Amir Khan Must Forget About Floyd Mayweather and Fight Manny Pacquiao
Amir Khan didn’t quite get what he wanted in the end. However, as consolation prizes go, he could be set to get the next-best thing on offer.
The British boxer chased a fight with Floyd Mayweather. He chased it as hard as a dog runs after a passing car.
But, just like the carefree canine hurtling after the moving vehicle, he failed to catch his target. There were moments of hope, yet in the end the pursuit proved fruitless.
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Now, though, he could get the next-best thing—a clash with Manny Pacquiao.
Khan did all he could to tempt Mayweather into picking him to be his final opponent before retirement.
He rarely missed an opportunity to talk up a potential showdown between the pair in the media, consistently insisting that his style and speed would trouble Money.
After his lacklustre victory over Chris Algieri, Khan said, per Jeff Powell of the Mail: "God works in many ways and maybe he gave me the performance I needed to convince Mayweather that not only does Amir Khan bring a lot of money to the box office but that he can beat me comfortably."
Whatever he was bringing to the table, it wasn’t enough to tempt Mayweather to do a deal. Instead, the American opted to take on Andre Berto.
With Money planning to hang up his gloves once he’s equalled Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record, the Mayweather ship may have sailed for Khan.
The 2004 Olympic silver medalist told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour (h/t Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook) that he believes his rival is “scared” of facing him:
"Mayweather first said to me, Amir, prove yourself in the 147-pound division. I fought three top ten guys and beat them convincingly.
Now it comes up and I say, let's get the fight done. I really believe Mayweather thinks I would beat him, and he definitely is scared.
I have the blueprint, I really know how to beat Floyd Mayweather.
"
That blueprint will have to be filed away—the 28-year-old's only hope of putting it into practice will be if Floyd has a change of heart over his career plans and carries on beyond his 49th fight.
Khan became obsessed by the idea of taking on Mayweather. Now, he needs to move on.
In that respect, going up against former gym-mate Pacquaio would be ideal.
According to Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph, promoter Bob Arum feels the bout can be made for early in 2016: "This kid Amir Khan keeps shooting his mouth off about Manny Pacquiao. I can arrange for Khan to fight Pacquiao. Amir Khan has been begging Mayweather for a fight and now he can get a major fight. I'm not a hard guy to deal with. I'm not going to mess them around."
Khan is at the stage now where he needs to be going up against big names, and after Mayweather, there are few bigger than Pac-Man.
What adds a little extra spice to the prospect of taking on Pacquiao is their time spent together in trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym in Las Vegas.
The duo used to share a ring in training, with Roach insisting Pacquaio “frequently put Amir on the floor, knocking him cold four or five times,” per Powell in the Mail.
Whether that was the case or not, those sparring sessions are in the past.
Khan left Roach’s stable after suffering a knockout loss at the hands of Danny Garcia in July 2012. He has reeled off five straight wins since teaming up with his new trainer, Virgil Hunter.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is recovering from shoulder surgery following his defeat at the hands of Mayweather earlier this year.
The exclusive from Davies referenced above included a quote from Arum that confirmed the Filipino will not return to action before the end of the year.
That, however, should not prove a problem for Khan, who could fight on American soil later this year as a tuneup.
He was outstanding against Devon Alexander at the end of 2014, with Steve Brenner of the Guardian saying the American was “utterly schooled” in his fight report.
The Algieri performance was a disappointing follow-up, particularly as Pacquiao had knocked the same opponent down six times. But to criticise Khan would overlook the improved display by Algieri.
Hunter still believes there is much more to come from his project, telling George Gigney of Boxing News: "He hasn’t even scratched the surface yet, I’m still in an experimental stage with him."
Khan's critics will also keep on referencing those knockout losses at the hands of Breidis Prescott, who ended his opponent's perfect record in dramatic circumstances back in 2008, and Garcia.
He proved against Marcos Maidana that his chin can stand up to heavy punishment, but his CV still lacks that standout result, that one special night that will live long in the memory and leave a lasting legacy.
Khan has also now opened the door to the possibility of facing compatriot Kell Brook in what would be a money-spinning domestic dust-up. Wembley at the start of next summer would be ideal.
A Pacquiao-Brook double would define Khan’s career, for better or for worse. Either way, it’s what he needs after missing out on the Mayweather showdown he so craved.
It is time for Khan to get down to fighting, rather than focusing too much on the fighting talk.
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