Amir Khan and Danny Garcia are free to fight for the vacant WBC World welterweight title if they choose to as a result of Monday’s ruling by the World Boxing Council that declared Floyd Mayweather Jr. the WBC Emeritus Champion.
Khan (31-3, 19 KO’s), however, still has his eyes set on fighting Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO’s) on April 9 in what would be the former eight-division world champion’s final match before transitioning to full-time politics in his native Philippines.
Despite the fact Khan was stopped by Garcia in 2012, he would have more leverage because he is ranked No. 1 in the WBC. If Khan wants Pacquiao, the fight can happen.
Here’s why.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman purposefully did not impose any mandatories in the welterweight or super-welterweight divisions because his priority was to make the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight happen.
As early as December 2013, the WBC elevated Pacquiao to the No. 1 spot in their welterweight rankings in an attempt to make the fight happen.
Therefore, the WBC could just as easily lift Pacquiao to the No. 2 position to make Pacquiao-Khan April 9 for the vacant WBC World welterweight title.
“It would be an amazing fight, two fighters who know each other really well,” Khan told The Times of India. “My office arranges the fights for me. If the fight happens, it would be an amazing fight; it would be a big fight.”
The only person that stands in the way of this fight happening is Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who is also considering WBO super lightweight champion Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KO’s) for a 140 lb. clash.
Depending on how one views it, Pacquiao-Khan could be the most lucrative option available, but also the least risky.
Khan has since stated that negotiations are still materializing, so for now, we must play the waiting game once again.
– Ryan O’Hara @OHaraSports
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