Khan wants Danny Garcia, then Brook

By Boxing News - 11/10/2016 - Comments

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By Scott Gilfoid: Amir Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) says he prefers not to take the fight with IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, because he wants to fight WBC 147lb champ Danny Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs) in order to avenge his loss to him from 2012. Khan, 29, sees the Brook fight as one that will always be there in the future for him, because of the high interest from boxing fans.

Khan’s first priority is to get the Danny Garcia fight, and then look to take care of Brook afterwards.

The one thing that could royally foul of Khan’s plans for the Garcia rematch is WBA World welterweight champion Keith Thurman. Garcia and Thurman are scheduled to fight each other next year on March 4th in a unification match.

Garcia would likely be an underdog in that fight. I wouldn’t say that Garcia will be a huge underdog, but he clearly will be an underdog nonetheless. If Garcia loses to Thurman, then there won’t be a title for Khan to fight him for. Khan is currently the #1 challenger for the World Boxing Council belt.

If Thurman wins that belt, then Khan would presumably be facing him next rather than Garcia. I can’t see Khan beating a guy like Thurman. Garcia a vulnerable fighter who Khan could potentially beat if he stays on the outside for the entire fight and only throws jabs. Garcia’s main weapon is his left hook. If he can’t land his left hook to the chin of Khan, then his chances of winning go downhill.

It would be a winnable fight for Khan. But against a guy like Thurman, I cannot see Khan winning that fight at all no matter how he chooses to fight him. Thurman is too powerful with both hands, and too quick on his feet. He would wind up getting to khan and knocking him out.

“The Brook fight is always going to be there for me, so if the Garcia rematch was on the table, I think I’d take that first,” Khan said to Chris McKenna of The Star. “The Brook fight is a big one for the fans, but I’d take the Garcia fight first because there is unfinished business there. I know he’s trying to run from me, so if that fight did suddenly present itself I’d have to grab it with both hands.”

I doubt that Garcia is running from Khan. Garcia just finished winning the WBC title last January with a victory over Robert Guerrero. Khan had his own fight earlier this year in losing to former WBC middleweight champion Saul Canelo Alvarez by a 6th round knockout. Ever since that loss, Khan has been out of the ring with a hand injury.

I think Khan should put Danny Garcia out of his mind entirely and just assume that he’s going to be trounced by Thurman next year. Just like with Breidis Prescott no longer being worth it for Khan to fight after he was beaten by Kevin Mitchell, I see the same thing with Danny Garcia. There won’t be any point in Khan fighting Garcia after Thurman takes care of him. Khan should focus on Thurman and no one else right now unless he can get a fight against Manny Pacquiao, which I don’t see happening for him.