"I want to fight Chris Eubank Jr, I dislike him more than Amir Khan" 🥊 Kell Brook | Up Front

Summary

In this open conversation, British boxer Kell Brook reflects on his career with broadcaster Simon Jordan. He discusses growing up in Sheffield and being inspired to box from a young age. Brook talks about his rise in the sport, working with promoter Frank Warren, relationships with other fighters like Amir Khan, and some of his biggest fights. He opens up about personal struggles outside the ring and questioning himself after losses. Brook contemplates returning to boxing for big money fights but seems content in retirement now.

Takeaways

• 😞 Brook feels his career and life were ending after retirement, leading to alcohol abuse
• 👊 Boxing saved Brook from a delinquent path growing up
• 💪 Belief from his father and Brendan Ingle made Brook believe he would be a world champion
• 🥊 Brook felt held back by promoter Frank Warren early in his career
• 😡 Losing to GGG and Spence made Brook question his ability for the first time
• 😐 Brook puts himself in dangerous situations often outside the ring
• 🤼‍♂️ The Khan fight was motivated by years of build up and Brook wanting to silence the critics
• 🙅‍♂️ Brook denies Khan avoided the fight for years out of fear of losing
• 👀 Changing gloves before Khan fight fueled rumors he would not come out
• ⚖️ Brook believes Khan had no idea he tested positive for a banned substance

Q & A

What fueled Kell's passion for boxing from a young age?

Kell was inspired by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan films, and martial arts. He was energetic as a kid and liked punching, which led his dad to recognize his talent and interest in boxing.

How did Kell's relationship with his trainer Brendan Ingle help keep him focused?

Brendan Ingle invested a lot of time mentoring Kell, driving him after training to talk for hours, playing classical music, and keeping him motivated to stay out of trouble. This guidance was critical in Kell's development.

Why did it take many fights before Kell stepped up to bigger name opponents?

Kell felt promoter Frank Warren had him fighting lesser opponents for too long rather than pushing him. Kell wanted bigger fights to challenge himself but had to go through many tune-up fights first.

What does Kell attribute his loss to Errol Spence Jr. to?

Kell believes the fight preparation was all wrong - he had personal issues with his trainer, struggled to make weight after the Golovkin fight, and wasn't mentally right. He wishes he had postponed the fight.

How did the Golovkin fight impact Kell mentally?

Suffering the eye injury against Golovkin made Kell question his ability for the first time and introduced self-doubt. It changed his perspective on boxing and made him realize it's 'just a sport'.

Why does Kell want to fight Chris Eubank Jr.?

Kell finds Eubank Jr.'s arrogance irritating for some reason. He dislikes his personality and believes getting up for that fight would be easier because he wants to 'beat him up'.

What does Kell think was behind Amir Khan's positive drug test?

Kell believes Amir had no idea he had the banned substance in his system. Since they were both heavily tested leading up to the fight, Kell feels Amir didn't take it intentionally.

How did losing to Spence affect Kell mentally?

The loss to a top fighter in his own weight class made Kell question if he was 'really good enough' and consider retirement. It was the lowest point of his career.

What motivates Kell to consider coming out of retirement?

Kell misses the competitiveness and challenge of fighting. He loves training hard, competing, and proving doubters wrong. Names like Connor Benn intrigue him.

How does Kell reflect on his career struggles outside the ring?

Kell admits he was young and 'dumb' getting into trouble early on. He's learned from rehab and has better relationships now. His family and kids are what's most important.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Beginning of conversation

The conversation begins with Jordan and Brook introducing themselves and Jordan explaining his goal to understand the backgrounds of fighters. Brook talks about growing up in a council estate, being energetic but not a star in school, and becoming interested in boxing after being inspired by Bruce Lee films. His dad recognized his talent and took him to Brendan Ingle's gym when he was 9 years old, where he met and looked up to other boxers like Ryan Rhodes and Johnny Nelson.

05:01

😀 Early boxing career and altercations

They discuss Brook's early boxing career with promoter Frank Warren, including Brook's frustration at fighting lesser opponents for too long before getting bigger fights. At 21, Brook was stabbed, and Jordan questions if Brook had the right people around him at that time. Brook says it was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time with childhood friends.

10:01

🥊 Getting big fights and setbacks

Jordan analyzes how it took a long time and many fights before Brook got a world title shot with Warren. Brook doesn't know why but wanted big fights sooner. He later signed with Eddie Hearn who helped make him a star. But Brook still didn't get a world title fight for 3 years with Hearn either. After becoming world champion, Brook suffered setbacks from altercations outside boxing and losses to Golovkin and Spence.

15:02

😡 The Amir Khan rivalry

Brook recounts his long-running rivalry with Amir Khan, fueled by perceptions that Khan got more support and opportunities from promoters early on while Brook had to work harder. Brook believes Khan ducked him for years before they finally fought, and Brook felt vindicated by dominating Khan.

20:03

😞 Reactions to losses

Losing to Golovkin didn't impact Brook as much since it was up in weight. But losing his welterweight belt to Spence was devastating. He questioned himself and considered retirement after that low point when he lost in his own weight class.

25:04

🤔 Reflecting on career choices

Jordan asks about Brook's series of fights after becoming world champion, against lesser-known opponents instead of big names that could've gotten him more money and exposure. Brook says he didn't want those fights but had to take them due to mandatory challengers.

30:07

👊 Willingness to still fight

Though retired, Brook sounds open to coming back to fight Eubank Jr. or Connor Benn. He loves the competition and challenge. Jordan thinks fans would be interested in a Brook vs. Eubank Jr. fight, and Brook is confident he could beat Eubank Jr., whom he dislikes.

Keywords

💡boxing

The main theme of the video is boxing and Kell Brook's boxing career. Boxing is brought up throughout as the central topic of discussion.

💡career

A major theme is the trajectory of Kell Brook's career, including his rise to becoming a world champion, big fights he had, losses he suffered, and his potential comeback.

💡world champion

Becoming a world champion was Kell Brook's lifelong dream and a pivotal moment in his career. It relates to his ambition and validation as an elite fighter.

💡injuries

Kell Brook suffered major injuries during his career, like getting stabbed and breaking his eye socket twice, which disrupted his progress and performances.

💡losses

Key fights where Kell Brook lost, like against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr, impacted his confidence and spurred questions around retirement.

💡Amir Khan

Kell Brook's rivalry with fellow British boxer Amir Khan spanned years. Their eventual domestic grudge match was a career-defining fight for Brook.

💡retirement

After losing his last several fights, Kell Brook entered retirement. His potential comeback is discussed as he misses the thrill of competition.

💡lifestyle

There is examination of detrimental lifestyle choices Kell Brook made outside the ring that compromised and jeopardized his career.

💡promoters

Brook's relationships and deals with boxing promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn feature prominently during different stages of his career.

💡comeback

Towards the end, Brook discusses a possible boxing comeback, citing fighters he still believes he can beat to revive his career.

Highlights

Brook started boxing at age 9 after being inspired by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films.

Brook says he would likely be dead or in prison if he hadn't started boxing.

Brook felt promoter Frank Warren didn't believe in him and held back his career early on.

Brook struggled with alcohol after retiring and felt like his life was ending without boxing.

Brook believes Khan ducked fighting him for many years due to fear of losing to a domestic rival.

Brook says fighting Golovkin was the first time he ever doubted himself before a fight.

Losing to Spence was the lowest point of Brook's career and made him question retiring.

Brook admits being overconfident against Crawford, an all-time great fighter.

The Khan fight was Brook's most focused training ever because of its personal meaning.

Brook believes Khan didn't knowingly take banned substances before their fight.

Brook struggled after boxing until reconnecting with family and finding peace.

Brook is open to coming out of retirement to fight Conor Benn or Chris Eubank Jr.

Brook particularly dislikes Eubank Jr. and would enjoy beating him up.

Brook believes he could still beat the top fighters, wanting that challenge again.

Brook loved proving doubters like the host wrong by winning big fights.

Transcripts

when it comes to alcohol like one one's

too many for me and a thousand's not

enough was it like that during your

career no it wer this is after my career

this is when nobody's fing me up to good

at gym anymore this is when I feel like

me life's ending it's like I've died

probably realistically I'd prefer to

fight Chris yank would you I just don't

like him there's something honestly I

dislike him more than a Mia KH you go in

against Crawford I mean I'd be blunt K

is this levels at this stage in your

career I'm being blunt right you might

not like it not levels at all because

this is a one-sided fight you have a

little bit if it's one-sided is it what

do you mean by one you tell me how you

think it's one-sided this is that front

with me Simon Jordan I believe there are

a lot of vacuous uninformed unchallenged

opinions out there I want to get to the

bottom line and cut through the nonsense

so with this podcast with William Hill

I'm going to get people with strong

views who think they can stand them up

to proper scrutiny there's a good chance

I might learn something along the way

and more importantly so might

you joining me in today's episode a

boxer from the Steel City who headed

stat side to become ibf World

Welterweight Champion a 43 fight career

that included stabbings promoter splits

and broken eye sockets before ending in

emphatic fashion as he put to bed his

Infamous long-running rivalry with Amia

khah the Special K Kell Brook welcome to

up front thank you nice to see you

listen in in these shows K what we try

to do very quickly is establish the

background to Fighters because I've

always I'm always f ated by fighting my

background is obviously is football but

I'm fascinated by Fighters because

there's a very different mentality and

the motivation that creates a fighter

so what's your story yeah mine's you

know counselor

State pretty not very noted kid you know

at school very proactive mhm you know a

non-star I couldn't sit

still um I think what got mean to box

him was like Bruce Lee Jim Claude vanam

know Jackie Chan I was like constantly

watching their films and I will like

come foing and chucking punches at setti

um any sporting background from your

family not really not like my uncles

used to box when they were younger but

you know just had a few fights and and

fell fell off really there only been me

really what's gone on and done done what

I've done right so you know from from

that young age my dad seen something in

me you know that I could punch really

hard and I were very you know um I

proactive and understand that twinkle

that twinkle in me eye he said and he

took me down to Brendan Eng Les and at

Winker not just any gym but Brendon Eng

gym yeah so it took me down to the gym

and I remember first walking in and just

seeing everyone sparring and sweating

and punching bags and I just as soon as

I walked in I just knew that how old

were you I went I were nine nine I were

nine year old when I when I first went

in and uh princess with there mhm Ryan

Rose Johnny Nelson mhm you know um all

these Fighters so you know as soon as I

walked in there I just knew that this

this were for me no other sports at all

no other sports have not been into any

other sports to be fair like never been

into football never liked a little bit

of basketball but no nothing you always

you know like punishing people in face

basically you know what I mean yeah what

do you what do you think fuels a fighter

in terms of I would in an ignorant way

suggest that into going into a hurt

business you've got to come from a

position of some form of anger or some

form of resentment or some form of

desire to get out from underneath I mean

you talked about being a naughty kid and

you've talked about in the background of

your life and I'm skipping forward a

little bit but I'll come back to my

point um about a lot of the company that

you kept and where they found themselves

so was anger resentment desire to get

out from underneath part of the fuel and

also did it by going into boxing did it

save you from going down a pathway that

a lot of your mates went down 100% 100%

yeah

um I think if I want a f box I'd

definitely be you know dead or in prison

you know because you know from from

where I'm from obviously it's you know

that's what you know you're Pro prodct

to your own environment but are you a

follower that's that's what I that's

what I've seen that's you know close

people around me what they did and you

know it's it's something what you just

fall into but but again I mean I'm

posing you a quite pointed question but

are you a follower or are you a leader

because other people do things do you

necessarily do it too I think that i' be

the leader in what what what I were

doing yeah but You' cause the most

trouble yeah right yeah definitely okay

but I think that I would have gone down

the line of you know being being a bad

boy but there is a unique psyche that

you guys have I've sat here listening to

Kyle fr talk to me about the motivations

that got him in a ring and what he

wanted to do to George Groves and how he

overcame his nerves and fear and Johnny

Nelson how he overcame the embarrassment

and Ricky Hatton how he wanted to

produce certain outcomes for himself and

Billy Joe Saunders it started from a

position of I am going to be the best in

the world there's no two ways about it

I'm not living in a caravan with a with

a with a broken

window was

yours along those lines and and was it

fueled by the necessity to get out from

underneath I know I'm I know I'm

repackaging the same question yeah but I

want to get some understanding of your

psyche I think I you know with

especially the passion I had for boxing

like with anything playing snooker like

table tennis darts I'm very competitive

I always want to win like I'm a bad

loser I need to win um and I think just

like you know I love my dad you know and

he's always said from a very young age

that I'd be become world champion right

you know this is Terry right yeah Terry

yeah so who came into your life when you

one years one years old one years old

and you consider him to be your father

he's yeah my father me and him have gone

through Frank Warr and every different

promoters he's always been been side by

side through all my career and all my

life outside boxing so you know he's

like would he have not kept you off the

would he have not kept you on the

straight now as well yeah no he would

have and he has done you know in my

career he's got me out of some sticky

situations but um you know like you know

like I look up to him so much you know

and um from a young age like I said he's

always said that I'm going to be world

champion right and did you believe that

and I really believe what he said 100

million did you believe it because he

said it or did you believe it because

you believed it I believed it cuz he

said it at first initially so but then

obviously like people also I looked up

to in the gym like NAD Ryan Brendan Eng

Les you know saying that all singing

fromont same M sheet saying that you

know I'm a good ad and be one at the

best what's come out of you know

Sheffield and and be and go all the way

you know and I started getting older um

winning you know national championships

36 36 um amate fights yeah 31 wins two

abas yeah you've done your research

absolutely that's right that's right

that's so yeah Brendan Engle and lots of

lots of guys that sit here I mean I

remember watching El Graham and watching

him and I always had admiring El Graham

watching him tragically get beaten in a

fight with Julian Jackson that he that I

thought he was going to win and

obviously Julian Jackson cleaned him out

and obviously Brendan Engle over the

years has become very influential lots

of people associate him with NZ associ

with Johnny Nelson the influence he had

on

you unbelievable everything he said you

know I did Brandon he would

just he's like a prophet you know he's

he's like he's done so much for the

community and he's got so much respect

you

know is they special you're a special

man Brendon what's you done for the

community you mean taking young kids

like you and giving you an opportunity

yeah even me I would know you at school

the time is put into me in the gym like

like it you know um I W I were getting

better I've never been the brightest but

you know the school gr is terrible you

and me both but like I would I would the

teacher will coming up to him you know

getting in touch with BR and say he's

doing a lot better at school and right

you know because he spent this time with

me and his old man Brendan he used to

take me after the gym we used to go to

Steam and sa and used to just talk to me

were they were same stories but he used

to just spend yeah invest he used to put

classical musicon yeah and uh drive

drive to Ste and son and just talk to me

you know for hours and spend L lots of

time with her you know and is you know I

think without without him like I said I

don't know what what you know if I don't

know what I would have been I hear the

same story from all the boys that have

worked with him and you know obviously

Johnny Nelson talked about

the the the participation in going to

local prisons and and fighting uh the

fighters fighting with the guys in

prisons that were Boxers and that wanted

to be boxers and going in there with

nazim hammed and going in there with

Herby Hyde and going in there with

Johnny Nelson did you get involved in

any of that no was that after was I was

before your time before my time but I've

seen I've seen that you know I think

I've seen J nson put one at convict St

he's told me yeah he wasn't supposed to

he was supposed to just drop his hands

let do it yeah yeah but yeah they were a

bit they were I'd say that I were out

last their era do you know I were the

youngest of yeah like them but there was

there were still like 10 years plus on

top of me so I I were too young to go to

that you you become a pro you sign with

Frank which seems to be uh a lot of

young Fighters start off with Frank and

we'll get to Frank war in your

relationship with him

um it seems to me that it takes a lot of

fights to get you into certain spaces

and places and it seems to me that

there's an interesting I mean this might

be me overanalyzing but I'll throw it

and you see what you think when I looked

at your record the 28 fights gets you to

Carson Jones right and that to me and

you're going to go how dare you but I'm

going to say it that to me looks like

the first recognizable name of any real

Merit besides the British belt that you

Wun against Barry Jones right but but

but on the world stage right and it

seems to me the first 16 or 17 fights

you have are all six round or eight

round fights you have a 50% stoppage

record in those fights yet when you go

to the 12 rounds after that for the next

10 fights you're knocking everybody out

my point in all that is it seems to me

that your career goes in fits and starts

in terms of 16 fights seems a lot of

fights for you to be fighting at six

rounders you're bang right you're bang

right so why did that happen it's

probably the way Frank Warren did it you

know just I will fighting these journey

man for way too long you know I wanted

to have these tests but

it just that's how I wanted I wanted the

the bigger fights I didn't want to be

fighting these fights what don't come to

win they come to survive yeah and like

you said the stoes started coming when

we were fighting people winning records

you know the better better the opponent

the better I am and and you get the

stoppage The Knockouts what I got so but

but why did they take so long I don't

know I think it maybe stopped stop

whatever happened in me like you know

injur like I don't know it could be

anything like I might have not bed for a

while they might have just filled the

show or you know I ended up just

fighting these Journeymen way too too

long like you said I should have been

fighting real FS a lot earlier but that

does that sort of flies in the face of

and I'm not and I'm not making an

observation but there's a reputation

that goes with Frank Warren being being

a particularly good Matchmaker yeah and

that seems to be the polar opposite of

it what again you're there and the only

way I can understand it because I'm

looking at your record G it's taking

taking him 30 it takes him 16 17 fights

to get a British title shot right he's

fighting at six round fights it takes

him 28 fights to get to someone like

Carson Jones and then it takes him 30

fights to get a world title shot and

this seems to me to be an an ordinate

amount of time with us with a very

talented individual that promoters want

to make money from so why Kell you know

you got your dad involved in the picture

as well so why why are you appearing to

look look like you're being held back on

marginalized when you a talent it's a

very good question I you were there so

you can perap inlighten us yeah how I

just I just fight whoever is in front of

me I wanted the big fights you know I

wanted to be toping bills like early

early doors I didn't want to be I didn't

I I didn't want it to have gone on as

long as it did like you said I wanted to

be in big fights and it took me cuz

we're going back a while it cuz I've

been at this level for quite a while and

that was long ago I can't really go back

to that but the fact is I wanted them

big fights believe you me I does it piss

you off looking back it piss me off yeah

because I wanted the big fights I didn't

want to be fighting over many fights you

said before I B for br T I wanted I

wanted them where before they were me

and I think some at doy at the time what

were um I wanted the big fights you know

but I I just I I just had to just get in

there a young kid in over in that's what

I thought because it feels like it

shapes the perception of you and it

shapes other people cuz I have a

perception of you and that perception

manifests itself in a conversation later

on when you fight em Khan where I pick

am Khan to beat you and we'll cover that

fight later on but by the nature of

these fights that you're having I think

people like me as much as my opinion is

not particularly important shaped an

opinion of you that was that you're

you're not operating at the highest

level and that you're not a superstar

and it's an interesting one because

other people refer to that a later stage

but I wonder Kell if instances in your

life that change the direction at 21

years of age you're getting yourself

involved in an altercation where you're

getting stabbed and those sort of things

bring a perspective and a focus on

somebody what's going on around you in

your life where you as a prize fighter

are involved in altercations where you

know it's not the first time it happens

it happens later on in your career and

we're touch that and these might be

subjects that irritate you but part of

the backstory that go with you so you

going have to answer them or or bat them

away as you see fit um but at 21 years

of age you're with the country's

probably leading promoter Frank Warren

we're debating how long it's taking you

to get to fights but you're getting

yourself into scenarios where you're

getting stabbed and it makes me wonder

and there's no criticism implied here

about the people in your life but are

you getting we're all judged Often by

the people around us and often we make

decisions that who's around us were you

guessing the right people around you and

the right advice and the right guidance

to make sure that all of this

opportunity that was inevitably going to

come your way wasn't pissed away by

getting yourself involved in things that

didn't need to for you to be involved in

course of course I didn't you know I

were a young kid I still 21's old

enough I don't know you're still you're

still young and dumb and I've still got

I've I've still got the fs what I've I

went to school with what from what

counsel State you know and you you still

knock about together and there the uh

there problems where we going out and

thing and things happen from where I'm

from that that kind of thing can can

happen you know but you knowing me like

you know I'm not one to cause trouble or

to be it's just it just finds you it

just it justes found me you know I mean

I don't like we had going into it

because it's then you have to talk about

like the person who it should have

happened to and mentioning name and

stuff like but no I don't need you to do

that we don't need to you know it was

just like wrong place wrong time and you

know it happened you know and this this

obviously the these things like that

what what stopped starting your career

you know the the these many things what

happen you just see Fighters turn you

know Turn Up For a fight but you don't

know what happens in training and what

happens you know um behind closed doors

what's your fixation with emia KH I mean

it seems to be a constant theme and the

the allegation is and I'm sure there's

two versions to it that you don't get

included in the Olympics he does and

then and then of course in future times

he tells you about a schools you're

inpiring and you've got a different view

on it but you seem to uh have this uh

relationship where you chase Amir Khan

for years and years and years it's it

does the fixation start with it's

probably how it looks you know everybody

justes put everyone mentioning my name

and his name you mention it you mention

it a lot everyone else no but everyone's

mentioned they want to see this fight

with me and him you know so I'm I'm into

a corner where that like I've got to

mention it back because why can't this

fight happen you know many years before

it it did happen you know I'm never

being fixated on him or jealous when

when you calling that in 2012 whenever

he's boxed away you know as a bre I want

him to go out and win I don't never want

him to lose or it's just that the way

that I with the with the Olympics and I

Frank and put him on a pedestal and I

used to be on these shows same shows and

I'd be at the bottom of the Billow i' I

wouldn't even have a I could just be

like warming up and be chucked out at

any point or when everyone's left i' be

last one on you know and I've always

it's always he's always had that push

more than me and the easy Road where

I've had to get myself up the rankings

and do it the hard way the proper way do

you think that the Olympics gave him a

bit of Advantage because when you come

back from the Olympics PS he came back

with a silver not a gold Ben Whitaker

came back with silver he wanted to fight

in a bin right Amia Khan came back with

a silver and was and lorded and

applauded do you think that's what gave

him a Kickstart because you both signed

for the same promoter at roughly the

same time right of course he didn't get

him get him get him that push you know

to go out he were a young young guy got

a silver and they they had a rematch

Frank did that and he end up beating the

guy who beat him in in the amateur yeah

yeah like of course you bit put on that

pedestal like Billy Joe Saunders James

theel Frankie Gavin anony Joshua anony

Joshua you you get that momentum you get

you know you're the you're the flavor do

you resent it you know I then did you

resent the fact that he was getting all

the attention from a promoter that's

supposed to be looking after your career

and he's getting pushed in certain

directions does that fuel some of the um

attitude and Outlook that you seem to

devel between one and other over the

years I think it probably yeah it has

you know Frank waren signed me up and he

promised me when he did sign me up that

me and him BR sh and we would meet a bit

like deail and George groes you know

that bridge title level you know instead

of it never happening and it's so it's

just it's just gone on and on and on and

it's a fight and and just we with his

comments saying that he it's me what

didn't want the

fight and he's saying even with a spar

and and stuff even after the fight what

we study said he can't even remember

what happened you know I don't know if

you've seen that but um it's a fact that

should have happened it's been kept away

from the fun for for many years but we

had it in the end had it and we'll talk

about that fight in specifics you you

split from Frank in

2011 right from from your side of the

equation what was behind your

motivations for splitting with

Frank I think it at the time I were I

were training with Dave cwell right and

I like Dave's good Dave cwell and I

think Frank had a bit of a problem

because David day started this thing up

with

Satanta okay broadcaster yeah the

broadcaster and I think Frank said to me

that you know he wanted me to leave Dave

he wanted you to leave Dave leave Dave

and go back with Brendan you know and I

I yeah and and basically how how we

start how

we the reason why I left Bren in first

place is because he said the same thing

there like I've got all these promoters

like and Frank with a man Frank with

like the the the Eddie earn let's say of

you know the promoters you know back

then at that time at that time would it

be a surprise to you that my

understanding of the situation was is

that you wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao

yeah and Frank did not feel that at that

stage in your development at 2011 what

would you been in 2011 25 yeah right and

the level that you've been fighting at

that the fight for you that was right

for you given the fact he's fighting

Marquez he's fighting Bradley he's

fighting Keith Thurman he's at that

level and you're building up to that

level that he didn't want you to have

that fight probably it would have been

right to do so yeah but was more into it

than you just said it that's what he

thinks because I asked him no it just to

extend contracts you know how how things

can get how things can get and it would

just like that was the way of getting

out of it because we're getting promis

it weren't just Manny Pacquiao there

were there were things there were fights

before and there were you know it were

like I me I can't remember Philip

cot I don't I I'm not sure I don't there

there's been like fights and Promises

let's say around them after Filip C this

it's not just manip Pacquiao I know what

you're saying you think he was right at

that time to steer you away from

fighting Pacquiao manip Pacquiao were

like more in his prime there a young

young fighter was not really I've not

boxed it anywhere near that level so

yeah but but it's not that's not how

it's gone that's not how it were you

sign um with Eddie Hearn

and Eddie at the time um talks about

who's in class and going to be a

superstar what what made you sign with

Eddie what was the motivation to go with

Eddie because he can sell you a good

piit you a good woo what was the closing

part of saying Eddie Hearn he's the one

because at the time match room were

coming of age yeah coming they didn't

have many fires they got promised to to

to promote me and to have me at fighting

regular and to build me to build to

build me the fire you know he doesn't

get you well tile fight for three

years he didn't get me well title fight

for three years but yeah so what was the

difference between the two camps him so

you've got you're coming out of Frank

you're going into Eddie and you you've

suff you've been told by Eddie

was it was it was it um Kell because

Eddie said that you're going to be his

number one he's going to give you top

billing priy going to make you feel a

million dollars there were there were

many parts of course that would have

been a part of the reason but just to be

promoted get me fighting regular in Chef

he'll build me up you know before when I

with Frank Warren you know like I

weren't really known eddan made me a

star you know he he you know we s Arenas

at you know before that i' but I'd

fought with Frank and you know the

support i w i weren't really known you

know he promoted me got he got he got he

built me the fire and and got me to be

to be a superstar with can you see can

you again I I may I've already asked

this question so apologies if I have but

I don't feel I've got the answer can

there be any reason in your mind's eye

why someone that's as commercially

motivated by Frank as Frank Warren would

want to almost hide your light under a

bushel do you understand what I mean by

that keep you in the background because

I don't understand it

yeah you don't understand it I don't

understand I don't understand why why

why he did that or why why he did that

was it I don't know if he's got cuz he's

got these Fighters I don't know if cuz

Eddie just had me they were me Darren

Barker and F and he could and he and he

could just concentrate on how to get me

out there promote me in the best way he

did did you did either you or or your

father maybe maybe Frank didn't believe

in me maybe he didn't believe me but it

was like maybe you know doing nothing

did you get that impression at all I did

you know you did I I I did I yeah I

didn't feel

like do we definitely weren't that

connection what me and Eddie has got not

at all did you either you or Dad pull up

Frank and say what's going on here we

didn't know any different you know we

were young green like we're not TR we're

not learning trade you know we we didn't

really know so you're sign with

Eddie

did he make Carson Jones he did didn't

he yeah yeah and that then accelerates

you to a point where two fights later

you fight Shawn Porter tell us about

that experience in that journey I

remember you celebrating in the ring I

remember seeing interviews with you

before the fights and you were confident

and

assured but the manner in which your

performance was a professional shut out

I think the score cards were wrong I

don't think there was one score card

that should have been drawn but but it

gave it to him and that's what you get

when you get away Fighters is you

sometimes

tell me about that experience of going

in there beating a world champion in his

own back Garden in America also without

getting perhaps the attention that you

should have got yeah it

was Simon I swear to you that that was

the best that were the best I've I've

ever felt in my entire life you know in

boxing in in my life y you know because

he would like he would be BU as an X

Mike Tyson did Shawn PA knocking Paul

Mal out in his fire watch it in Vegas

thinking I'm fighting this

guy you know and and people and had and

people everyone had me not to win that

fight and just you know I think that I

had like a moment in there when I had a

moment in there when when when the fight

were over and I think that that's when

did you know you'd won I was just going

to said you know like the secret like LW

of

Attraction it well I call them years I

don't know it's like all them years my

dad telling me I'll be world champion

and I just knew before it this was it

yeah and that feeling you know going 12

rounds in America all me family there my

mom never seen me fight she come down

never seen you fight before she never

seen me fight you know she she were

there and it would just it blew my mind

it blew my mind obviously hearing and

the new you know being being there with

the people that love me MH you know

what's with the ups and downs in boxing

eventually getting to to that moment and

becoming world champion but what's the

buildup like for you when you're Landing

in a space where you're fighting for the

world title not the after result but the

buildup and the expectation on you and

the pressure that you put on yourself

because this is your moment this is

where the ambition comes to to meet the

opportunity what's that like cuz people

can't relate to someone going in to

fight for a world

title it's just like you know every

every single second of it is it's on

your mind y you know it's last thing you

think about at night it's first thing

you wake up to in the

morning from a nervous point of view

from nervous of from a nervous point of

view from every point of view I'm a good

enough I'm a really good enough you know

really like cuz I'm a really good enough

like I'm here now I'm fighting the best

in the world you know I'm I really good

enough it you know this is what these

are all the questions you're asking

yourself you're only a human being and

you you're away your own thoughts and

and the pressure just build builds up

you know how does nerves manifest itself

for you did you become erasable bad

tempered or does it make you withdrawn

what does it do what did it do for you

when you're coming into this Monumental

fight I just go quiet you know really

really quiet and just

like just in me own thought just in me

own thoughts there as the hours it's

like only way I can describe it probably

is like the people who are going to go

get killed on death row you know okay

walking towards the Galls walking

walking through your final Le injection

yeah Leal injection that's what that's

how that's the only way I could describe

it what they F you know that that

feeling of dread

then is it feeling yeah it's like it's

like the unknown it's like it's like

it's not fear though is it you're not

frightened of going it's fear it's every

it's a lot of emotion it's fear fear of

losing I'm not fear about getting hurt

fear of losing not never get about

getting hurt getting anything like that

it's the fear of losing like and cuz

it's I want to win so much and I've lost

that that many times in me head as well

you know just like it's just a battle

it's what you you've been role playing

this in your mind I've role played this

fight in my mind thousands of times you

know thousands of times so and you lost

it I've I've lost it I've you well

played it in your mind I've lost it in

my mind I've won it it's like you know I

can so many things honestly it's it's

it's like that you know who's training

you at the time Dave for the world title

yeah no uh Dominic Engel Dominic inle

right so you've gone back with the

Engles now yeah yeah so I've been with

with the

Engles many years before the sh pter

fight

but but obviously like I've never really

boxed in America then I'm flying to Las

Vegas climatizing yeah doing doing two

weeks out there and then flying to LA

and you know I'm I'm I'm like Facebook

promoter Oscar Del I think I'm on the

big

stage cuz I've always boxed in Britain

it's like I've I've arrived I'm like I'm

good enough it's

and then we're finally here you know I

remember looking at him opposite him the

ref you know this me the referee in

Shawn Porter and I'm looking thinking

that is the that's the fastest fight

I've ever had in my life it's gone like

a blur it's just gone like a blur that

when you're looking first what you

thinking what's happening in your head

so in my head I'm thinking this Spell's

going to go now and this is it this this

is it Kell this is what you've this is

this is what the dream this is what it's

been about since you've been 9y old this

is what everyone's been talking about

this is this is it this is the world

toi and in your ear you've arrived let's

see and I'm going to do everything I

have to do I'm do I'm going to do

absolutely everything I'm so focused so

tunnel in you know to to obviously go

out and do what I did um when you win

obviously I saw the Euphoria were you

did you expect now this is it lights

camera action this is it now I've won

the world title I'm going to get all the

opportunities and all the recognition

that I deserve did you did it feel like

this is the beginning of something this

is what I just thought I'd ke itself

yeah this is this is where big dog come

this where big fight Keith Thurman these

are all big fights I'm to get I'm world

champion do you all want to fight me now

in my head this is what's going to be

happening of course that's what I I

believe yeah right okay and did you

automatically is is there is there a

switch that goes on in your head um

because B McAn said there was when he

became World title champ when he won the

world title you feel like you're a World

Champ yeah I did Chris Willam Smith said

it the other day I feel like a world

champion I'm not I totally get what B

said there because when I become world

champion I think you know that you

deserve to be where you are some like I

totally get that what you just said you

just did it change you

anyway as in as in what becoming big

time or getting cared away of yourself

or just actually confirming what you

already know conf just like yeah confirm

I already I know you know I mean I just

I didn't change change as a person you

know you see some Fighters where they

become world champion and goes to the

red and they start being a complet

different person but I just I'm I just

me but I just felt that I belong and and

I deserve to be world champion and I

just had a feeling of I walking like I'm

on air you know like this like I am I

thought I'm a good enough I know that I

am you now are and now am okay you're

now the ibf world Welterweight

Champion you've got by your own words

the potential keys to the safe the

opportunities and you get yourself in

another

situation and you get yourself in a

potentially life-threatening situation

yeah how have you done that kill I mean

you're not 21 now I'm not 21 you're 26

27 years of age 28 years of age you're

now a world champion you now got profile

you now got all your dreams what are you

doing getting yourself involved in a

[ __ ] fight in Spain or wherever you

were yeah in ten in when my my daughter

my M was pregnant Linda yeah

um it's just that like I say you you

don't know what's going through

somebody's mind you know like your mind

you're the one that's putting yourself

in this situation putting myself in a

situation where I'm

around

drinking drugs as a professional

Sportsman as a world champion yeah why

it's it's just just of how it happened

you know there obviously with a younger

generation is there drink the people

drinking and after party you know they

take drugs but you're a superstar I'm a

superstar on the Kasper being one you a

world champion everything you've wanted

I'm a world champion I'm I've always

been I'm still that councel kid mhm I'm

still a council kid I'm you know I'm I'm

a world champion but that's what I am

right I'm just trying to understand

what's going on in your head because

it's interesting because people don't

get to hear what's going on on other

people's heads and I'm not poking at it

because I want to make you look small

I'm poking at it to understand why you

put yourself in that position and you

say

well you take the boy out of council

States but you never take the council

state out of the boy is that what you're

saying I was saying that you know

um you start on to like when it comes to

alcohol like one one's too many for me

and a thousand's not enough right you

know I've always I've always had enough

but I'm never satisfied and that and

that's what I've discovered you know by

going to riab and by going to uh was it

like that during your career no it

wasn't this CU you're a professional

sport this is after my career this is

one I've it right bottom this where I F

this is when this is when nobody's phing

me up to good at gym anymore this is

when me like me papers is over this is

where I feel like my life's ending it's

like I've died because I've got no fire

that's that's what my life was you know

when I've come to retired I'm I'm I'm

sat there in my big house and I'm

thinking what do I do now what do I do

next no I get that it's like in the eyes

what I've had and stuff and there the

lights go down the lights go down and

nobody nobody nobody get nobody learns

you how to deal nobody prepares you for

prepar you how to deal I'm going to I'm

going to cover that part right but why

do you think it happened why do you

think someone attacked you you don't

know what goes through people's mind you

know it's like the person maybe Envy

this person's

saying that if this situ like putting

like this guy's completely off his being

being at it for days and I just come

I've just won this world time my Miss is

pregnant I sent her down the road to go

to hotel and I'm having a drink with

some old old Irish men who are talking

to about Brendan Engel and then like the

Alica bar across the road this young

woman's come across l l car and uh and

I've just went World tile and they said

Oh Kelly like come across to our P like

have a few drinks with us and and like I

just World title everyone's excited part

in and then she's like come back to

toward me and me partnering we're having

an after party here and I've I've had a

few drinks and I've gone back and like

you said you don't know what's going

through someone's mind you know like

saying did you see it coming cuz often

you see these sort of things coming

don't you I didn't see this coming you

know maybe intoxication I didn't see

this this coming Absol i w I've had my

leg chopped off right you know but when

he start saying that he's going to start

talking very weird this person about

stabbing and and shooting and I said

anyone can do that they're a coward in

my eyes anyone can do that I I'd stand

and have a fight like and this is is

just pause before before you know it

like just as a blinking an eye he cuz of

these small places in ten you know he's

come back and he's grabbed this knife

and as fast as that so he calling me a

coward then I've like whoa what's what's

going on yeah and he's he's gone down to

me me off just as fast as that and he he

he stood over me and I'm trying to get

out of the get out of this place and he

and he's completely like lost lost his

mind trying to do you think you lost

anything do you think you lost anything

physically as a result of those injuries

who knows you know as in well you know

yourself don't you you know what levels

you operate at well I I got myself right

I got myself right I could fight again

yeah you know and n months later didn't

you yeah

yeah it's hard to tell you know I felt

that I were back I felt that I were back

you know talk to me Kel about the next

array of fights because I'm trying to

I'm struggling to to understand the

direction that you're going and I know

you're going to say to me mandatories

right but I'm looking at joj Dan I'm

looking at um Kevin Byer I'm looking at

Frankie Gavin right with no disrespect

to these guys right and then I'm looking

at Danny Garcia and I'm looking at Keith

Thurman and I'm looking at some of the

other characters that are out and about

there Marquez I'm looking at who's else

out there and I'm looking at you and I'm

thinking why are you in these sort of

peripheral fights that aren't going to

get you huge amounts of money aren't

going to get you huge amount of exposure

and yet you're in with Eddie Hearn

there's no criis Eddie here by the way

before everyone gets all tied up in NS

about me criticizing him well let me

just tell you do you think I want the

big I'm a young 20 like do you think I

want the multi-million pound fights with

Danny Garcia and Thurman yeah like

because you had you had de didn't got

remember at the time you know politics

alman's got all these Fighters they all

just get filed and fight each other but

Khan's over there your little Nemesis

he's fighting Peterson he's fighting

Marcus M he's fighting Garcia he's

fighting all these names in America is

it because he went to

America I'm not comparing contrasting

I'm just saying that you're a world

title holder and with respect to Frankie

Gavin with respect to Jojo den and and I

think there's a difference between JoJo

den and Frankie Gavin and Kevin bizer

yeah but these are not the fights that

you would want that I wanted them fights

did do you think for a minute I one of

them fights I've just I've just become

I'm I'm world champion do you think I

want to fight they might be my managers

but all the folks heard of them yeah no

one's heard of them I've got to fight

them or get belt up yeah I have to fight

these Fighters you know fre nondescript

man like or get belt up that that's how

the ibf work you know so I didn't want

to fight them when I saw you fight

Golovkin do you know I felt for you

honestly tell I felt [ __ ] sorry for

you yeah you know what I thought I

thought they can't they can't they can't

sell him they can't sell him they can't

get him the fights that he that perhaps

he should be getting so they about to

stick him in with Golovkin and watch him

get his face [ __ ] punched in that

doesn't mean you weren't game it doesn't

mean you didn't put up a fight because

you

did yeah but what do you think when I

say that to you go do you think like

going came back here he's an absolute

monster but do you know like someone

who's

unbeaten someone's unbeaten and really

believe that like it can be any any man

middleweight even at middleweight I just

thought you always think you know I'm

going to box him I'm I'm going to keep

out away I'm I'm I'm better you know but

as we know it didn't go down like that

but it done you didn't it it damaged you

it damaged me it created a different

division it damed ccum it did actually

change me that because when I admit when

he broke my eye you know and and the and

the surgeon said you know it started to

come to me where I think this is just a

sport you know I've been looking at it

different you know I could have lo I

could have lost my eye he said one more

big shot and you could have been blind

and that at home you know and and that

ate home big time and he actually come

through me in the fight after when I

boxed uh Errol Spence did you think did

you did you believe in yourself I mean

you you

are a world champion in your own right

you're undefeated you know we're talking

about these other Fighters they still

got to be beaten right so I'm not

diminishing those Fighters but they

weren't going to get you paid the way

that the keys to the castle that you

thought you were going to get right did

you think in this Golovkin fight did you

go into it

thinking same as anything else I don't

give a [ __ ] who you are and I don't give

a monkeys that I'm going up two weight

classes I'm going to win this fight and

you're just another opposition in front

of me and I'm going to do to you what I

did to Shawn Porter yeah well well that

would the or does gkin as the reputation

that goes before him play in your mind

that was the first time that it did am I

am I that was the first time that I

remember being in the hotel room and I

thinking I'm I'm fighting Golovkin now

tonight and the doubt I started to doubt

myself honestly did did you I did I

thought on the night of the fight I

remember on the night of the fight with

me and me nutritionist at the time Greg

Marriott you know and I I told him you

know I thought I just said that I didn't

ex a lose I said you think I can I can

win this fight can't I I'm going to win

this so that's straight away saying it

out loud you know that's negative is

yeah that's doubting yourself that's

doubt your because like on the weeks

coming up you just see all all I've been

able all I've seen is Golovkin knocking

everyone out middle weights and and then

I'm thinking starting on me that I'm you

know I'm fight I'm fighting him in a few

hours you know and uh and like and I

think A lot's in the mind you know like

I said if you really believe you know

Law of Attraction if you if if you

really believe something like a like I

know going to win World TI you know with

everything in

me went out and did it you know and a

start when when when you're negative

that were that were first time I'd Lo

I'd lost so you

lose this is the First lost you B right

what's the psychological effect on you

does it get diminished does the

psychological damage that losing your

first fight has as a fighter get reduced

by the fact hang on I went up two weight

classes or is there a big impact

irrespective it it was still a big

impact but the second loss when we get

to that that that was the real loss for

me right I think but

because I probably it wasn't as bad

because you were a unified middleweight

Beast still middleweight went even fire

and I think that took a little bit off

it but I still lost and I was still

absolutely devastated but what really

destroyed me with with a with a with the

Errol Spence loss the damage that

Golovkin does to you did you know the

moment it it hit you that that that was

a real problem for you yeah I did I did

I just I just knew something terrible

had happened right I well like a crap

claw being crushed like I I could I

could hear it I could feel it right you

know the adrenaline running but I could

actually feel like I knew something

wasn't right different level of

pain weren't really so much the pain it

were it

were it was what it did to me like like

the my vision right yeah and I know

something see like this just completely

discombobulates you and takes you out of

control of you you yeah does it frighten

is it frightening it's frightening of

course it's frightening when you've got

someone who's got that kind of power got

that kind of power coming to and you've

got more coming to a a wounded animal

you know you know it's it's it's scary

this is the first fight that you lose

psychologically it has an impact if I'm

right but it's not a that destructive an

impact you've lost your first fight you

don't know what losing looks like you

now do but you've also lost to a weight

to a guy that's dominating a weight

class which is to levels above yours you

now end up with Errol

Spence if you hadn't thought

Golovkin do you think you would have

been in a better position to have beaten

Spence 100% right so so the damage that

the Golovkin fighted to you was quite

significant when it it it were but on

top of that don't forget I didn't have

to make 147 I had to make middleway yeah

to start with so so you go get back down

again so so so after that fight I middle

way and then on top of that that F I've

had I've had I didn't actually your eyes

Bren I've had my eyes broken then I've

gone I've gone away I've gone away with

my family I'm eating I'm eating on top

of a stone above me wa to start

with and that's with that fight seemed

to have come like even we manag were

like give the title up Eddie said to me

you can give the title up to what end no

and then what would that do for you like

because like because the time I had to

make this fight and the way and the

condition I we in so you

vacate this would just give this not

because because you've got give me

giving me the options what different

kinds of options what your reaction

would have been no absolutely not no

absolutely I've earned this title I've

earned this defend it and this a big

fight you got to kill me yeah to take

this yeah and and it's in your hometown

and I put yeah and I put all this weight

on and then I'm dragging all this white

back off me the training count were

terrible I wanted to be away from you

know from chef field and just be

completely naturally focused on this

fight and were you away from

shiffer no you know so if you wanted to

be because like having been problems

with having problems with me trainer you

know getting getting things you know he

yeah personal problems and you know it

was everything is wrong everything was

wrong for that fight everything were

wrong

but you know I

got I got to the fight we were getting

close to the fight we had me Dad and

everyone you know saying you need to

pull out this fight right you need to

pull out but you know the fighter and

selling all these tickets and training

and in my own mind I'm thinking I've

fight I'm going to make this way I'm

going to I've got a fight you know I'm a

fire you know but looking back that

would be one fight that I wish that I

would have um pulled out of and extended

the the you know the fight yeah you just

mentioned a moment ago about the effect

that this fight has on you you can live

with the Golovkin loss yeah this one

kicks you out of the ass because this is

the belt this isn't I you probably know

that you weren't in the best condition

going into this fight so you probably

cross with yourself as well yeah I'm I'm

just correct me I'm speaking for you but

you can correct me any time absolutely

correct

um does this start a spiral for you to

some extent I mean you lose you lose

this title does this is this the

starting of certain thought processes in

your head about where you are and what

you're doing in your life or is it just

a fight that you've that you've very

happy that you've lost it creates a

negative reaction in

you but you're able to come back from

you know I didn't know I did question

myself after that fight I'm I'm a really

good enough and you know what started to

think shall I retire you know I I a

really low point in my life you know my

career you know you 29 20 29 30 around

that age yeah yeah still very young I

just thought you know

um losing it in my weight category you

know against against against him you

know it's obviously it's another thing

to swallow when when you've when you

believe in yourself and you you're a

world champion you know you you at the

my lowest part of my career at that time

you come back you get yourself together

and you're now Landing eventually

relatively shortly afterwards against

terce Crawford and now what we know

about Crawford and and Erol Spence and

the perception of two of being two of

the greatest pound-for-pound at their

time Crawford's obviously just done a

number on Spence recently yeah um and

we'd seen Crawford come over here and no

one had quite really understood and

Ricky Burns had got done up like a

Kipper by by um Crawford and everyone

seen this you go in against Crawford now

this is a much more difficult fight you

for you is this I mean I'll be blunt

Kell is this levels you're in this fight

at this stage in your

career there's no I'm being blunt right

you might not like it level at all

because this is a this is a one-sided

fight you have a little bit don't if

it's one-sided is it what do you mean by

one you tell me how you think it's

one-sided um I

thought every round you think it's

one-sided and they weren't that many

rounds were they they weren't that many

rounds but what I would just totally out

class from round one I think there was a

level in that fight now I'm not

suggesting that Kell Brook and his pump

couldn't be at that level I'm suggesting

killbook that's gotten beaten up by Gard

Golovkin that's got damag done to him by

all Spence

is not the Kell Brook that beat Shawn

Porter and that puts Kell Brook into

into difficulty when you're fighting

someone of the caliber of Terrence

craford you had to be on your aame I

didn't have to be on the aame

but will you tell me about to fight them

as opposed to my my little analysis

which you know better than me because

you were there yeah I were there

definitely there we're in lockdown AR we

we're in lockdown MH I had a I had a

trainer what you know I'd never train

train me before who who who spoke very

little English well that was a useful

decision it make that choice for well it

would it were lock down not like I had

to Dominic wouldn't go go away to Spain

cuz he didn't know if he were going to

get back and we all know how bad

lockdown were we not yeah yeah yeah so I

had to just deal with situation what

what I could how I could you know um of

course as we know now he's would have to

put Terence Crawford down is as one of

the best fighters at this current in

state boxing you know I

never I felt like he were he were like a

he were like a surgeon I don't like

don't for don't forget when you're

dealing with Fighters what what are

champions like it's it's not nice to

hear you say that you think he's levels

above like levels

like not per se but I'm just saying to

you but he he were unbelievable fighter

as we know you know I felt that you know

but he's that good that he he salp his

Orthodox he caught me with a shot it's

never happened in my career you know I

got caught with a shot you know if I had

a better preparation If I Were Me Were

Me original trainer if I done things

differently how do we we don't know I'm

not listen I'm always going to say that

you know I can beat any fighter but this

guy this guy's a very special fighter he

he he walked out first round in as a

salvor and is's an off for he can switch

it he's like Ron in snooker he's the

bollocks yeah you know and this is the

world against you know so we're not

really then we're splitting airs in

aren't we because you're saying he's a

very special fighter a very

special level you are I didn't say you

weren't right and but you're bristling

at me suggesting that there's levels and

I'm just curious why you'd bristle

because by your own adion maybe maybe

it's because you have the right to say

it and I don't yeah it's just it's just

daring it like cuz I'm a winner and just

daring someone saying that like beneath

me it's just hard to we but like I

didn't say that I know I know you didn't

just like your levels like you know I

don't like like toar it I couldn't do

what you do so it doesn't I promise you

mate it doesn't come from a position of

disrespect it just comes from a blunt

assessment that you can have a different

view on them we can all disagree you

know what's you know what went on okay

we land in the am Khan space

um after years

of calling him out or let's say other

people suggesting it right but I've

heard you calling him out as well right

this fight gets

made and it catches the Public's

imagination

um you talked about not particularly

resenting other Fighters or not being

resentful or not having a particular

distaste or dislike for anybody that

you've been in a ring for this Dynamic

is slightly different isn't

it yeah it is tell me about

it when people say I hate him or I just

I just hated I hated that he he kept cuz

it was just bugging me wherever I went

people always brought it up that was

just the thing to say when you're

finding me a can't you know I was sick

of it I was sick of that I couldn't

provide that fight for him and and it

wasn't my fault it were it were you

think he DED you I think he 100% don't

matter why do you think he duck you cuz

I just think

that it it's different when you when you

lose to like Canelo or abroad to to like

or manip

Pacquiao that you know you can you can

say well at least you know I've like but

if you lose a domestic fight to one of

your own domestic fight you know that

there's a lot more pressure a lot more

pressure and and and it's hard to deal

with and I think that I don't think he's

scared he's not scared of me but he's

scar he's scared of that that that right

scared of that right and and some of the

things that were said over the years

about what he did didn't do to you at

the early stages of when you met one

another in gyms and now he schooled you

that just fueled it a little bit

irritated you it just fueled it you know

it's just it were a big it were a big

buildup for many years many years and um

and we did we eventually did get there

and what I loved about the fight and

like everyone's got their own opinion

like even you I did yeah was wrong you

you were wrong

you know and and and I like it because

that was a fight where people really did

have a 50/50 like you were on his side

like it was like that and that's what

made the fight so interesting appealing

for for the fans even though I knew yeah

you yeah I knew yeah you knew right um

because I remember saying to you you you

you you talked to me on the radio and I

said cuz most people are cowards they

don't say what they really think and

when they got the guy that's in front of

them they go oh yeah I think it'd be you

mate and then behind Clos goes it's not

going to be him I said to you I think he

beats you I think speed and you said

yeah you don't know what you're talking

about timing beats

speed and it did and it

did but do you know when I knew that I

was absolutely wrong when you think sh

when I saw you on the on the on the

stand when I saw you at the weighin and

I saw KH who looked like he'd [ __ ]

himself with due respect to Amir and

there was a completely he did didn't

want to be on the stage didn't look like

comfortable and I remember turning

around I thought who I think it was Adam

catcher or someone like that going I can

know I'll put a few quid on KH and I

wish I had now yeah because it just

looked to me like they were two

different animals on that

stage that one that was there to do

business and one that was there CU he

felt he had to be I'd never I'd never

trained for a fight like I did for that

because

why I know but I don't I don't I think

it would because I know that I've box

all these world I box Shawn por but I

will be remembered for that fight Amir

KH and he he's got to live for the rest

of his life knowing that he got beat off

me and that will I I I just I just

wanted to to put 100% in that fire so if

if I did come up short I'd absolutely

there's not there be anything I can

question no excuses no excuses you know

that he a better better man but I knew

that or a better fight I knew that

timeing beat speed all I needed to do is

put put that that effort in which I did

and you can see in the condition I were

in I seriously I took that training camp

no I saw you I saw I saw you on the

stage it was the one-sided beat and you

know it was a oneid because that that

that's what that's what I visioned yeah

do you regret that fight didn't happen

your Prime both of you of course I did

you know because we were both world

champions at the same time you know it

would have been a much bigger fight it

would have been the same outcome would

have been same outcome probably even

quicker yeah okay changing gloves in

rings well I was going to

changing gloves you seen that changing

gloves knocking on me door 3 or 4 in

morning because it wasn't it about the

fact you had feather gloves which a

punch his gloves and he didn't like that

yeah but like Robert Smith signed him

off it were perfect you know you know

store yeah did it everything did you

think there was there was the perception

that he wasn't going to come out of the

dressing room that's what they were

saying to me like Rob Smith and they're

all panicking yeah and I'm like I'm just

I'm just going with going with it you

know but my dad said listen you've got

to change him we're not to get paid yeah

we're not to get paid unless you changed

that your view of him lessened by the

you've mentioned it um and I would have

mentioned it anyway um it's

disappointing to see him tested positive

yeah and the amount of time it took for

that to be discovered that's a different

discussion as well yeah but does it

lessen your view of him no you know I've

got respect for him here KH at listen

I'll being honest you know but you must

have a strong view about drugs in sport

going with it so how can it not lessen

no I'm just saying are you about this I

thought you said how do I feel with it

with KH no yeah no no Amir KH is now in

a category sorry Amir in a category of

being categorized as a drugs cheats yeah

and we've got all this stuff going on

inside the sport we've had all the

conversations about who's doing what

when and why we've got people sitting

there regularly and saying that 60% of

the sports juicing and all this sort of

stuff the sports eating itself in

problems with this scenario someone

eventually going to get hurt from this

yeah it must I don't want to put words

in your mouth but it must you must look

at it and go well that's not adorable is

it well it's it's still even having that

in failing but I honestly truly believe

in me art that he did have no idea that

that that were in his system there is

the reason being is because I can

remember the beginning of this training

like start a negotiation for this set he

made it like made for testing we got

tested that many times and Ne nothing

nothing ever come back and I think that

with this particular drug with what I

know about it that you need to have it

you need to have it over a long period

of time to get the like the benefit or

whatever um and and he' be we're both

getting tested so regular up to the

fight you know and and this were like

this were like

the on the fight like on the fight night

so does have any metabolic benefit it

does have any benefit to me so that

that's the that's the reason why well I

think you're very generous in that

respect honest yeah fair enough to you

you know I'm going to ask you I'm going

to ask you about the episode with

cocaine I've got to ask you the first

question is not about the manner in

which you did it who the [ __ ] have you

got around you that you're you're in a

situation where people are taking camera

films I mean I'm not condoning the fact

you did in the first place but I'm not

here to judge you about recreational

drugs you're a big boy you take your own

responsibilities right but who have you

got around you this seems to be a common

theme that you're in situations at 21 at

28 at 36 that people aren't around you

that people aren't around you looking

out for you and looking after you and

saying whoa Kell you you're you're

you're you're doing a line of coke over

there and someone's filming you I

know you know obviously it's best thing

to have happened to me you know what

happened after when I've got myself

right but you know um having someone who

I've been very close with for a long

time

and it and it with his brother you know

bring who filmed you who filmed me

without men lovely you know uh coming

bringing him to my to my home thinking

you know to just me and him like and and

he's and he he just shows you you know

your think you know got love for you and

the clearan you know and he's and he's

going to and film me you know when I've

when I'm at the lowest part of my life

when I'm just in such such a bad dark

place and um and he's done that to me

and and S it to purpose but do people

can people not

see besides your immediate family that

will struggle with what you're dealing

with as well because they're on the

receiving end of perhaps some of the way

you feel about the

world but do you not do you could not

people not around you important people

people that have been in your life

people that have been um influential in

your

life could they not see

the challenges that were coming your way

or or you just won't

listen probably probably mix both

probably mixure both I won't listen cuz

it's a feeling you know it's a feeling I

have and you know um sometime with young

young young kids when when when the

older generation are talking to them

because they know better yeah go in one

year and that other you know so it would

just it it's been a part of my life but

but you know I'm not I'm not how are you

now [ __ ] how are you now I'm I'm I'm I'm

very good now I'm in a good place I'm

I'm happy in sa Bri and right I you know

I I feel so I have a lot better

relationship with my family my children

you know the important things life the

important things in life we've got total

I'm I'm utterly connected you know and

and and I'm I'm I'm in a very good place

so with that in mind what's going on

with you I'm

hearing Connor Ben Chris Eubank

Jr well I'm getting a bit bored AR I

right okay I'm getting a bit bored and

I'm thinking you

know you know I didn't know what it

would like to retire but listen

it's I just look at these Fighters now

just thing you know I can beat these

guys and like just that I love a

challenge I love I love competition I

love getting myself in good shape I love

I love I love the D I love the OD

training I love the odd spars I love I

love it when people like yourself don't

think I can winfy and I go out well I

was wrong right I was wrong happy to

cough to it I love could I yeah I love

that you know I love it

and I just love that I love that

challenge I love that challenge and you

know I'm I'm I'm retired but you know I

I could I could come back for them kind

of fights if you're if you're confronted

I mean you you say you're retired you

say you're together now which I'm

pleased to hear um and you know you're

coping with the reality of no longer

being a fighter and being able to

balance it off against the challenges

that you have when fighting

finishes but you leave it with a butt

which is if these fights could be made

Kell Brook is a name Kell Brook sells

Kell Brook Kell Brook and KH filled an

auditorium yeah I would imagine that

Kell Brook and Chris Eubank Jr would

fill an

auditorium don't know what a weight

class though

160 whatever whatever or or Connor

Bennett your old welterweight if one of

these fights if the fights were in the

mix which one would you would like which

one would you like to have and

realistically speaking is it something

that you think probably realistic

prefer to fight Chris yank would you

just just because because it's easier

than the wait for you no it's not easier

to wait it's just St just don't like him

he's so arrogant and he's he's he'd be

I'd get through a training camp a lot

easier because I'd be Fu

just you know as in do you think he's AR

I I think he's arrogant just it's bu

what goes through me just the way he is

it's [ __ ] is it is just he just

grinds at me so bad he's

just I don't know if it's cuz he's he's

smarter than me I don't know but he's I

don't know he can sell itself very good

he does do that fair enough he's got

some like but I just don't like the kid

there's something honestly I dislike him

more than a Mia really I swear to you

there something about the kid H his does

it start from him saying you quit or

just because you don't like the fact

what he says and what he does it's just

does and AR is and uh he just just about

him how he comes across is just horrible

do you think that fight can be

made yeah you do I think it could be

made you know I'm willing to fight you

know let's let's just see what what can

come from it you've heard it here well

I'd like to see

it and I'd like to beat him

up and I have to be honest Kell I'd like

to see him up as well well I'm happy

about that but listen anyway Kell I've

really enjoyed speaking to you you've

been very upfront and thank you for

joining me on up thank

you UPF front with me Simon Jordan is

brought to you by William Hill future

episodes can be found on YouTube Spotify

or wherever you find your podcasts 18

plus please gamble

responsibly