By Scott Gilfoid: In what could prove to be a pointless endeavor, the World Boxing Council has made #1 WBC Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) the mandatory challenger to the winner of the January 23rd fight between Danny Garcia and Roberto Guerrero. Those two fighters will be battling for the vacant WBC welterweight title in their clash at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Yesterday, the WBC announced that the Garcia vs. Guerrero fight would be for the vacant WBC 147lb title. Khan was leapfrogged by #6 WBC Guerrero for the honor of fighting for the WBC title. However, it really doesn’t matter because Khan has been inactive and he likely would have no to a fight against Garcia if it were offered to him regardless of the WBC title being on the line.
In news announcement from the WBC, they said “Danny Garcia vs. Robert Guerrero will fight for the WBC welterweight championship. Amir Khan is ratified as [WBC] mandatory contender. Lamont Peterson vs. Andre Berto for a final elimination bout to determine the second mandatory.”
The Peterson-Berto fight for the final elimination bout is laughable. Berto just got beat by Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Peterson was beaten by Danny Garcia just last year. Why isn’t the WBC ordering that arguably more talented contenders like Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter battling for this position? At least one of those guys should be fighting for that spot. To be honest, one of them should be fighting Garcia. Can you picture Danny Garcia fighting Spence or Porter? I like those fights a lot better than seeing Garcia fighting the fading Guerrero.
Let’s be real about this; Khan is not going to waste his time waiting in line to fight the winner of the Garcia-Guerrero fight. If anything, Khan will fight IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook in the summer in June at Wembley Stadium in London, UK.
If Khan doesn’t take that fight, then he could either continue to stay inactive or fight another soft opponent at the level of Chris Algieri or Luis Collazo. Heck, I have doubts whether Khan will even bother with the Brook fight, because I think his motivation is pretty much out the door after he failed to get cash out fights against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. I think at this point in his career, Khan isn’t seeing it as a sport any longer.
I believe firmly that Khan is just looking for the biggest money cash out fight he can get. I wouldn’t be surprised if he retires if he gets a big payday fight against Brook and gets knocked out. Even if he wins that fight, I wouldn’t be surprised if Khan retires. It wouldn’t be an official retirement. I think it would be more of him just staying out of the game long enough to the point where it would be impossible for him to come back. It’s already approaching that point. In May, Khan will have been out of the ring for an entire year.
Khan was knocked out in the 4th round by Danny Garcia in 2012, and since then, Khan has been taking the lesser welterweights in padding his record. Instead of looking to avenge the loss to Garcia, Khan has fought guys like Luis Collazo, light welterweight Carlos Molina, Devon Alexander. Julio Diaz, and Chris Algieri. Khan hasn’t pushed hard for the rematch with Garcia. It’s the same with Khan after his 1st round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in 2008. Khan didn’t press for a rematch with him either. As such, why should Khan suddenly show interest in facing the winner of the Garcia-Guerrero fight just because the WBC made him the mandatory?
It’s pretty much academic that Danny Garcia is going to beat Guerrero. I mean, I don’t see how Guerrero can win that fight. It’s kind of sad though that the WBC is allowing Garcia to fight Guerrero, a fighter with two defeats in his last four fights, instead of ordering Garcia to fight the arguably more dangerous Shawn Porter or Errol Spence Jr.
Of course, if the WBC pulled that move, I think Garcia would ignore them and look to go in another direction towards a more easily attainable paper strap. Boxing is a business, and Garcia obviously isn’t going to wreck his own career by fighting guys that he would likely lose to like Spence or Porter.
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