Khan could lose out on Mayweather fight to Maidana

By Boxing News - 12/28/2013 - Comments

maidana787By Scott Gilfoid: Showtime President of Sports Stephen Espinoza is saying that Floyd Mayweather Jr. (45-0, 26 KO’s) is highly interested in facing Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KO’s) next in May. If this fight happens, Amir Khan, who has been talking nonstop about wanting to fight Mayweather next, could find himself with nothing to show for the 8 months he’s been waiting on that fight.

Maidana’s victory over Adrien Broner this month has got Mayweather now thinking about fighting him of Khan. Mayweather is a good businessman and he must realize the potential of big pay-per-view numbers with him fighting the more popular Maidana than in facing Khan, who lacks the fan base in the U.S to make a fight between him and Mayweather a big fight.

“Stephen [Espinoza] said 100 percent the fight [Khan-Mayweather] is not done and that, in fact, Maidana is in the picture as a possible Floyd opponent too after his win over Broner,” Rafael said to ESPN. He [Espinoza] said that win ‘got Floyd’s attention.'”

Maidana isn’t Mexican, but you have to imagine that he would have a much better chance of attracting Mexicans to purchase a fight between him and Mayweather on Showtime PPV than Khan. I really hate to say it, but I don’t think Khan vs. Mayweather is a sell-able fight on Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend in May. That fight is likely nowhere near as interesting for Mexican fans than a Mayweather-Maidana fight, even though Maidana is from Argentina rather than Mexico.

Mayweather would really surprise a lot of boxing fans if he were to select Maidana instead of Khan for his May 3rd fight, because many fans feel like it’s academic at this point that Mayweather will be fighting Khan and they hate that fight with a passion. Mayweather would do well to flip the scrip and make fans happy by selecting Maidana instead. That’s not to say that Maidana is a great pick for Mayweather, because he’s definitely flawed fighter that he’ll likely beat with ease. But if the choice is between Khan and Maidana, then the easy choice – and the smart choice – is for Mayweather to forget all about Khan and instead face the sturdier Maidana. What we don’t want is Mayweather to go out there in the 1st round, time one of Khan’s wild flurries that he likes to throw, and knock him out cold with a left hook to the head. Fans will feel cheated if Mayweather faces Khan and obliterates him in the first few rounds.



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