Floyd Mayweather Jr. Should Fight Amir Khan Before Potential Manny Pacquiao Bout
After yet another dominant display was added to the rich annals of Floyd Mayweather victories, it looks as though the undefeated fighter has two obvious choices when it comes to picking his 48th professional opponent.
The first is British fighter Amir Khan, who was in attendance at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas to see Mayweather dispatch of Marcos Maidana for a second time. The second is Manny Pacquiao, a fighter Money insisted he doesn’t really think about anymore in the aftermath of his latest victory, per Kevin Mitchell of The Guardian.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
And while the prospect of a showdown with the Philippine icon is one that the world has been waiting for for many a year, Mayweather should fight Khan before he turns his attentions to a potential bout with Pacquaio.
Mayweather admitted after his win over Maidana that he doesn’t know who his next opponent will be, but he touched on a potential scrap with Khan, throwing in a few underhand digs at the Bolton-born puncher, per Jonny Singer of the Mail Online:
"Amir Khan's a good fighter, of course. I mean I think when Amir Khan was an amateur, I was champion. And then when Amir Khan turned pro and got knocked out, I was champion.
Then when Amir Khan got knocked out again I was champion. And then when he lost his belt again I'm still champion and I'm still right here.
"
While Khan is a fighter who’s had some massive lows in his professional career, it’d be especially naive of Mayweather to genuinely think that the Brit is not a real threat at this stage of his career.
The 27-year-old has looked in superb fettle since he began working under the tutelage of Virgil Hunter, and during a dominant victory over Luis Collazo in his last outing, there was plenty to suggest that Khan would be a worthy opponent for the undefeated Mayweather.
Oscar De La Hoya feels that Khan doesn’t need to prove himself anymore to earn a fight against the 37-year-old:
Khan also stoked the flames ahead of a potential bout, insisting that Mayweather is beginning to show his age, per the Gareth Davies of the Telegraph:
"I saw a lot of flaws today which I’d never seen before, I saw him ageing big time.
At times he got caught with shots that really weren’t that hard and you could see his legs were hurt. Age is getting to him. He’s a great fighter, he’s unbeaten, but he’s not the same Floyd Mayweather I saw five fights ago.
"
But a look at the statistics sheet from Money's recent triumph would suggest he was still able to make Maidana miss at will, per LaceUpBoxing:
At this stage, a May fight with the Brit looks like Mayweather’s most reasonable option. But once again, the American’s camp has teased the prospect of a superfight with Pacquaio to get supporters salivating.
Leonard Ellerbe of Mayweather Promotions insisted that Floyd won’t back down from any challenge, and subsequently, there is hope of the two iconic fighters stepping into the ring, per Kevin Mitchell of The Guardian:
"Floyd is ready to fight anybody. Of course there is hope [of a Pacquiao fight next May].
It’s all about giving the fans what they want to see. Hopefully we can get it together and make it happen.
"
Of course, it’s a fight that boxing fans across the globe are desperate to see. But are these hollow words from the Mayweather camp? Or does the American’s entourage have genuine intentions of overcoming the myriad obstacles that currently make this fight a continually unlikely prospect?
At this juncture—with Mayweather’s next bout pencilled in for May—it’d be only mere speculation as to whether this fight will actually happen. With that in mind, Money should give Khan the opportunity of a Las Vegas date before eventually turning his attentions to Pac-Man.
It’s clear that Khan is on Floyd’s radar after all; the two probably would have squared off this month had it not been for the Briton’s religious commitments, which have seen him fast for Ramadan.
Pacquaio could also do with a strong performance to fester some interest ahead of a potential superfight. The Filipino has lost two of his last four bouts, suggesting he may not have enough in the tank to trouble Mayweather anymore, who still looks indomitable.
But a win over Chris Algieri—who Manny fights on 22 November—and another victory in the spring of 2015 against another opponent, and Pac-Man suddenly looks a much more credible challenger.
Ultimately, with 47 wins secured, the decision lies at the feet of Mayweather. He’s earned the right to take his time when considering his next opponent, and at the end of the day, you suspect he’ll end up fighting whichever opponent he wants to fight. At the moment, the safe money is on Khan.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
