KELL BROOK and Amir Khan’s long-awaited grudge match has proven a box office success – with numbers close to that of Anthony Joshua’s.
Some scoffed at the idea of spending £20 to watch the 35-year-old pair of ex-world champion finally put reputations on the line.
Meanwhile others were willing to pay whatever the price just to see the two fierce rivals at last settle their bitter score, which spanned almost two decades.
With Eddie Hearn packing up and taking his stable to rival streaming service DAZN, Sky Sports and their new partners Boxxer have been left searching for fresh stars.
But it turns out, fan-favourites from the past proved value for money as Khan and Brook rivalled just about anything else on Sky’s platform.
Promoter Ben Shalom told SunSport: “The buys speak for themselves, it was something that gripped the nation.
“Outside the top AJ numbers, it blows pretty much everything else out of the water.
“It’s the biggest fight outside of the heavyweight division, a domestic fight, that Sky have ever had.
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“It was incredible, obviously a lot of people talked the fight down but it was clearly a monumental fight for British boxing.
“And the numbers, as a I say, were akin to AJ figures. Which you don’t see really at all other than the world heavyweight title fights.”
Joshua, 32, has sold over 1million PPVs on Sky Box Office before, while Khan and Brook’s total has not yet been revealed.
But what was there for all to see was Brook’s six-round demolition of Khan, securing bragging rights for life in brutal fashion.
The performance and result leaves Khan staring retirement in the face, which would end a celebrated and historic career.
But for Brook, he is primed for at least one more mega-money payday, if he is willing to trade what would otherwise be the perfect farewell fight.
The buys speak for themselves, it was something that gripped the nation. Outside the top AJ numbers, it blows pretty much everything else out of the water.
Promoter Ben Shalom
Shalom said: “Kell is in the number one position right now. He’s got a lot of options and everyone will want to fight him.
“If he retires today, he’s gone out on a high, but there are options and he will consider them. We’ll consider what’s best for him now.
“I think he’s had an amazing experience with us and an amazing promotion with us and there’s now options for him.
“I’m really pleased for him, perhaps his career up until this point wasn’t managed in the best way and maybe took some fights that he shouldn’t have, at the wrong time and wrong weight.
“We think we did everything to give him this fight and the promotion he deserved and he worked his a*** off.
“He spent six months in the gym and he’s come out victorious and he’d probably tell you this was as big for him as it was beating Shawn Porter for his world title.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
