Kell Brook Camp Makes Brandon Rios Offer, Taunts Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan

Kell Brook is campaigning to set up a bout with Brandon Rios after retaining his IBF welterweight title against Frankie Gavin, with his camp claiming Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan "must be scared" of facing him.

The Sheffield fighter stopped Gavin in the sixth round this past Saturday, and David Anderson of the Mirror quotes Brook's Matchroom promoter, Eddie Hearn, as saying WBO international welterweight champion Rios is the next target.

"Rios is still my preferred choice," Hearn said. "He is the perfect fight stylewise, entertainmentwise. We've made him a considerable offer, which he has refused. We've made a second offer and I hope we will be able to announce a deal soon."

Speculation continues to swirl regarding a potential all-British affair between Brook and Khan, but the former suggests the chances of that fight coming to fruition are slim.

Khan claimed a lacklustre unanimous-decision victory over Chris Algieri in New York this past weekend, but Brook is quoted by Anderson as saying King Khan continues to duck his advances of a possible clash at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium:

"

He must be scared. Why not fight a serious person in an open-air arena with a belt on the line? Why would he not do it?  It’s frustrating. I’ve been banging on about it for years now. When I won this belt, I thought it would happen, but he still won’t pick up the phone. It’s getting boring now.

I want the big fights. Rios is a big name. He is an ex-world champion and will come to fight.

"

Texas-born Rios is back on a win streak after suffering back-to-back defeats to Mike Alvarado and Manny Pacquiao in 2013, most recently gaining revenge against Alvarado in January of this year.

Hearn also claims Mayweather won't take on Brook for what's shaping up to be the last fight of his career on September 12.

He is quoted by Sky Sports (h/t Edward Chaykovsky of BoxingScene.com) as saying the 29-year-old is "too risky" an opponent: "I think Kell Brook is an amazing fighter. I think outside of Mayweather, he is without doubt the No. 2 and maybe the No. 1 welterweight in the world. [Brook] is unbeaten, he's young, and I don't think Mayweather will go near him because he's risky."

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Hearn is, of course, expected to talk up the talents of his fighter, but with an undefeated record of 35-0 and 24 of those victories coming via knockout, Brook deserves the plaudits.

Sky Sports provides a comparison between Brook and Rios, with Anderson reporting August 29 as the date in mind for their encounter, which could take place at Bramall Lane, the home of Sheffield United:

At the time of his 2013 meeting against Pacquiao, Rios was en route to cementing himself as a star of the welterweight division and took some pride in going the distance before suffering a unanimous-decision loss.

Brook's chances of setting up a fight with Mayweather may still be alive, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, who was among those far from impressed with Khan's drawn-out win over Algieri:

After soaring past Gavin without having to really push himself, Brook will be ready for another bout come August, but there will be an inevitable waiting period until a conclusion is made on a possible Mayweather meeting.

Rios looks the far more likely candidate at this juncture, and Special K has international opposition in sight as he looks to extend his unbeaten legacy later in 2015.