Amir Khan boxing news
He has been chasing the Mayweather fight for two long years – and now – given Floyd’s final fight in September, Amir Khan knows that the sand is running out of the timer and the fight he so longs for could be slipping out of his grasp for good.
Khan returns on Friday against Chris Algieri – the man floored 6 times by Manny Pacquiao in his last fight – and the belief is that he took this bout against the light-hitting American with Floyd still in the back of his mind.
It’s pretty fair to say that Britain’s former 140lb world champion Amir Khan comes in for more than his fair share of stick – particularly over the fact that for the last two years he has (some say desperately and at the expense of his credibility) been pursuing a mega-money fight with P4P king Floyd Mayweather.
That and his not fighting domestic rival – IBF 147lb champion Kell Brook in a UK super-fight this Summer. Oh – and the fact that his next opponent is light hitting American Chris Algieri in a much maligned and ridiculed fight on the 29th.
Are you getting the idea?
Chris Algieri – Hello, everybody. I’d like to thank Lou DiBella Entertainment. It’s a pleasure to be back at Barclays Center. We fought a year ago last June, had a great fight, won my first world title. I’m also excited to be fighting on Spike. Thank you for hosting the event. It’s a whole new network to fight on. I’m very excited about it all.
Amir Khan Hello, everyone. I want to say hi to all the press and media. Brett Yormark is a friend of mine from Barclays Center. I’m very excited to fight at the Barclays Center. I’ve been there a few times. I always said that I want to come over here and give New York a huge fight, bring boxing there. I have a big fan base from New York. I’m sure Chris Algieri also has a big fan base. But we’re going to come and make some noise.
Britain’s former 140lb world champion Amir Khan, who fights American Chris Algieri on May 29th appears to have climbed down on his earlier insistence that any fight with Floyd Mayweather would only happen if Mayweather moved off his penciled in September date for the final fight of his Showtime deal.
The devout Muslim was previously thought to be left too little time following the period of fasting to train for a September Floyd fight, yet Sky Sports are reporting that the Virgil Hunter trained Khan has had a change of heart – no doubt fuelled by the mega-money a fight with Floyd can bring.
Khan said;
Britain’s biggest promoter Eddie Hearn, who looks after IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, has poured scorn on suggestions that Floyd Mayweather will face his fighter for the final fight of his Showtime contract in September.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Hearn said of the suggestion;
“Kell Brook is not a big enough fight for Floyd Mayweather. Floyd doesn’t want to fight young lions and that includes Brook and Amir Khan.”
After Floyd Mayweather’s career defining fight on Saturday, it would seem that the tears of millions of Filipino’s were not yet dry when one man ringside – former 2x 140lb champion Amir Khan – spoke to BBC radio 5live to say he is the man in prime position to face BOTH Mayweather and Pacquiao next.
Khan, who faces light-punching American Chris Algieri on May 29th as part of the PBC broadcast from the Barclays Centre, New York, said;
“I’m in a position where I could fight both, but I want Mayweather.”
We are only a few days away now from the fight which almost everyone wants to see – Mayweather vs Pacquiao. In the build up to the fight the focus has strongly been on three things – How much money the fight is generating, why it took so long to make the fight happen and who folks believe is going to win. Most predictions have surprisingly favoured Floyd Mayweather Jr. I am not too sure why, perhaps because he is undefeated and always wins. The fight has not been without its detractors though, and rightly so. Both guys are past their prime, the fans are getting ripped off with prices for the PPV and tickets (if indeed they could get any) and the fight has been blown out of proportion and should be recognized for what it truly is – a final eliminator to face the sensational pound for pound number 1 fighter on the planet, Britain’s great Amir Khan.
Amir Khan has hit back at ex-trainer Freddie Roach who said that the British fighter maybe lacks the intestinal fortitude to square off against either of the world’s two premier 147lb fighters, in Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Roach, who once said that Manny had Khan down 4 times in sparring, is arguably bitter over the Bolton man’s decision to “defect” to Virgil Hunter after his crushing defeat to Danny Garcia back in 2012.
He said of Khan; “Amir should be calling out my man or Mayweather, but he doesn’t have the balls”
It’s looking increasingly likely that Britain’s Amir Khan (30-3, 19ko), who fights American Chris Algieri (20-1, 8ko) in New York on May 29th, will have to give up on his dream of fighting Floyd Mayweather, a fight he has been chasing for the better part of 2 and a half years.
Mayweather has stated equivocally that win or lose on May 2nd, his last fight will be in September.
“My last fight will be in September. I don’t know who I will fight in September, but I shan’t be overlooking anyone”
Khan expects to win the Mayweather lottery or to get the congressional consolation prize, he believes he is entitled to fight the winner (or loser) of the May 2 mega fight. If it ends in a draw or develops into a sequel, he may watch both veterans retire before he gets his turn in the money shower. Khan recently neglected a lucrative offer to fight Kell Brook which fueled criticism and raised additional doubts. He will need a stay busy fight even if he acts like a boxing prima donna who can afford to get up from bed only for multi million contracts. Biding your time with a minimum threat opponent and saving face at the same time may not be so simple especially when 3 glaringly unavenged losses are pending further action.