AMIR KHAN and Kell Brook finally ended their long rivalry as they embraced after a thrilling fight on Saturday night.
Brook produced a sensational display to bully Khan before stopping him in the sixth round.
And Khan, 35, took the defeat graciously as the pair hugged it out in the ring and then again in the post-fight press conference.
The Bolton-based fighter then paid tribute to Brook’s display.
He said: “No excuses the better man won and he boxed out of his skin I have to say.
“I didn’t expect that from him, especially from the fights I have seen before.
“No disrespect to Kell, he put on a great performance today and he came out to win.
“At the end of the day we have rivalries but as I say after I punch them we can be friends.
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“He put a great performance on and did everything he needed to. He was the best man tonight. I had a great, great training camp, but I just couldn’t get going.
“I was missing quite a lot. Kell was on his A-game, all respect goes out to him.”
And Brook, who has trashed Khan for a decade, also admitted he now has respect for his British rival.
Following his win, he said: “I’ve always wanted to have the fight with Amir. I think after this grudge match, this is the icing on the cake for me.
“I can live at peace with myself, with my career now.
“He took some great shots in there. The respect is there – that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
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“He’s had a fantastic career. You don’t want to be involved in these fights late in his career. He’s going to have to sit down like I do and see if he wants to carry on.
“We’ve been involved in one of the best fights in our era – it’s like the George Groves vs Carl Froch fights.
“It’s up there with the best British fights in our era.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk