Amir Khan ‘considered pulling out of his fight with Kell Brook after just three weeks of training’

Former professional boxer Spencer Oliver says Amir Khan considered pulling out his box office bout with Kell Brook just three weeks into his training camp.

Khan and Brook will go head-to-head at the Manchester Arena on February 19 after nearly 20 years of animosity and a long-standing war of words.

Spencer says both athletes have ‘pushed themselves to a place they’ve never been’ and that Khan even considered pulling out as he ‘didn’t know if he could put his body through anymore’. 

Khan considered pulling out his box office bout with Kell Brook just three weeks into training

Khan will take on Kell Brook at the Manchester Arena on Saturday in highly anticipated bout

Khan has been working with Terence Crawford’s coach Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre ahead of the catchweight contest. He has also sparred with the unbeaten pound-for-pound boxer several times.

Meanwhile, Brooks has been working equally as hard – having been filmed squeezing a sweat-soaked t-shirt into the glass to prove how much he had perspired during his workout.

Bizarrely, Brooks’ trainer, Dominic Ingle, was then filmed drinking the boxer’s sweat amid the 35-year-old’s grueling training camp.  

Spencer says both athletes have ‘pushed themselves to a place they’ve never been’

He also revealed how Khan has said he ‘didn’t know if he could put his body through anymore’

When asked about the athletes’ preparations for the box office bout, Oliver told Sky Sports news that both fighters had pushed themselves to the limit. 

He said: ‘Speaking to Kell Brook and Amir Khan in the build-up to this fight, both guys are so convinced they’re going to win, they’ve wanted it for so long and have now finally got the opportunity.’

The former European champion added: ‘I just think they’ve pushed themselves to a place they’ve never been for a long, long time. 

‘Amir Khan the other day was telling me that he felt really good, after two or three weeks he was thinking about packing it in.

‘After two or three weeks of going into his training camp, he didn’t know if he could put his body through it anymore.

‘He was finding it really hard, he said ‘I didn’t know if I could go through it’ and then when he hit the six to seven-week mark, he said he’s enjoying it more than ever before.

‘He said he’s fallen in love with the sport again, mentally and physically, he’s in the best shape of his life. There is no world title on the line but this is all about bragging rights, this is all about the fight that they’re going to be remembered for.’ 

Khan confirmed Oliver’s comments by saying he has ‘never trained so hard’. He also said that having Crawford in his camp has been incredibly ‘motivational’. 

‘I’ve never trained so hard. I never had an easy day,’ he said. ‘Having Terence Crawford here is massive motivation.

‘He is the best fighter in the world – he fought me and Kell – and his advice has been brilliant. I will win this fight in good style. Kell doesn’t have a chance – it is the best Amir that is coming on Saturday.’ 

Khan confirmed how hard he has been training, saying he has never had ‘an easy day’ 

He said having Terence Crawford (above) in his camp has been a ‘massive motivation’

The highly-anticipated fight sold out in a matter of minutes. Fans are desperate to see these two boxers go head-to-head despite them being past their prime.   

Khan and Brook, both 35, are coming to the end of their careers. Therefore, they decided to cash in on the seismic payday that has always been on the horizon.

The pair both feel that this payday will be their rival’s last, with there being a real possibility that the loser of Saturday’s contest in Manchester will hang up his gloves for good.