There can’t have been many fighters more disappointed than Britain’s Amir Khan when the Mayweather/Berto fight was officially announced earlier this week.
Khan, a former Olympic silver medalist and 140 lb world champion, has been desperately and very publicly trying to goad Floyd into a fight with him for the better part of 2 years, yet has found himself being consistently overlooked by “Money” throughout that time.
Initially, when the Berto news was announced, Khan released a short statement congratulating the Florida man on landing the opportunity, yet has now spoken out to Sky Sports to turn his attention to Mayweather, whom he now call’s “childish” and a “cherry picker.”
“He’s just putting all these obstacles in front of me, because he knows that obviously I’m a big threat to him,” Khan said, referencing his recent life or death encounter with the light-hitting Chris Algieri and clashes with Luis Collazo and Julio Diaz as evidence he is deserving of the opportunity.
“Work it out. Look at my last few opponents and he’s fighting Berto, no disrespect to Berto, who is a friend of mine, but obviously there are levels in boxing. I think he’s just being a little childish and he knows that Amir Khan will give him a tough fight and he’s kind of avoiding it.”
“I think even though Mayweather is a great champion, I don’t think he will be remembered as a great fighter because if he’s not fighting the top guys then waiting until they get old, when he knows (deep down) the guys in front of him would give him problems. He’s cherry picking his fights.”
It’s slightly ironic that Khan is denying IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook a shot at him until a supposed later date, all the while complaining that Floyd is denying HIM the shot that he feels he so richly deserves.
Yet Khan has a plan B, a “next best thing,” if you will .
He’ll try and beg for a fight with former Wild Card stablemate Manny Pacquiao instead.
“If he’s (Floyd) not going to man up and fight me, then I’ll have to fight Manny Pacquiao or someone like that. Someone who would fight me.
“I really believe that fight can be made quite easily,” he said. “I think Manny is a man and he would definitely take the fight.”
“All the very best to Floyd Mayweather, if the fight happens between me and Mayweather it happens,” he added.
Twitter @Undilutedpoison
