Friday 19 January 2018 14:41, UK
Kell Brook says his British battle with Amir Khan "surely must happen this year" if they both make successful returns to the sport.
The Sheffield man has been joined by Khan in the Matchroom Boxing stable after his rival signed with promoter Eddie Hearn and he hopes their long-awaited fight can finally be staged in 2018.
But Brook must firstly overcome Sergey Rabchenko in his hometown on March 3, while Khan then makes his own comeback in Liverpool on April 21.
"It's great news for boxing. We're with the same team with Matchroom now, so surely it must happen now," Brook told Sky Sports News.
"Surely it must happen this year. He's saying it could be the third fight. I've been ready for a long time. Now we're together in the same camp, let's make it happen baby. Let's make it happen."
Brook has moved up to super-welterweight after losing his world title in a stoppage defeat to Errol Spence Jr at Bramall Lane in Sheffield last May.
But Khan is expected to end his lengthy absence with a fight at welterweight and Brook admits a future showdown could be at a catchweight between both divisions.
He said: "We're going to sit down, piles of money in the pot, and we sort it out when the time comes. When that fight is ready to happen.
"We're all going to sit down and make it happen. Make it rain. That could be at catchweight, we don't know.
"Until we're ready to fight and everyone is 100 per cent it's going to happen, then we can decide on what the weight is and the ins and outs of it.
"Of course I am very confident of beating Queen Khan. I'm very confident of that."
But the 31-year-old is aware of the threat posed by Rabchenko following past sparring sessions with the Belarusian.
This guy, I've had life and death with him in sparring, he's very tough.
"It's a massive threat," said Brook. "It's a 50-50 fight, believe it or not. This guy, I've had life and death with him in sparring, he's very tough. This is his golden ticket, him beating me. He's coming to win, so I'm excited."
Brook tops a packed bill with Gamal Yafai putting his unbeaten record at stake when he battles Gavin McDonnell for the WBC international super-bantamweight belt, and David Allen faces Commonwealth champion Lenroy Thomas in a heavyweight rematch.
