Kell Brook and Amir Khan’s grudge match could have been scrapped moments before it was set to begin this month, due to a dispute around Brook’s gloves.
The Sheffield fighter stopped Bolton-born Khan in the sixth round on 19 February, settling a rivalry that had spanned nearly two decades.
But the main-event bout in Manchester nearly fell through when the former champions argued backstage about the type of gloves that Brook was wearing.
“There was a point where I didn’t think [the fight] would happen,” promoter Ben Shalom told Sky Sports.
“It was contracted that horsehair couldn’t be in the gloves. Horsehair has been in boxing gloves for decades, but some new ones don’t have it.
“Amir knew what he wanted to avoid. It was in the contract. They went to a meeting with the British Boxing Board of Control. Everybody approved the gloves.
“Amir had a think overnight and became concerned that there was horsehair in [Brook’s] gloves. We actually opened one of the gloves, and there was horsehair inside.
“It kicked off! It was an obligation for both fighters not to wear gloves with horsehair, it wasn’t stuck to.”
The ring walks for the main event were delayed by 20 minutes due to the backstage dispute, Shalom said.
“Kell and [his trainer Dominic Ingle] refused to change. There was a massive back-and-forth between the teams, the families, Kell and Amir. Amir refused to get in the ring, Kell refused to change gloves.”
Sky Sports’ head of boxing Adam Smith has also admitted to being concerned that the fight might be affected.
“I was called backstage,” Smith said. “When I got there, a lawyer had the contract out. There was a clause saying ‘no horsehair’, which was the main gripe. They also had to both wear Grant gloves; Kell was wearing Fly gloves.
“If he went out in the wrong gloves, he might not get paid. That was a worry. They decided to change gloves in the ring. He had warmed up with the wrong gloves backstage.”
Shalom added: “We had to trust that Dominic would actually change Kell’s gloves in the ring! Amir wasn’t sure.
“It was absolute chaos. I was looking at Kell, nervous that the gloves wouldn’t be changed.”
Brook indeed changed his gloves in the ring and went on to dominate Brook through six rounds, securing the stoppage win to settle his rivalry with Khan.
It is unclear whether either of the 35-year-olds will compete again, with Khan in particular having admitted that he is considering retirement.
