The Daily Mail’s Jeff Powell released a false report Tuesday that stated Bolton’s Amir Khan had signed a deal to fight Manny Pacquiao on April 9.
It also turns out that this was not the first time that Powell had released a false news report – at least in boxing news.
In 2013, Powell said that Khan had signed a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather and also announced that Lennox Lewis was coming out of a decade in retirement to fight Wladimir Klitschko, the younger brother of Vitali Klitschko, who Lewis defeated in his final dance in the ring in 2003 via sixth-round technical knockout.
The effect on social media was extraordinary. Powell’s article was shared over 10,000 times and other media outlets picked up on the story that was quickly debunked by Top Rank’s Bob Arum.
Approximately two hours before the report was disproven, Khan himself retweeted an article from UK website Mirror that he had agreed to a deal to fight Pacquiao in April.
The Daily Mail also reported that Shah Khan, Amir’s father and mentor, claimed that his son had had reached a deal to fight Pacquiao and that the contract was sent by his lawyers to Arum.
No matter who is saying what, it is all false according to Arum, who laughed at the initial report before getting very irate when speaking to ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
“What are they talking about?” Arum questioned.
While on the phone with Rafael, Arum received a phone call from WBO super lightweight champion Terence Crawford’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, who apparently had read/heard about the deal.
“It’s not fuc—- true,” Arum screamed at Dunkin.
After Arum had hung up with Dunkin, he asserted that until Pacquiao decides who he wants to fight, there will be no deal reached with anyone.
“It’s such bull—-!” Arum exclaimed.
Pacquiao has yet to decide on who he wants to fight when he does; Top Rank will send a contract.
For now, there is nothing more to say.
– Ryan O’Hara @OHaraSports
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