both big and strong. You're going to get yourself a great fight."
Brook must recover from a broken eye socket before he returns to the ring, while Khan is yet to fight again since the crushing defeat to Alvarez, and Haye admits it would be hard to pick a winner at this time.
"It would be a toss of a coin," said Haye. "Nobody would really know. You don't know how much damage has been done to Amir Khan from 'Canelo' Alvarez's big right hand on the button and we don't know what has happened with Golovkin and the eye damage that Kell Brook's got.
"I think both fighters need a nice rest. They both had hard fights, moving up in weight, they both need a good holiday."
