text: Kell Brook could have had the blockbuster fight he craves against Amir Khan instead of treading water against Frankie Gavin, if only his promoter had minded his words. Now that Battle of Britain – potentially at Wembley Stadium – may never take place. So says Khan's father Shah as his son gets ready to finally confirm the over-criticised Chris Algieri as his opponent in New York on the same night when Brook will be defending his world welterweight title against Gavin at London's O2 Arena on May 20 . Promoter Eddie Hearn (centre) stands behind Kell Brook (left) and Frankie Gavin at the O2 Arena . Amir Khan celebrates his victory over Devon Alexander at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last year . Shah Khan, who also supervises affairs, says: 'Kell could have had his chance against Amir right now if Eddie Hearn had toned it down. But instead of being patient he's been so disrespectful. 'If he carries on like that the Brook fight will not take place. He keeps shouting about how much the fight is worth but I don't care about the money. For Amir it's more about the big fights and his status in boxing. 'Amir's told Kell he will be happy to box him in the next year but Eddie's jeopardising that. He carries on calling us out and insulting us. Any more of that and it will be all over. 'Kell has said plenty, too. But we don't think this is his fault. He seems a good lad. It's Eddie putting the words in his mouth.' Initially, Hearn's provocative manoeuvres came as a surprise to the rival camp. Khan Snr says: 'Eddie will talk reasonably in the negotiating room. Pleasant with us. But as soon as he gets outside he starts with the nonsense.' Hearn (centre) speaks during a press conference to announce the fight between Brook and Gavin . Khan (right) poses for a photo alongside father Shah (centre) and brother Haroon in Sheffield in 2013 . The Khans see a telling parable with the way Junior Witter's critical harassment of Ricky Hatton offended the Hitman. 'Ricky became annoyed and it was hard to blame him,' says Shah. 'It was a fight he would have been happy to take but when the words became unpleasant he walked away for good. 'And what's happened to Witter after that? Virtually nothing. Now he's more less forgotten. I can see the same happening to Kell. 'Yet Brook is a fight Amir would have been more than happy to have. We feel it's a fairly comfortable fight for us. Kell has done OK but we sense that as soon as he comes up against a fighter of Amir's elite level he will be found out. 'Eddie needs to calm down.' If what is being described as the biggest domestic fight in waiting is to become reality, it is over to you Mr Hearn. Eddie, a fellow columnist here at Sportsmail, has pushed through a number of matches with his outspoken pubic challenges. But last week he drew a frosty response from Carl Frampton and his legendary promoter Barry McGuigan when he brandished at them a cheque for £1.5million for the Belfast Jackal to meet his man Scott Quigg in a world super-bantamweight title unification fight. Brook (left) and Gavin (right) go face to face as promoter Hearn looks on in the background . Hearn displays the cheque for £1.5m to set-up Scott Quigg's fight with Carl Frampton . Khan has taken flak for lining up Algieri for his next fight, after the New Yorker was decked six times en route to an embarrassing, wipe-out defeat by Manny Pacquaio. But Algieiri did defeat the previously feared Russian puncher Ruslan Provodnikov to win the world lightweight title, which he still holds. And Khan says: 'Gavin hasn't done anything to compare with that. Sadly Frankie's recent performances against comparatively weak opposition have been anything but convincing. Good luck to him getting the pay-night but he's done nothing to justify this world title shot.' Khan jumped the gun in announcing Algieri and the May 20 date at the Barclays Center in New York, since his advisor Al Haymon was still finalising the deal. Chris Algieri (left) takes on Manny Pacquiao in a WBO welterweight title bout in Macau last year . But all seems to be in place now and the official statement should come this week. Khan was criticised, also, for allegedly declining the IBF offer of a final eliminator against Tim Bradley for Brook's belt. Khan Snr says: 'We couldn't really see the point of an eliminator a fight which Brook is so desperate to have.' His son was also accused of being less than truthful for saying he knew nothing about the offer. But there are suggestions that the secretive Haymon dismissed the IBF offer out of hand, without informing Khan. Paul Smith, having bravely lost his two challenges to Arthur Abraham in Germany, now finds himself in pole position for a third successive joust against a reigning world super-middleweight champion. Only this time the elder of Liverpool's fine family of four fighting brothers will not be boxing for a title, even though it is against a far more formidable champion. Andre Ward, still ranked by many among the top five pound-for-pound boxers in the world despite 17 months out of the ring, sees Smith as the ideal warm-up opponent, possibly before a rematch with Carl Froch. Paul Smith (right) throws a punch towards Arthur Abraham during their title fight in Berlin in February . Virgil Hunter, California-based trainer of both Ward and Amir Khan, says: 'Smith is who we want and I'm told it's a done deal. But it won't be for Andre's belt even though it will be over the 12-round championship distance.' The WBA have ordered their two super-middle world champions – Ward 'super,' Froch 'regular' – to meet in a unification fight. Froch declared willingness if Ward returns the compliment by travelling to the UK, having won their first meeting in the US. Ward said he would make the away trip but only as far as London, not to Nottingham where Froch has long desired to box on his hometown City Ground. Andre Ward (left) poses with his many title belts after defeating Edwin Rodriguez in November 2013 . Hunter declares: 'Andre would have gladly taken Carl straight away.' But now it appears the WBA are granting the so-called Son of God licence to shake off the ring rust where he almost always fights, in his native city across the Bay from San Francisco. Froch, meanwhile, is turning his attention to his other remaining ambition before retirement – a first appearance on the Las Vegas Strip, against the namesake son of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez. Step into Oakland's Oracle Arena, Paul Smith. Good luck to him, in every sense of the phrase. Ward (left) lands a left jab on Carl Froch before going on to win their title bout in New Jersey in 2011 .
target: Kell Brook was keen to fight Amir Khan at Wembley Stadium this summer .
  But instead Brook will take on Frankie Gavin at the O2 Arena on May 20 .
  Amir Khan's dad Shah says Brook could have had the fight he wanted .
  But Khan Snr claims that promoter Eddie Hearn has been 'disrespectful'
  Andre Ward sees Paul Smith as an ideal opponent before a Carl Froch fight .