Khan: I am the frontrunner for Pacquiao fight

By Boxing News - 10/27/2015 - Comments

khan02222(Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) By Scott Gilfoid: In a real shocker to everyone, Britain’s Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) is saying that he’s the No.1 frontrunner to get the big money fight against former eight division world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) on April 9th next year.

It’s very strange that Khan sees himself as the guy that will be standing across the soon to be 37-year-old Pacquiao in 2016, because with the way that Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has been talking about a fight between Pacquiao and Terence Crawford lately, you’d think that he already has the contracts drawn up and waiting for Pacquiao to sign it.

Technically, Khan is on Arum’s three-fighter list, along with Tim Bradley and Crawford. But Khan’s name has been mentioned so seldom lately by Arum, it just doesn’t seem like he’s a serious opponent for Pacquiao. Earlier today, Pacquiao said he’s still holding out hope for a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao is no dummy. He knows what time it is. The money is with him and Mayweather, not Khan, Bradley or Crawford. Those are all small money fights compared to the sweet cash that a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather can make.

“I am the frontrunner. Manny Pacquiao makes a good story because we’ve been training partners and I’ve been with his coach Freddie Roach,” Khan said to the BBC Sport. “There’s a big chance of the fight happening, it’s all about making sure my team is on point with the deal and they need to make sure they get the fight that I want.”

Poor Khan is probably going to get passed up by Arum for the Pacquiao fight. It’s too bad for Khan, because it will leave him with just the Kell Brook option for him to get a big money fight. Once Khan takes that fight and likely loses, then I see his career basically over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzoRSaImPWI

The match-making that has been done by Khan’s handlers in the last three years has done a real number on him career as it is. He’s kind of been forgotten by a lot of boxing fans because he hasn’t faced a quality fighter in 3 years.

It’s never a good idea to take a top fighter and put them in fodder for three years, because then the fans just stop thinking about that fighter. It also keeps that fighter from winning over new fans.

It’s too bad Khan hasn’t stood up on his hind legs and told his management that he wants to be matched against quality opponents, because it’s his career that has been hurt with the soft match-making that’s been done for him. I can understand Khan getting a couple of confidence boosters after his loss to Danny Garcia in 2012, but I don’t understand Khan having three consecutive years of confidence boosters. Khan should have fought for another world title in all those years and for some reason he hasn’t. That’s a mistake, a stupid mistake.

YouTube video

I think Khan is dead wrong about him being the frontrunner for the Pacquiao fight. If anything, I’m betting that Arum has already permanently scratched Khan off the list as a potential candidate for Pacquiao. Ever since Pacquiao said this is going to likely be his last fight of his career, Arum hasn’t been saying Khan’s name too much.

I think Khan did have a chance to fight Pacquiao before he said this will be his last fight, but since then, I think Arum realizes this is his last chance to match one of his own fighters from his Top Rank stable against Pacquiao, and I believe that’s what he’s going to do, even though it will likely mean less money than a Pacquiao-Khan fight.

Arum has to think long term because he’s likely got Bradley for another 10 years or so, and the 28-year-old Crawford has at least 10 good years left in his career. One of those two are going to get the fight with Pacquiao in my view.

The dark horse in the Pacquiao sweepstakes if Brandon Rios, who will need to destroy Bradley and look sensational doing it. He can’t just beat Bradley. He needs to trounce him, because Pacquiao already schooled Rios back in 2013, and there aren’t too many boxing fans who want to see a rematch between them.



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