By Scott Gilfoid: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn has a long list of potential opponents for Amir Khan and his team to decide upon for his April 21 fight at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.
Since Khan’s next fight is taking place in England, it’s important that he, his trainer Virgil Hunter and Hearn select someone that is going to be recognizable to the British boxing fans. After all, this comeback fight for Khan is for domestic consumption. Hearn is trying to build Khan up for a big money fight in for later this year in December.
Hearn signed Khan this week to a big 3-fight contract with his Matchroom Sport company. The first fight for Khan in his contract with Hearn is supposed to be a guy that he can beat with no questions asked. We’ve already seen Khan knocked out in the past when he was facing what was supposed to be a sure thing win over Briedis Prescott in 2008. Khan can’t have that happen again, so wiser minds or going to have to prevail if he gets a little too brave for his own good. Hearn will need to step in and give Khan a reality check about the potential of him getting knocked out again.
Here are some of the names that are floating around for Khan to pick for his comeback fight:
• Renald Gerrido – He’s VERY interested in fighting Khan
• Josesito Lopez – Dangerous but tempting
• Adrian Granados – Might be too tough for Khan
• Sammy Vasquez – Another live body
• Antonio DeMarco – Very dangerous
• Felix Diaz – This has knockout written all over it for Khan
• Frankie Gavin
• Bradley Skeete
• Ray Robinson
• Keita Obara
• Quadratillo Abduqaxorov
• Sam Eggington
The fighter that Khan ends up facing on April 21 will almost surely come up from that list of fighters. There are a number of soft jobs for Khan to pick. There are also landmines that could blow up on him if he makes the mistake of picking them. Khan will have a lot of problems if he picks one of these fighters for his next fight on April 21: Diaz, DeMarco, Lopez, Skeete, Eggington, Vazquez and Granados. Those are fighters that Khan would have a good chance of losing to even if he were in the prime of his career. I’m not saying that Khan would positively lose to all of those guys, because I think he could beat some of them. I think he would still lose to at least 2 or more of them.
Khan, 31, is sounding almost delusional right now about him winning a world title in 2018. I don’t see it happening. I think there’s a fair chance that Khan finishes out 2018 with 2 defeats in his 3 fights. Hearn will have to swallow Khan’s losses and decide at the end of the year if he wants to extend his contract with Matchroom Sport into 2019 for another 3 fights.
I kind of doubt it. I see Khan’s fight No.3 with Hearn being his cash out fight with Kell Brook. After that fight, I see Hearn going his separate ways with Khan unless he’s willing to re-sign with Matchroom Sport for the nice price of considerably less than what he got his time around.