Manny Pacquiao vs. Amir Khan: Fight Could Finally Happen

All mightn’t be what it seems at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. This is in regards to the rumored rift between the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan.

According to Khan’s hometown newspaper Bolton News, the WBA and IBF light welterweight champion disclosed some personal information which I’m sure won’t go down too well with the Pacquiao camp—or Freddie Roach for that matter.

Here’s what Khan had to say to the Bolton Newspaper:

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“It’s strange. There’s tension in the camp. My team are cool and I’m just concentrating on Peterson, but his team seem to be worried. His camp don’t want me sparring with him and now we train at different times. It’s like they’re keeping us apart. We still see each other when one comes and the other goes, and have a quick chat, but it’s not how it used to be. It’s like his people are thinking there could be a fight between us.”

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Khan later refuted those allegations via social networks...

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"Me and Manny Pacquiao will not fight. We are friends and don't believe rumors, we have been training together today and everything was fine," Khan answered

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Whether these allegations are true or not, it does make one wonder if there’s truly smoke without fire?

Reading Khan’s interview with the Bolton News and his later repudiation of those comments, I would surmise that something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

If, as Khan has stated, he’s being kept from sparring with Pacquiao lest they eventually meet in the ring, then that’s great news for the pugilist purists.

Given Khan and Pacquiao’s mutual respect for each other and apparent friendship, the thought of these two combatants ever going head to head would’ve sounded preposterous to even the most casual of fans.

Now, with this interview surfacing, it casts a shadow over any supposed alliances between both fighters.

Could they finally meet in the ring?

Absolutely.

On Nov. 12, the “Pac-Man” puts his WBO welterweight title on the line in a trilogy clash with Juan Manuel Márquez.

Khan himself is scheduled to defend his titles against Lamont Peterson on Dec. 12.

If both fighters were to lose their respective fights, then that leaves the door open for a potential matchup.

However, if Khan loses and Pacquiao wins, then an impending fight is dead in the water.  But if the results were to favour Khan and not Pacquiao, in that case the probability of this fight happening looms ever large.