Amir Khan and Kell Brook's 20-year feud comes to a head on Saturday
Venue: Manchester Arena, Manchester Date: Saturday, 19 February
Coverage: Follow on live text, the BBC Sport website & app from 21:00 GMT

For a long time, the one that got away was the one between Amir Khan and Kell brook.

On Saturday night at the Manchester Arena, the former world champions will finally settle their differences inside a ring.

After the Athens Olympics, Khan became a professional, while Brook did the same the following year.

Both achieved great heights in boxing. A blockbuster all-British affair could not be negotiated.

It was no easy task, but Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom did it.

They both weren't easy to deal with if I'm honest.

They were like kids. He would want to pull out if he felt that the other was getting an advantage.

It's all about timing

In 2010 the two fighters could have fought each other after Khan held the title.

In 2012 they sat side by side on Sky Sports boxing show Ringside and shared their own accounts of who came out top in a sparring session.

The fight would have seen them at their peak in 2015, when Khan was challenged again by Kells.

Critics say the bout is past its sell-by-date, but that is not true.

There was almost too much to lose for the two British guys who wanted to conquer America.

One of them might have been stopped from achieving that if they had fought each other at that point in their career.

The rivalry and legacy meant that there was too much at stake to lose.

They both had to make concessions

Amir Khan calls Kell Brook a 'fanboy' in pre-fight news conference

When a box-office bout is called agrudge match, it can cause suspicion as to how authentic the bad blood really is.

While some opponents engage in a pantomime-like war of words, the animosity between Khan and Brook is genuine, and one which has continued to intensify over the years.

Khan wanted to aim for global domination. He felt that the public profile of his opponent was beneath him, so he pursued bouts with other stars.

Brook felt upset by Khan's lack of respect.

The biggest challenge in getting the fight over the line was persuading both boxers to make some allowances.

There was an argument, whether it was the venue, changing rooms, weight or ring size.

They agreed to fight in Manchester, which is an ideal location betweenSheffield andBolton, and a catchweight of 10st 9lbs (68 kilogram) - two pounds over the limit - was agreed.

For every pound a fighter is over the limit, he must pay his opponent.

In the end, they both conceded, but I can see why they have been difficult to deal with and why they are very twitchy about this fight.

It's about more than just money

Kell Brook
Brook - who has won 39 fights and lost three - was stopped by Terence Crawford in his last fight in November 2020

Both Khan and Brook are prize fighters. To be punched in the face for a living and to put their body through a lot of training is a good reward for a boxer.

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has described it as a "money grab", with some reports suggesting that Khan will earn 5 million dollars from the fight.

The bout is about more than just one final paycheck, according to Shalom.

He says it was difficult to make the fight because both fighters have earned all the money they have ever needed.

Khan has options to make money. The guy is a star. I don't think he needed to fight because people can talk about money.

He has made a lot of money in his career and he will make more in this fight than in the Saul Canelo fight.

I think that the only reason that Amir Khan is a boxing fan is because he will always take the biggest fight. Brook has always wanted this fight and will never shy away from anyone.

Too many cooks

Amir Khan says he is better shape at 35 than 25 before Kell Brook fight

It was going to be difficult to get Khan and Brook to agree on a deal. They had to earn the trust of their teams.

The number of people involved in the running of their careers has been stripped back by both fighters.

Khan's team are notoriously difficult to deal with because they know he is a global superstar, but it has been a circus in terms of who has been involved with his career.

It was simple because he has got rid of a lot of people in his team. Kell has a big team but we were able to deal with his dad.

It took five months for the fight to be signed.

The important thing is that both teams trusted us despite the fact that there were other promoters interested.

They needed a promoter who was going to put them first, stand in the middle and not make any of them paranoid that we are favouring one fighter over the other.

So nice they'll do it twice?

By the final hours of Saturday, one fighter will have secured bragging rights and will be proud of it.

With British boxing fans having waited so long for this fight, could we possibly have Khan v Brook II at some point in the future?

There is a second chance clause as a precautionary measure should something go wrong.

I don't think it will go to a second one. This could end in a knockout and the other fighter will not want to fight again.

Whoever wins on Saturday night will be the winner. The winner has a lot of options and I don't know what will happen to the loser.

People can say they are over the hill, but why are the likes of Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn wanting to fight them?

They are still the biggest names in the division.