Kell Brook is leaving the door open for a comeback.
But it would have to be for the “right” opportunity.
The retired former welterweight champion from Sheffield, England, has been spotted working out in the gym and taking a meeting with his longtime promoter Eddie Hearn, leading to belief that he might entertain a return to the ring later this year.
Brook has previously been floated by Hearn as an option to face drug embattled welterweight Conor Benn June 3 in Abu Dhabi.
Brook announced his retirement shortly after he defeated countryman Amir Khan last year by sixth-round knockout.
In a recent interview, Brook lent more credibility to that belief by characterizing himself as “semi-retired” and explaining how difficult it is to fully shut the door on boxing and the “excitement” he gets from big fights.
“I consider myself a bit of a semi-retired fighter,” Brook told Boxing News. “When you’ve done it since you were nine years old, it’s in me blood; it’s hard to get away from it. Any fighter who has retired, what I’ve spoken to, said the same.
“The last performance against Amir Khan, and the excitement and the way I executed it, I question myself quite a lot—I’ve not seen anything, since I’ve fought Khan, with that excitement in a fight. I’ve not seen no fighter really excites me either. It’s hard to walk away when I know that.”
Brook has publicly struggled in his retirement. Earlier this year, a video circulated showing Brook snorting a white substance from his home. Brook apologized and admitted he had been dealing with mental health issues. He promised to seek help.
Brook made it clear he will not glove up again unless it is for an especially appealing fight.
“I’m content in my life, and what I’ve done in the game, but I also like the competition,” Brook said. “We all love the money, and I do love to excite the fans—to get themselves ready, talking among themselves about a big fight I’m involved in, and walking out to the fans is hard to walk away from, and everything else.
“If someone doesn’t present itself to me right, I won’t box again. If it does, there’s a chance I can fight again.”
Brook recently lashed out against Khan after it was revealed that Khan had tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug (ostarine) in a test that was taken immediately after their fight. Khan was slapped with a back-dated two-year ban by United Kingdom Anti-Doping. Khan has owned up to the results but has maintained that his ingestion of the drug was accidental.