Schaefer to discuss Khan’s April 20th opponent with Showtime today

By Boxing News - 02/11/2013 - Comments

khan432By Scott Gilfoid: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer will reportedly be meeting with Stephen Espiniosa, the Executive Vice President of Showtime Sports, today to discuss former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan’s next opponent for April 20th on Showtime. The leading candidate to be facing Khan is former two division world champion Humberto Soto (60-8-2, 34 KO’s).

This will be Khan’s second fight of his three-fight contract with Showtime, and it’s possible the fight will take place in the UK where Khan can still draw. He hasn’t proven to be a ticket seller in the United States as of yet, so it makes sense for Khan to take the fight to the UK for this one.

Showtime didn’t get much for Khan’s first fight of his contract with him beating an over-matched lightweight Carlos Molina. And if Showtime says yes to Soto, then they won’t get much for their second fight of the contract. They’d be making awfully easy on Khan if they say yes to the Soto mismatch because this clearly not going to be a competitive fight, no way. Soto was a good – not great – lightweight, but he’s hardly a light welterweight.

We saw Lucas Matthysse just totally dominate Soto last year in June in stopping Soto in the 5th round. Some of Soto’s fans say he looked bad because it was a little flabby for the fight, but let’s be real about this. You can put Soto in the ring with Matthysse 365 days a year and he’ll get knocked out every day. Soto doesn’t belong at 140. Heck, he barely beat Urbano Antillon at lightweight, so what is he doing fighting light welterweights?

Soto is now the World Boxing Federation welterweight and WBC International Silver light welterweight champion. He picked up the last time in beating Silverio Ortiz by a 12 round unanimous decision last Saturday night. These aren’t major titles, and hope Espinosa at Showtime is aware of that because this isn’t a good fight.

Khan needs to step it up and face someone in the talent range of Lamont Peterson, Matthysse, or Ajose Olusegun. I’d really like to see Khan fight Marcos Maidana and Breidis Prescott again, but you and I know that’s just not going to happen, ever. Those guys are not going to be on Khan’s plate, and it’s pretty easy to understand why because they can punch.

My guess is Schaefer will be able convince Espinosa/Showtime to accept Soto as Khan’s next opponent on April 20th, meaning Showtime will get very little value for their second fight of their three fight contract with Khan, and U.S boxing fans will see another one-sided fight involving Khan. If Schaefer tried to shop the same Khan vs. Soto fight to HBO, I bet they would turn that mismatch down in a second and likely even laugh Schaefer out of the room. They want competitive fights, and that’s just a terrible mismatch on paper.

I wouldn’t have said that before Matthysse toyed with Soto last year, but now it’s clear as day that Soto wouldn’t stand a chance against Khan. If Espinosa knows boxing, then he’ll understand how much of a mismatch Khan-Soto is and tell Schaefer to find someone else for Khan’s second fight of his contract. You can’t have Khan fighting one easy guy after another and having it televised on Showtime to the U.S boxing fans because it’s a bad product.



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