In this week’s Fight Talk, we discuss whether Kell Brook could pull off a shock to beat American pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford, with reports that the two could clash on 14 November.

Brook ‘edging closer’ to Crawford fight

Strobe lighting illuminates the arena, Kanye West’s All Of The Lights blasts out of the public address system and a Sheffield fighting superstar confidently struts towards the ring.

Former IBF welterweight champion Brook has treated us to some entertaining fight nights and the 34-year-old is close to offering up one more.

He says he is “edging closer” to a bout with American Crawford on 14 November.

Promoter Bob Arum also told Talksport the fight could be finalised this week.

Brook was last in action when he knocked out American Mark DeLuca in January, his first fight in 14 months.

Back-to-back defeats by Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr, and eye injuries suffered as a result of those losses, have derailed Brook’s career over the past four years.

Most fans see only one outcome if Crawford-Brook is made…

But Brook is hoping to prove those boxing fans wrong, telling Sky Sports: “When I dethrone Crawford, I believe you’d have to say it is right up there amongst the biggest victories for British boxing.”

Brook and Khan go at it again

Brook will go in as a heavy underdog – Crawford is a three-weight world champion and has won all 36 of his professional bouts.

He also beat Brook’s long-time rival Khan in April 2019.

It would have been one of the biggest all-British fights in recent times but it seems the Brook v Khan ship has sailed.

Former world champion Khan has given his reasons as to why it hasn’t happened.

“People feel like it’s me running away, but it’s not,” he told Fight Hub this week.

“It’s Brook that moves up a weight and avoids the fight. It shows he doesn’t want to fight me.”

Brook went on social media to dismiss and laugh off Khan’s claims, describing him as a “walking soap opera”, and was backed up by trainer Dominic Ingle, who also had a bit of a dig at the Bolton fighter…

We probably won’t ever see them in the ring together, but the Brook and Khan verbal exchanges will never stop.

Could Smith v Saunders unification clash be next?

Let’s hope that Britons Smith and Saunders are not the new Khan and Brook. While there is certainly no heated, bitter rivalry (in fact, the two fighters have always spoken highly of each other), they are both super-middleweight world champions and a unification clash is a mouth-watering prospect.

WBO title holder Saunders and the WBA and Ring Magazine champion Smith are still in contention to earn a career-high pay day against Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

But with Canelo taking an age to decide on his next opponent, promote Hearn – who represents Saunders and Smith – says it’s the obvious fight to make…

Saunders has also welcomed the clash, telling IFL TV: “Callum Smith and me is a definite must. If the right deal is in place for me and him, it’s the right fight to make this year.”

Is Mayweather making a comeback?

Mayweather, the greatest boxer of our generation? Love him or hate him, he achieved everything he possibly could in the professional ranks.

And the unbeaten 43-year-old American, who was last in action when he beat Irishman Conor McGregor in 2017, has sparked rumours that he could be making a comeback after reportedly taking part in secret sparring sessions at 2am.

Super-middleweight contender Denis Douglin, who lost to Briton George Groves in 2014, has revealed he has been training with Mayweather in the early hours of the morning.

Douglin told Vegas Insider that he and his coach, mum Saphya, received a call from Mayweather and headed to the gym for the sessions.

“We just sparred non-stop; no bell, no-one calling time, and we just worked worked worked, we were in there for like 30 minutes,” Douglin said.

“I think he could still hang with the top guys.”