Amir Khan Talks Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Danny Garcia and More
Amir Khan is hoping a win over Manny Pacquiao would lure Floyd Mayweather out of retirement and into a future bout, but when discussing potential opponents, the Bolton-born boxer also revealed he would like to go up against Danny Garcia for a second time.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Khan revealed that he thinks a win over Pacquiao, who lost to Mayweather in May, would be the trigger for massive demand from boxing fanatics to see the undefeated American come back to the ring and fight for a 50th time:
"I want to fight Manny Pacquiao next because if I beat him, maybe that will make Floyd Mayweather come out of retirement to fight me. The public demand would be huge.
I'm looking at fighting in December but if not then it will be as late as February. We're looking at a few different opponents and hopefully we'll find out exactly in the next week or so.
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In the same interview, Khan did admit he was cautious about his chances of eventually getting in the ring against Mayweather, who claimed he would be retiring after beating Andre Berto and moving on to a career record of 49-0. But Khan insisted Money has “got one more fight left in him.”
“I think he thinks I'm too dangerous for him,” Khan added. “I don't think he'll ever want to fight me. I bring too much to the table and would cause him a lot of problems.”
As noted here by FightNights.com, it’s been a frustrating few months for Khan, who had every right to feel hard done by after being shunned by Mayweather at the expense of Berto:
Khan revealed he was hoping to fight in December, but with no opponent decided, it could easily be February 2016 until he next steps foot in the ring. A bout with Pacquiao would certainly get pulses racing among fight fans, as the two former sparring partners would surely put on an absorbing, aesthetic spectacle.
Pacquiao is coming to the end of his exceptional career and is currently recovering from the shoulder injury he accrued in the build-up to his fight with Mayweather earlier in the year. But he’s a boxer who enjoys taking on interesting fights and he’ll feel as though he’d still have enough to get the better of Khan.
Khan seems as though he has other options if that one doesn’t come off too. According to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, the Brit may have to square off against Garcia for Mayweather’s vacant belt, per Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com. Khan told Sky Sports he would be keen to avenge the loss to Garcia from 2012.
“I'd like to fight Danny Garcia and settle the score properly,” he said. “I’d like that fight as well and in the next two or three weeks we should know exactly who I'm going to be against.”
Garcia, who remains unbeaten, looks to be much more comfortable bulked up at welterweight and has insisted recently that he's ready to take on anyone. "I'm going in with a whole different mindset," said the American, per Chris McKenna of the Daily Star. "I'm going for the kill in every fight."
Laceupboxing think that despite the obvious strides made by both men since the bout three years ago, it could pan out much the same way:
Khan remains besotted by a Mayweather fight, it would seem, but there’s nothing wrong with possessing ambitions to beat the best men around in an attempt to lure the American out of retirement. If the motivation to do so can forge the basis of an impressive run of results from Khan, then that can only be viewed as a positive step.
The Brit is definitely entering a decisive point in his career. A loss to Garcia in similarly one-sided circumstances to their first fight would represent a huge setback, but a win over him or Pacquiao would pave the way for some lucrative opportunities moving forward. After a lot of recent talk, time is fast approaching for Khan to make good on his promises.
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