Kell Brook has described as โscaryโ the knowledge that he fought Amir Khan on the day Khan failed a drugs test.
Khan, who retired from boxing in May 2022 โย three months after being stopped in the sixth round by Brook โย is serving a two-year ban after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine, which according to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is designed to have similar effects to testosterone.
The 36-year-old accepted that he broke anti-doping rules but said that he had not done so intentionally, and an independent tribunal accepted his argument, and therefore ruled out โdeliberate or reckless conductโ.
Brook, however, is regardless disturbed to have learned that Khanโs performance could have been enhanced by the presence of a banned substance that night in February 2022 โ one heโd previously found cathartic following years of a bitter rivalry โย and revealed that it has made him fear for the future of his sport.
โI want this to be highlighted, because Iโve got three beautiful kids and itโs scary to know that he come in there, with this drug in him,โ he toldย Boxing News. โItโs basically going in there with a knife in one hand and a gun in the other โย in a fight. Itโs not a fair fight.
โHeโs going in there on drugs, and it brings an horrible taste in me mouth. These young fighters, and the people what respect Amir Khan, and look up to him โ heโs putting it out there to young fighters that heโs on drugs, and itโs putting an horrible fucking name attached to the boxing game, and itโs happening too often. And itโs just disrespecting the sport โ these fighters are taking drugs, and cheating, and itโs destroying this game, that theyโre doing this. Itโs horrible.
โThese fighters, from [Sugar Ray] Leonard days; [Marvin] Hagler; [Tommy] Hearns โ all these fighters, these clean fightersย โ and these days itโs just getting tarnished with these drug cheats, and itโs putting a fucking horrible name on the game, whatโs been beautiful and lovely, and given the fans and the fighters exciting nights. Itโs just, horrible.
โIโm still a bit numb from it. He was the one that wanted all this drug testing in place. With the breaking news, and me finding out after everyone else โ itโs been over a year since the fight happened, and nobody phoned me [to say], โHe failed a drug test after the fightโ. Iโm scratching my head about. However it happens, Ben [Shalom], the promoter, UKAD; the [British] Boxing Board [of Control]. Nobodyโs contacted me, in a fight โ someone failing a test โ what I was involved with. It just baffles me.
โThe respect I had for Amir Khan has completely gone out the window. Because it makes me put into perspective โย how long has he been on these drugs? Iโm still waiting โย itโs still fresh โย and Iโm still thinking, โWhatโs he gonna come out with? What is the reason? Why is it in his system?โ He failed a drugs test. Iโve got mixed emotions, at the moment, about it, but all I know is he failed a test and I were fighting him in that fight.โ
Ostarine is also listed on the World Anti-Doping Agencyโs (WADA) 2022 Prohibited List as an anabolic agent and is prohibited in sport at all times. Khan was notified about the adverse finding โ from February 19, 2022 โ on April 6, 2022, and issued with a provisional suspension from all code-compliant sport.
โIt makes me think โย โcause I hit him with some big heavy shots in that fight,โ said Brook, also 36. โEven after, I said to Dom [Ingle, my trainer], โI donโt know how heโs stood on his feet that longโ, to be honest with you, โcause I hit him with some nice shots and he still stood there, so it makes me think, โWhatโs this stuff heโs on? Could he just get through it better with this stuff in him?โ Thatโs what itโs made me think. If not, I reckon I couldโve flattened him in round one.โ