Amir Khan Responds to Adrien Broner Fight Offer as Wembley Showdown Nears
Adrien Broner has admitted he wants to fight Amir Khan and would set up an England-based bout to get a shot at the British brawler.
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Khan Would 'Love' to Fight Broner
Wednesday, Mar. 11
Khan has responded to Broner's challenge, confirming he wants to take on the American fighter:
Broner Wants Wembley Fight Against Khan
Tuesday, Mar. 10
Broner, who beat John Molina via unanimous-decision on Saturday, previously outlined his intentions of facing Khan: "I can't wait," he said, per BoxingNews24. "I'd even fight him at Wembley."
Such an encounter would likely struggle to fill Wembley Stadium—it would face a challenge to emulate the 80,000 visitors who attended Carl Froch's rematch win over George Groves—but this meeting could be key to the prospects of both fighters.
Khan's recent activity has been defined by his obsession with facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. Last year, Pretty Boy told Khan he could earn a shot at his unbeaten streak by overcoming Broner. Mayweather said, "I'll fight you," per the Press Association (h/t The Guardian), but only if Khan beat The Problem on his undercard against Marcos Maidana.
This never went ahead, and Khan instead overcame Luis Collazo at the Las Vegas event. He followed this with a quality win over Devon Alexander, but neither of these opponents have provided Khan with the significant push needed to put himself in Mayweather's sight lines. Broner could do this.
Khan also eyed a contest against former training partner Manny Pacquiao, but he was never going to stop Mayweather from stepping into the ring with the Filipino on May 2. This fight can be considered one of boxing's most anticipated showdowns—a guaranteed moneymaker across the globe—meaning Khan needs to secure a statement win if he's to pick up the dregs.
Maidana's win over Broner in 2013 saw him gain two shots at Mayweather. Khan initially appeared to be overlooking the Cincinnati-born star, however, with recent reports indicating he is targeting Miguel Cotto as his next opponent, as reported by Martin Domin of the MailOnline. Should this plan fail, Khan has outlined alternatives.
"We've put a call into Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto. I think they're big fights for me," said Khan, per Domin. "It's a waiting game at the moment. I'll fight whoever they put in front of me, I've never said no to an opponent."
Khan may never have turned down a fight, but last year his trainer Virgil Hunter suggested, "I don't think it would be right" for his star to face Broner, per Sky Sports.
At this stage, it appears Khan has inadvertently backed himself into a corner along his quest to face Mayweather. He was naive in thinking he could land a shot at one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. Now that they've agreed to battle each other, only victories against the best of the rest can give Khan enough weight to land a dream bout.
Victories against Broner, Maidana and Kell Brook would stand among the few to make doubters take notice. Broner himself will be looking to make an impression with his next appearance—the Molina bout was a one-sided formality—and Khan appears to have taken the bait.
One of these two fighters could be next in line to face the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao, meaning a loss would be devastating for either. Khan is only one defeat away from having his prospects shattered—losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia still live fresh in the memory—meaning Broner would be an extremely dangerous option for him.
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