‘He tried to get in my head’
Kell Brook revealed the reason behind the gloves dispute which delayed the start to his fight against Amir Khan on Saturday night.
Brook was able to beat Khan with a sixth round stoppage victory after he dominated large proceedings of the fight.
After landing a series of heavy hits in the fifth, the Sheffield-born fighter came out of his corner all guns blazing to once again launch a flurry of hits onto Khan before the fight was stopped by the referee.
However the build-up to the hotly-anticipated bout at the Manchester Arena was delayed following a dispute over the choice of gloves Brook was wearing – which led to the 35-year-old having to swap his original for a new pair in the ring just minutes before the fight.
At the time, there was confusion as to why Brook was made to change his gloves, but following his impressive victory, he revealed the reasons behind the change of equipment.
“I had to put different gloves on in the ring,” Brook explained to Sky Sports.
“He said he wasn’t happy with my gloves.
“In the final moment in the ring, they said they wouldn’t pay me unless I put new gloves on.”
🗣️ "They've tried to get in my head all week, push and poke at me!"
An emotional @SpecialKBrook reacts to victory over Amir Khan.@Boxxer | #KhanBrook pic.twitter.com/y07avyZ43V
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 19, 2022
Brook also revealed that he had agreed to several other demands imposed by Khan in the build-up to the fight.
“We did all his demands. And the weight issues,” he continued.
“I dealt with everything. They did it all week. They tried to get in my head. To poke at me.
“I even had someone knock on my hotel room door at 3am this morning to disrupt my sleep.
“But I took care of business.”
Despite their previous years of animosity, Brook insisted that Khan has his respect.
He said: “I’ve always had respect for him. But when I didn’t get it back? It’s hard to like someone.
“But he took shots and tried to hold on. I respect him for that.
“He said we can get a coffee after!”
Related links:
- Amir Khan and Kell Brook share respectful exchange after emphatic fight
- Amir Khan says he will probably ‘call it a day’ after Kell Brook loss
- Kell Brook beats Amir Khan by sixth round stoppage decision