Brook may have Khan showdown

Kell Brook will head off on holiday, safe in the knowledge that when he gets back his team will have started work on his challenge for the world title or laid the foundations for an all-British showdown with Amir Khan.

Brook extended his perfect career to 29-0 with a third-round stoppage of Hector Saldivia in Sheffield, barely breaking sweat as he made what should have been the hardest fight of his career - an IBF welterweight final eliminator - look like one of the easiest.

He is now the next cab off the rank to fight the newly-crowned Devon Alexander, although there is some suggestion he may opt to vacate the title without defending it. Brook has first choice either way, but with a growing clamour for a domestic scrap with Khan, other options may be pursued instead.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, while keen to stress the importance of the world title, is already mulling over the options of how and where to stage a showdown with Khan.

"We could do a stadium fight in April, or we could go to the Manchester Evening News Arena," said Hearn, who during his press conference read out an e-mail from Sheffield United, offering to stage a show at their Bramall Lane ground.

Hearn also believes Khan, who is rebuilding his career following a high-profile spilt from Freddie Roach and the loss of his light-welterweight world titles, would no longer be able to dominate negotiations with his man.

"His next fight is against a lightweight who can't punch (Carlos Molina)," Hearn said. "What is Amir Khan going to do? You're talking about a fight which would be box office, that would fill a stadium and pay both fighters in excess of £2million. Where else is he going to get that kind of money?

"Amir will want to fight on his terms, but that's not the case now. We're filling stadiums, breaking viewing figures on Sky and the terms would have to be 50-50 and if they can't get their heads around that, it's not going to happen.

"If we win the world title and then fight him, he's not going to take 70-30. I know what his people are about, they are nice people and they love the pound note."