By William Mackay: WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) still doesn’t have an opponent picked out for his next fight which should be taking place in November rather than on July 31st. Of the potential opponents mentioned, Michael Katsidis, Joel Casamayor and John Murray, all of them are lightweights rather than fighters in Khan’s current weight class. This should make matters much easier for Khan to shine in his next fight so that he can continue to look good in front of U.S audiences and also look good at home.

In an article at the Manchester Evening News, Khan commented on the prospects of fighting Murray, “Murray’s name has popped up and honestly that fight would be a dream come true for me because it would be an easy fight. It would be a boxing lesson against someone who’s been mouthing off for a long, long time. He was offered the fight when I was with Frank Warren and he didn’t take it, but people think I’m the one ducking him.”

If Murray was to be selected as Khan’s next opponent, this would be a fight that would only be relevant to the UK audiences, as Murray only holds down the EBU (European) and BBCofC British lightweight titles and most Americans have no idea who these fighters are. Murray does have a flashy record of 29-0, but that would hardly impress American boxing fans if they have no idea who this guy is beforehand.

Khan might be better off taking on someone from his own weight class rather than selecting for smaller fighters in the lightweight division. To be sure, Khan’s chin might be tested by fighters from his own weight class, but he’s going to have to be tested sooner or later anyway. Khan can’t continue to fight guys like Paulie Malignaggi, Dmitri Salita, Andriy Kotelnik, 36-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera and Oisen Fagan his entire career.

Khan has to step it up if he wants to become more popular you would think. Unless the idea is to keeping putting Khan in with these types of fighters until someone like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto show interest in fighting Khan. I wouldn’t like to see Khan go from facing guys like Barrera, Fagan, Salita, Kotelnik and Malignaggi to fighting the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao. That wouldn’t even be fair. Khan would be totally destroyed by either of those two. He’d get a good payday but wouldn’t he rather hone his skills by facing better opposition in his own division before then?

Murray’s trainer Joe Gallagher had this to say about Khan: “Amir Khan is a bully, looking to fight smaller guys. But Murray is one kid who won’t be bullied.”