Brook vs Zerafa: Who should Kell Brook target for 2019 if Amir Khan fight falls through?

Kell Brook is eager to land a blockbuster fight for 2019 but with a British battle against Amir Khan hanging in the balance, who should ‘The Special One’ target?

Brook must firstly overcome Australia’s Michael Zerafa in Sheffield on Saturday, live on Sky Sports, in an eliminator for the WBA super-welterweight world title.

Brook to look past ‘con man’ Khan

With longstanding rival Khan now linked to Terence Crawford, we ask our pundits, if victorious, what Brook’s next move should be?

Carl Froch

The fact that Amir Khan doesn’t want to go up to super-welterweight tells me Kell Brook will be good up there. If I look down at 147lbs, does anyone want to see Brook rematch Errol Spence Jr? I don’t.

Jermell Charlo (WBC) or Jarrett Hurd (WBA & IBF) are big punchers but not massive names over here, so it’s a tough route for Kell to try and take. You never know, at 154lbs, someone can move up and free a belt, then that would be good. No fight is going to bring as much money in as Khan, but becoming a two-weight world champion is something.

David Coldwell

I don’t think Kell will get a look in with any of the top 147lbs fighters so I’d say go up to super-welterweight. Jarrett Hurd is a good option but he looks like he has stuff lined up. I think he needs a top 10 fight to break into the division but who will make an attractive fight?

Jaime Munguia (WBO) would be the fight, this Mexican kid is very heavy-handed, Kell might think he could outbox him. That’d be a statement to take that fight. Other than that, if Liam Smith is still at super-welter, maybe that domestic shootout to break into the division, Liam is a proven operator.

Johnny Nelson

Kell just has to simply try and forget about Khan. He can move up a weight now, if he wants to. I would rather see him up at 154lbs, that is where we will see the best of him.

What Kell needs to do is just focus on becoming a super-welterweight world champion. He’s been away for camp and looks revitalised and looks great for what we all thought would be his last Sheffield hurrah.

Spencer Oliver

It’s the million dollar question because the one fight he wanted, the one fight we all wanted, was Amir Khan. Their careers were running in parallel and it made complete sense for them to fight. Kell needs to be in big fights, against big names, and that has to happen.

Brook has to be at super-welterweight and he should go and chase another world title, the likes of Jarrett Hurd and Jermell Charlo are frightening prospects though. That is the harsh reality of this sport and it is exactly why we needed Brook and Khan to fight.

Watch Kell Brook vs Michael Zerafa in what could be his last fight in Sheffield, with Josh Kelly, Anthony Fowler and Jono Carroll on the undercard, live on Saturday, Sky Sports Action from 7pm, and Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm.

(c) Sky News 2018: Brook vs Zerafa: Who should Kell Brook target for 2019 if Amir Khan fight falls through?