Khan vs. Peterson: Khan Ready to Join Pacquiao & Mayweather Among Boxing's Elite

Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) is ready to join Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather among boxing's elite fighters, and he's the rising star the sport needs to grow in popularity.

Right now Khan is the WBA Super and IBF Light-Welterweight Champion, and he's fully capable of going up against Pacquiao or Mayweather, and beating them.

The 25-year-old will fight Lamont Peterson Saturday night in what should be a dominating performance for Khan. His superior footwork and excellent defensive skills should be able to defeat Peterson rather early in this bout.

With the sport of boxing so focused on Mayweather and Pacquiao, there needs to be someone ready to step into the spotlight and take over boxing when they retire.

Mayweather is 34 years old and likely will not be an elite fighter for much longer; who knows if he will even box at all in a few years?

With Pacquaio's trainer Freddie Roch saying a Mayweather fight could be PacMan's last bout, Khan needs to fight him before he retires.

Khan is an excellent fighter, but a bout against these two top stars would really prove how far along he is in his career.

With Khan already having proven himself to be a top fighter, he must not waste his time with lower-level fighters and set his aim on Pacquiao or Mayweather.

The boxing world wants a historic Pacquiao and Mayweather bout, and I cannot blame them. It would be awesome to watch and is exactly the kind of fight the sport needs to reel in casual fans.

However, it would be wrong not to have Khan go up against one of boxing's biggest guns, and Pacquiao or Mayweather would be a fantastic fight.

Khan would be a slight underdog to both of them but would put up an awesome fight, including a shot at upsetting either fighter.

Amir Khan is a rising star in boxing and is ready to step onto the bright stage and show the world he's ready to join the sport's elite.