Brook tempted by Khan clash

Kell Brook beat Hector Saldivia on Saturday to book a world title shot, but conceded he may put his dream on ice in order to fight Amir Khan.

The self-styled 'Special One' needed just two rounds and 28 seconds to beat the man known as 'El Tigre' in their IBF welterweight final eliminator at the Motorpoint Arena, sending him back to Argentina with a right uppercut and vicious left jab.

A crack at the belt he has craved since he was a nine-year-old now awaits in the spring against

the winner of tonight's Devon Alexander-Randall Bailey contest, but the name of domestic rival Khan hung over his post-bout press conference.

While Brook and promoter Eddie Hearn were keen to stress they had ticked the box they wanted by setting themselves up as mandatory challengers for the IBF belt, the comments of both suggested Khan is their number one target.

The pair traded verbal blows on Sky Sports' 'Ringside' programme two weeks ago and Khan, looking to rebuild his career after splitting with Freddie Roach, will move up to welterweight to make the fight.

When asked which avenue he would rather explore, Brook said: "Khan...I want to do Khan, but it's been my dream since I started boxing to be a world champion and bring it back to Sheffield. It's a close one, we want to get the world title fight but I do want to take Khan out.

"Khan is going to get schooled, there is no question. He will be taken out really quickly. He gives it the chat for a long time, but when we get in I will be on him, relentless, and take him out."

According to Hearn, who said he has already received an offer from Sheffield United to host the fight at their Bramall Lane ground, Khan cannot afford to turn down his man.

The Matchroom boss views Brook, who is now 29-0 in his career, Khan and the returning Ricky Hatton as the main draws in the division and if a world title fight cannot be arranged, will look to tee-up a meeting with one of them.

"We will then try and put the pressure on to fight the winner of tonight," Hearn said.

"Generally, the fight has to happen in six months. With Kell, I don't like keeping him out of the ring for months. He's had six fights in 15 months and for me, he's going away on Monday, I want him to have a nice holiday and then fight in February or March.

"If that's impossible or the IBF ask for an extension, then we look at other options such as Khan or Hatton which, to be honest, are the only two fights which would stand in the way of us fighting for a world title. They're the only two which would perhaps take precedence because they're too big to ignore."

Brook and his team have the luxury of knowing they are the first cab off the rank for a shot at the belt, though, and Hearn added: "We're in a great position, the mandatory position doesn't go away, so whether that happens in March, April, May, June, it doesn't matter.

"The only two to stand in the way are Khan and Hatton and, after this performance, the public are going to put so much pressure on for the Khan fight that I wouldn't be surprised if you saw it in the spring."

Whoever Brook fights next, they will find a man who has pledged to become "a machine" after

reaping the rewards of a brutal training camp.

A close shave against Carson Jones in July forced him to change his approach to training, and he embarked on a 12-week camp designed to stop fatigue robbing him of a chance of glory.

He unveiled his new-look physique against Saldivia, a man with an enviable record of 41-2 prior to tonight, and reduced him to a wreck on his stool.

"It was easier than I thought," Brook said. "We have done all the hard work, this is the best prepared I have been.

"My trainer Dom Ingle and my team have been meeting every week and exchanging notes, I've been stepping up every week and everything has been planned and down to a tee, every part of it.

"All the boxes got ticked, in the dressing room I knew there was no doubt. If I was beaten, I'd have been beaten by a monster. It was an easy fight."

Alexander later won a unanimous points decision to take Bailey's IBF welterweight belt in Brooklyn.