Kell Brook knocks out Amir Khan as bitter feud ends in Manchester fight

Referee Victor Loughlin intervened to stop the fight 51 seconds into the sixth as Khan stopped throwing punches under a sustained attack from Brook, who was in command from midway through the first round until the bell.

To Khan's immense credit he did not go down despite facing a barrage from his powerful opponent but there was no doubting the stoppage, as Brook produced one of the performances of his career.

Speed meets power

Khan started with a display of his trademark speed, but Brook began to assert as early as the final minute of round one, and Khan needed the bell to get back to his corner.

The second round followed a similar pattern and a good overhand right from Brook hinted at what was to come as he came to life in the final 30 seconds of round three, hurting Khan again before the bell came to his rescue.

Just as the pace appeared set to dip, yet again Brook ended round four with an accurate burst and he was doing all the damage at the end of the fifth, pinning Khan to the corner but unable to force the stoppage.

It came early in round six, though, as Brook unloaded and Khan appeared unable to defend himself any longer. The referee quickly intervened to spark scenes of jubilation in the Brook camp, before these old rivals embraced in the ring.

'King of the North'

"I always knew that was going to happen, it was just a matter of time before I was going to get him out of there," said Brook backstage, speaking to Sky Sports.

"Listen, what a feeling. What a turnout. They're the fights that I wanted to be involved in when I walked into the gym as a kid.

"The War of the Roses, bragging rights, King of the North. I'm back on top now, took Amir Khan out exactly like I said I was going to."

"I always knew from when I was 18, that I was a better fighter than him. He had the promoters behind him but I've always known that, and tonight the fans got to see a mega fight, and I dealt with him."

Asked if the fight had drawn a line under his feud with Khan, after the pair shared kinder words after the fight, Brook paid tribute to his opponent's refusal to quit.

"I've always had respect for him, but it's hard to like someone who's just dissing you" added Brook. "I took my hat off for him today for taking those shots and still trying to hold in there, that's where the respect comes."