Boxing’s Best British Rivalries – Khan v Brook

Khan v Brook Bets: Boxing’s best British rivalries

We’re days away from the long-awaited grudge match between Amir Khan and Kell Brook and we’re taking a look at some of the rivalries that have gone before them.

More than a decade in the making, bitter domestic rivals Amir Khan and Kell Brook finally get it on this weekend in Manchester.

The pair of former world champions have sparred insults and traded criticism for years but all the talking will finally finish as the punches start.

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There have been plenty of other domestic British ding-dongs that have grabbed our attention over the years – let’s take a closer look:

David Haye v Dereck Chisora

David Haye took it upon himself to gatecrash Dereck Chisora’s post-fight press conference following a loss to Vitali Klitschko in February 2012 and all hell broke loose…

Haye’s main focus was the Ukrainian, but the pair of Brits ended up scrapping after Chisora took Haye’s verbal bait, with punches thrown and the accusation of a glassing. 

The British Boxing Board of Control refused to sanction this grudge match but that wasn’t going to stop Frank Warren – thanks to the Luxembourg Boxing Federation – at Upton Park.

The 2012 fight itself was one-sided, with Haye beating Chisora in five rounds.

If the fight wasn’t memorable, Chisora’s “he glassed me” quote from the press conference certainly still is.

Chris Eubank v Nigel Benn

Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn epitomise great British boxing rivalries.

The pair – complete opposites in personality – clashes twice in the 1990s at middleweight and super-middleweight, with Eubank coming out unbeaten with a win and a draw.

These two guys genuinely despised each other and will forever be the benchmark for other boxing rivalries in the United Kingdom.

Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno

Frank Bruno managed to get under the skin of WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis ahead of their world title fight in 1993.

Bruno claimed that Lewis wasn’t truly British due to representing Canada at the 1988 Olympics and the “Lion” wasn’t impressed.

Lewis was unbeaten, 23-0 coming into this fight whereas Bruno had already suffered three defeats – one to Mike Tyson – and coming towards the end of his career.

Lewis won this fight staged in Cardiff via a seventh-round TKO.

Carl Froch v George Groves

Carl Froch and George Groves put boxing back on the map in the United Kingdom in 2013 and 2014.

Groves was Froch’s mandatory for the IBF super-middleweight strap and riled the “Cobra” in the run up to their first meeting in Manchester.

Groves dropped Froch in the opening round, but the Nottingham fighter was able to rally late in the fight to gain a controversial ninth-round stoppage.

They rematched in 2014 in front of 80,000 fans at a packed out Wembley Stadium where Froch punctuated the result and their rivalry with a huge right hand in the eighth, winning by KO.

Tony Bellew v Nathan Cleverly

A terrific first fight in which Nathan Cleverly won by majority decision was followed up by a dire rematch in 2014, where Tony Bellew got his revenge to settle the slate at 1-1.

There is still genuine animosity between these two fighters to date, with their outspoken personalities clashing well before each meeting.

Tony Bellew got the last laugh by claiming world honours in 2016 against Illunga Makabu, whereas former light-heavyweight champion Cleverly lost two of his last four fights following his rematch with the “Bomber”.

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