Amir Khan Pledges Never to Fight Pacquiao, but Is a Bout Inevitable?

One can now assume that Amir Khan is not acquainted with Justin Bieber. Or even for that matter Master Bieber’s self-congratulatory silver-screen debut, '‘Never Say Never.’'

When questioned about prospects of a future bout with his friend and sparring partner, Manny Pacquiao, he poured cold water on the idea, going as far as to make a pledge.

“I will never fight Manny. He has one or two fights left in him, but I will not be one of them.’’ Khan told the British tabloid The Daily Star.

“(Sparring) is as close as we will get to hitting each other,” Khan said.

“There is absolutely no way we will ever fight each other in earnest. The fight might one day be pushed towards us, but we have agreed that we will never fight each other.”

Perhaps J-Bieb needs a cautionary word in the ear of King Khan.

Of course, this may be mere platitudes designed to ensure a harmonious pre-fight camp as both Pacquiao and Khan prepare for their next opponents in the Spring.`

Khan is acutely aware of the need for diplomatic tones.

Since his last visit to the Wildcard Gym he and his family have been involved in a very public falling out with his former conditioning guru, Trevor Ariza, which ultimately resulted in the two parting ways.

Any material from his mouth could easily be woven into an incendiary narrative, making an already tense atmosphere completely insufferable.

So one can understand the adoption of this stance in the public arena. But privately?

This has the potential to be a blockbuster all-action, money-spinning encounter. Surely the dollars would talk?

Khan seems to think otherwise.

“No matter what kind of money would be on offer, there is absolutely no way that two people who are such good friends will fight each other."

Such close proximity also fosters rivalry, and one-upmanship would no doubt be prevalent in sparring bouts.

Familiarity after all breeds contempt and it is an unwritten rule in boxing that when money comes calling, fighters are only too willing to mortgage principle for pride.

Pragmatically, if Khan comes through bouts with Paul McCloskey and a tentatively scheduled match-up with Timothy Bradley in July, he will be crowned the undisputed No. 1 at Light Welterweight.

If you couple that with his draw power in the UK and growing appeal in the United States, this would be the second most lucrative bout in boxing, earning both in excess of an estimated $20 million.

The relationship between the two, which Khan speaks of as a deterrent for any prospective bout, would only serve as a spicy sub-plot, enticing even more interest.

Khan offers one more stumbling block, “You must also remember that we are both trained by Freddie Roach and a fight between us would put him in a very awkward position.’'

“He would have that kind of agonising choice to make: does he go into my corner or does he go into Manny’s corner?’'

One only needs to look back a few months to refute this contention. Amir seems to be suffering from a severe bout of selective hearing in this regard. Roach has answered many times when faced with this question that '‘Manny is his guy.’'

So if both are active in a year's time, there is a great chance that a bout will be forthcoming.

If Khan goes ahead with his promised bout against Timothy Bradley in the summer, options at Light Welterweight look slim. Marcos Maidana would be his only credible opponent, one which he might be wise to avoid.

He has stated a desire to move up to Welterweight in the future, and a bout against the winner of Berto/Ortiz would be intriguing, but after that?

With Floyd Mayweather continuing to sit on the sidelines, it leaves only Pacquiao as a reasonable option. Manny himself is running out of legitimate threats; only Marquez remains as an attractive bout.

There will come a point in the near future where fight fans around the globe would crave the fight. This clamour, coupled with the prestige and a stack full of dollars on offer, would be too enticing to turn down.

Despite one's protest to the contrary, we all know that at times, the voice of protest can become so deafening that acquiescing is the only option.