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.
If everyone is going to be honest we all know that the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight is going to be a big disappointment. Much like a woman making you wait three or four hours before getting the notch – after meeting her you just know that it is never worth the wait (or the expense of those shots you plied her with). Both these guys are old and boring, unlike Khan who is in his 20’s and still relevant – he knows how to use Snapchat for example. Also Khan is a much bigger name than either Mayweather or Pacquiao – not everyone I spoke to whilst having a day trip out to Llangollen with my Mum said they had heard of Mayweather or Pacquaio. Khan is a household name everywhere you go, although a lot of people for some reason think he was some murderous Chinese leader from the stone ages, but at least they have heard of him.
Khan is pro-active and at this stage he isn’t going to wait around for the two old guys to man-up and face him. He has some serious business to attend to, in a non-gay way. That is why he is taking on the awesome Chris Algieri – that’s right the same guy who was robbed against Pacquiao by terrible judges and the same guy who also slipped several times in that fight which were wrongly considered knockdowns. Much like Audley’s slip against David Haye, or like Khan did versus Garcia when he was employing rope-a-dope tactics and playing possum, in such a way that Garcia and the crowd were completely fooled, before unfortunately standing on his own shoelace and falling backwards. Clearly Khan is in the business to be the best, beat the best and leave no stone unturned – even really heavy ones – with his old school approach to boxing. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao should take note and try to be more like Amir Khan.
Aside from Khan, Britain also has legendary fighter Kell Brook, himself a world champion, who would quite possibly beat both Mayweather and Pacquaio on the same night. This is a testament to how great Great Britain’s, the greatest nation on earth, fighters all are. Without a shadow of a doubt a Khan vs Mayweather/Pacquiao/Brook fight would sell out the Wembley stadium, which can hold the population of Wales, and make much bigger sense in a boxing perspective than the current top billed fight on May 2nd. All the best sporting events have been held at Wembley, who can forget Stoke City FC thrashing Bolton Wanderers FC 5 goals to nil in the semi-final of the FA Cup. Or as old people will tell you way back in 1985 Live Aid which engineered U2’s rise to prominence and saw other greats like David Bowie, Queen, the Who and Adam Ant take to the stage. Heck, even American rugby players come over to play at Wembley I think once or twice a year because they realize Britain is the home of sports and democracy.
Brook and Khan are just following the precedent set by British legends such as Audley Harrison – one of the greatest WBF heavyweight champions of all time who deserves his name mentioned alongside that of Ali, Louis, Ruiz, Dempsey and Johnson. Joe Calazaghe – the second best record in boxing history for a retired fighter and former coke head and Barry Mcguigan – (more or less British) a man who united an entire country divided by religious conflict and who lost when he was forced to fight in the midday sun in Vegas without sun cream or a hat.
IN CLOSING
No matter how excited the media tries to make us believe the world is for Mayweather vs Pacman there is undeniable a huge black cloud hanging over the event. A shadow, loud and looming over the MGM called Amir Khan. By rights the people’s champ, the true pound for pound champion Khan should be getting more recognition for his boxing mastery than he does. In this modern era however authenticity doesn’t bring with it the same respect it used to. Fakery gets applauded, social justice warriors push a feminist anti-male agenda at every opportunity which has unfortunately infected even the most-manly of sports, boxing. A perfect record doesn’t make you a perfect fighter. Amir Khan understands this, Britain understands this. We know that whoever wins on May 2nd that all they have done is give themselves two options – fight Amir Khan or retire.
Yours in manliness,
Fantana
About the author – Fantana is open to offers to come around to watch the Mayweather vs Pac fight on the weekend since his Mum will not pay the £20 on Sky Box Office.
