By William Mackay: World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KO’s) is supposedly the second option for WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) if his proposed fight against lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez falls through for December 4th. Right now, it’s looking like that fight will happen, but Maidana is the supposed to be the second option for Khan, according to the latest boxing news. My question is why is Maidana always the second option for Khan? Shouldn’t Maidana be the first option by now? He’s already been waiting over a year and still hasn’t gotten even close to a fight with Khan.

If Amir beats little 5’7″ Marquez, he won’t have proven anything, other than that he can beat a 37-year-old fighter who has no business fighting at light welterweight in England against the light welterweight equivalent of Paul Williams. The 5’10” Khan is the Paul Williams of the light welterweight division, and to expect a fighter like Marquez, who fought most of his career at featherweight, to beat him is pretty far fetched. if Khan wants to win respect from boxing fans, he needs to clear criticism from fans by taking on and beating a big puncher like Maidana. That should be Khan’s number one priority right now, not a hand picking a smaller, older fighter like Marquez and beating him in England. That’s like another Khan vs. Marcos Antonio Barrera fight. Barrera, then 35, was beaten by Khan last year.

I hope Maidana does get the shot against Khan if the Marquez fight doesn’t happen for him, but I somehow can see Maidana getting passed over once again for someone else, probably Victor Ortiz. Khan has to fight a top guy soon in the light welterweight division, but I think Ortiz will likely be the one that gets selected rather than Maidana. They may say that Maidana is the second choice for Khan, but I’ll believe that when I see Khan stepping up and fighting him next if the Marquez fight doesn’t happen or fighting after the Marquez fight. I don’t see that happening.