The boxing world had a unanimous feeling of delight last week as the super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was finally confirmed. One man who may have had a slight sense of disappointment with the news is Amir Khan. The Bolton born fighter had hoped to land a super-fight with one of the two biggest names in boxing himself, now he must look elsewhere. Here at Behind the Gloves we take a look at Khan’s potential options.
Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) looked slick and impressive in his last outing against Devon Alexander back in December and team Khan had hoped this performance would land him the biggest fight in boxing with Floyd Mayweather. However, public demand called for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight and both fighters have agreed to the richest matchup in in boxing history. Khan must now move on and explore other options. Khan wants to show the world he is a serious player in the 147lbs division, to do that he needs he face top level opposition.
Luckily for Khan there are options out there for him. Kell Brook remains the fight that all UK fans want to see and this is now a viable option if Brook comes through his scheduled March defence against Jo Jo Dan. One problem could be Ramadan, making a date for this summer hard to foresee. Having an outdoor stadium fight in the fall could prove problematic as both camps know this is a stadium fight. If both men keep winning it is a fight than can be made further down the line but the British public will not allow it to be put off for much longer. There is no love lost between the pair and with a genuine world title on the line it is simply a huge fight.
If the Brook fight cannot be made for the summer then there are other names that Khan could go for to make a statement. Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez are big fights that would certainly appeal to him. Both men have victories over Manny Pacquiao and if Khan were to score a victory over either of them he could be in line to face the winner of Mayweather vs Pacquiao. Khan is a household name around the globe and his last performance was impressive. He needs a stellar name to keep his stock high and Bradley or Marquez will do just that.
Khan waited as long as he could for the Mayweather fight and the riches it will bring but the time has come to make his next move. Fight fans will be intrigued to see who team Khan go with but anyone other than Bradley, Marquez, Cotto or Brook may prove disappointing. This is an important part of Khan’s career as looks to become world champion again a big fight is needed.
– Thomas Flower / @ThomasFlower
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