EDDIE HEARN has branded Amir Khan’s long-awaited grudge match with Kell Brook a ‘money grab’ of a fight.
The former light-welter and welterweight champions will collide in a long-overdue domestic dust-up in Manchester on Saturday night.
Khan and Brook, both 35, are shadows of the fighters who brought world titles back to Bolton and Sheffield in 2009 and 2014 respectively.
And Hearn, the pair’s former promoter, can’t help but think they’re throwing doing for the sake of one final big payday.
He told SecondsOut: “I’ve been involved in money grab. But [Khan-Brook] is [a money grab].
“It’s just the two of them going, ‘Let’s not be silly. This is massive money for the both of us. Let’s make the fight, mate.’
“But they are both 50 per cent the fighters they once were. But it’s still going to be a 50-50 fight. I still look at Kell and it looks like he’s training hard.
“Khan doesn’t look particularly sharp or great, but he’s going to give it his everything.”
Hearn tried to make the Battle of Britain when the bitter rivals were in his Matchroom stable but was unable to hash out a deal.
But he doesn’t plan to part with his hard-earned cash to watch the grudge match.
He said: “I’m interested to know who wins. Will I sit down and watch it, probably not.
“Of course, I want to know what happens now.
“It’s intriguing now. Both guys are finished. You just don’t know what’s going to happen.
“When I was trying to make the fight there was so much more at stake.
“Now, it’s almost like a shake of the hands. ‘Listen, let’s just do it.’”
Khan and Brook have had their sights set on one another ever since a highly-disputed sparring session during an England Boxing training camp in 2004.
But King is adamant there’ll be no blood after they spill it in the ring this weekend – so much so he wants to have a cuppa with the Steel City slugger.
He told SunSport: “I don’t hate Kell, this is just another day at the office.
“I am not scared or nervous, I am just ready to beat him.
“There is no love between us but I have been living in Kell’s head for the past 10 years, I might even owe him some rent for it.
“But now I have to put him in place.
“After the fight, there will be respect and maybe we can even be friends, he does seem like a nice guy.
“Maybe one day we will have a coffee together and a chit-chat but now is too soon.”
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