By Scott Gilfoid: WBA “regular” welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs) says he’d really like to fight #1 WBC Amir Khan (3-3, 19 KOs) because he believes the British fighter wouldn’t be able to handle his punching power if a fight between them took place.
Thurman feels that Khan is being matched up against pretty much mostly former light welterweights without a lot of punching power since he moved up to the 147lb division in 2013. Since then, Khan has fought former lightweight Julio Diaz, and former light welterweights Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri.
The only fighter that Thurman recognizes as the only legitimate welterweight that Khan has fought is Luis Collazo.
“When he fought [Luis] Collazo, that was the only welterweight that he fought,” Thurman said to espn.com. “He fought Devon Alexander, then Chris Algieri. Now they are talking about Provodnikov. I mean, it is what it is.”
It’s hard to disagree with what Thurman is saying about Khan, because he’s dead on correct. Former WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov has been talking recently about his management being in talks with Khan’s management for a fight. But oddly enough, Khan is denying that any talks have ever taken place.
Provodnikov seems pretty upset with Khan’s denial of the talks, and he doesn’t understand it. If there really has been negotiations going on between Provodnikov and Khan’s people, then perhaps one of the reasons why Khan is denying the talks is because he doesn’t want that to potentially scare away Top Rank, who supposedly are interested in having Khan face their No.1 money fighter Manny Pacquiao in February or March next year.
With Khan denying that talks between Provodnikov and his management have ever existed, he could be trying to keep Top Rank from losing interest in him as a potential opponent for Pacquiao.
“If he [Khan] wants to talk junk at welterweight, fight some welterweights. Fight Keith Thurman, fight Kell Brook, fight Shawn Porter, fight Andre Berto,” Thurman said. “Fight a legitimate welterweight and make a name for yourself in the welterweight division,” Thurman added.
At the moment, Khan is trying to get a fight against former flyweight Pacquiao. Khan, 5′ 8½,” would have a two inch height and a four inch reach advantage over Pacquiao if that fight were to be made. I don’t think Khan is too interested in facing any of the top welterweights aside from Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
What remains to be seen is whether Khan gets the fight against Pacquiao. We already know that he won’t be getting a fight against Mayweather.
I see Thurman and Khan being two fighters with different goals in mind. Thurman feels that it’s important to be a world champion, and win as many titles as possible to show that he’s the best fighter in the 147lb division. With Khan, he just seems like a fighter who isn’t concerned about winning world titles. He seems more interested in getting big money fights against Pacquiao and Mayweather.
Once those guys are out of the picture permanently, then Khan’s only real option will be Kell Brook. I don’t see Khan ever showing interest in fighting guys like Shawn Porter, Thurman, Errol Spence, and Danny Garcia. My guess is once Pacquiao is gone like Mayweather, Khan’s main interest will be Brook and Tim Bradley. Those are the only guys I see Khan being really energized to fight. If he’s not fighting them, then I see Khan battling lower ranked welterweights or light welterweights rather than the likes of Porter, Spence, Garcia or Thurman. Like I said, I don’t think Khan cares at all about winning world titles at 147. He just seems like someone whose single focus is looking for big payday fights. When not doing that, he’s taking soft opposition against beatable smaller and/or older fighters.
Comments are closed.