By William Mackay: IBF light welterweight champion Zab Judah doesn’t want to waste his time fighting WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan next. Instead, Judah is gunning for big game in World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, whom he’s hoping will give him a shot next if the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez can’t be made.

Don’t laugh, Judah could very well fall into the Pacquiao fight if Golden Boy Promotions matches the offer that Top Rank made to the 37-year-old Marquez. Golden Boy wants to block the Marquez vs. Pacquiao fight, and they may want to block it enough to where they could take a loss on the fight. If they block it, Pacquiao is going to need an opponent with a big name and that’s where Judah fits in. Judah is practically super star compared to Joshua Clottey, a fighter that Pacquiao defeated last year in a fight that had many boxing fans shaking their heads wondering why Clottey was selected to fight Pacquiao.

In an interview at the examiner.com, Judah said “I like the Pacquiao fight. No disrespect to Amir Khan but it’s a step down for myself. He’s a kid. You know what I’m saying. He;s just coming on the scene.”

Judah has a point. Khan is still virtually unknown in the United States despite his fights against Paulie Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana and Paul McCloskey. Khan has been shoved down the throats of boxing fans with his three recent fights all being aired by HBO. However, despite the visibility, Khan still doesn’t have a big following in the U.S. A fight against Judah, who you could equate to being an old lion, would give Khan a feather to wear in his cap if he could win that fight and look good in doing so. At the same time, Judah may be old enough and depleted enough to where he isn’t as dangerous as he once was. Khan could face other top contenders like Brieidis Prescott, who already knocked Khan out in one round, but Khan doesn’t seem eager to face Prescott again. Judah gets very little for beating Khan, because he’s not a star in the U.S. Khan’s star power doesn’t go beyond the UK.

The chances of Judah getting the Pacquiao fight aren’t good. But that doesn’t mean that Judah will get the Khan fight either. Judah’s name is being mentioned, but it’s likely that Khan will be matched up against an old lion with even less in the tank than Judah in 34-year-old Erik Morales. That’s who Khan will most likely face next. it gives Khan another feather in his cap, even if Morales is old and pretty much a shot fighter.