"after two or three weeks he was thinking about packing it in."
It has been reported that Amir Khan thought about pulling out of his fight against Kell Brook just three weeks into training camp.
The pair will finally settle their rivalry on February 19, 2022, in Manchester.
It will be Khan first fight in over two years and he admitted that he did not know if his body could cope with a full camp.
He told The Telegraph: “A couple of months ago I put on some weight and mentally I wasn’t prepared.
“What prepared me to get back in the gym and train hard was Kell Brook.
“The fight’s been talked about so much and everywhere I went I would hear that name.
“I thought, you know what, I’m going to do this fight and then I’ll give him a good beating.
“That was my motivation. If it was another fight against somebody else it might have been a little bit different. But because it’s me and him and there’s bragging rights. It’s everything. This fight has got everything.”
But former professional boxer Spencer Oliver revealed that Khan thought about pulling out of the fight just a few weeks into training camp.
He told Sky Sports News: “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.
“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 initially claimed that he had picked up a few small injuries during his training camp but later dismissed them and insisted that he was in the best shape of his life.
Kell Brook previously expressed concern that Khan could pull out of the fight due to injuries or Covid-19 issues.
His coach Dominic Ingle reinforced the concerns.
The rivals have agreed to meet at a catchweight of 149 pounds.
But during the open workouts in Manchester, some fans were concerned with Khan’s “skinny” frame.
One said: “He is too skinny he is going to get decked by Kell Brook.”
Another fan stated:
“He looks proper weak there is no muscle on him. He is going to really struggle to make a dent in Brook.”
But Amir Khan has shut down any concerns and has praised the impact of former opponent Terrence Crawford.
He said: “I’ve never trained so hard. I never had an easy day.
“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.”
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