Kell Brook defeats Amir Khan in six rounds in non-title catchweight bout at AO Arena

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — For years Kell Brook has insisted he has the beating of Amir Khan, and on Saturday he executed his gameplan to perfection when he stopped his British rival in six rounds.

Brook troubled Khan with his power from the start before overwhelming him amid a furious, one-side attack at the start of the sixth round to prompt a stoppage in a non-title catchweight bout (149 pounds) just above the welterweight limit at the AO Arena.

Brook (40-4, 27 KOs), from Sheffield, who made three defenses of the IBF world welterweight title during a reign from 2014 to 2017, had Khan rocking in the first and fifth rounds, before relentless pressure in the sixth forced the stoppage.

Khan (34-6, 21 KOs), who was knocked out by Saul «Canelo» Alvarez in 2016 when he jumped two weight classes to fight for the world middleweight title, was stopped on his feet but defeat had looked inevitable for a while. Khan got outlanded 79-34 in total punches (64-19 in power punches), and just could not handle Brook's power.

After at least six years of serious attempts to make this clash between two bitter rivals who live about 50 miles apart, but whose paths have repeatedly missed each other, Brook celebrated wildly with his team in the ring after the stoppage.

«It was just a matter of time before I was getting him out of there,» Brook said.

«Those are the fights I wanted to be involved in when I walked into a gym as a kid. I knew from 18 years old I was a better fighter than him. He had the push and promoters behind him because he won an Olympic medal.»

Brook had to change gloves in the ring before the fight after a dispute about gloves and wraps, but Brook remained completely focused. «They tried to get into my head,» Brook said.

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