By Robert Addams: Amir Khan isn’t putting all his focus on a fight against Manny Pacquiao in early 2020 because he wants to keep his options open. Although the Pacquiao is a fight that Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) has always wanted throughout his career, he’s not banking on it happening next year.
Pacquiao has a lot of choices, and currently Danny Garcia and Mikey Garcia are reportedly on the Filipino star’s shortlist. If the Pacquiao fight doesn’t happen, Khan has got plenty of excellent options available to him for important world title fights or against top contenders.
Khan keeping his options open
Khan likes the idea of facing the elite level welterweights such as Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia or Shawn Porter. Kell Brook is also an option for Khan (34-5, 21 KOs), but not likely for next year. Khan is less excited fighting Brook right now because he’s been sitting idle, waiting for a payday, and that’s not as interesting to him.
Amir prefers to face fighters that are still striving to achieve, and make something of themselves. Brook seems to have given up on that, and is just waiting for what some boxing fans refer to as his “CASH OUT” against Khan.
“We have options open, but we are looking at early next year,” said Khan to the Bolton News. “I am just going to look at all options, because there are so many there for me in the welterweight division. Keith Thurman is there still, you got the Danny Garcia rematch, Shawn Porter…the other big fight in the UK that can happen is Kell Brook, so really I am not really focusing on the Manny Pacquaio fight,” said Khan.
“I know there have been rumours that fight might happen, but I think there are other fights out there for me…That fight is always going to be there, and it’s always going to be a big fight for the UK fans,” said Khan.
Thurman a good opponent for Khan
Former WBA welterweight champion Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) would be an excellent fight for Khan even though ‘One Time’ is coming off a defeat to Pacquiao. Thurman is a very popular fighter, and highly skilled as well. What makes Thurman a superb Plan-B fight for Khan is his ability to create interest in his fights with his trash talking.
Thurman was the one that did all the heavy lifting to drive interest in his fight last summer against Pacquiao. Keith got the boxing public interested in the fight between him and Manny, and the match was well received.
Khan and Thurman would generate a lot of interest from the boxing public. In the past, Thurman has been dismissal of a fight against Khan, but he would grab the fight with both hands if it were offered to him.
Shawn Porter would be a bad match-up for Khan, because he’s coming off of a loss to Errol Spence Jr. Porter is the type that would likely rough Khan up, and make it a physical fight with a lot of head-butting, elbows and shoving.
That’s not the type of fighting style that Khan would do well against right now. He’s never fought anyone like Thurman, so he doesn’t frame of reference to prepare him for the fight that he would be getting.