As 2018 inches closer to an end, there is no denying the kind of buzz that has been going on in the sport. At the moment, there are all kinds of fights lined up on the boxing horizon, and the welterweight division remains as hot as ever.
At the moment, one fighter, a former champion in fact, continues to search for a big name opponent for his next fight. That fight is Amir Khan. Khan was a champion at junior welterweight yet he has had mixed results at the welterweight class. This year, Khan returned from a lengthy layoff and has scored victories over Phil Lo Greco (KO 1) and Samuel Vargas (UD 12).
Khan wasn’t especially spectacular vs. Vargas, but he got some much needed rounds. Now he is in search of a big fight and there are no shortage of top names out there, in the welterweight class.
Two names that ring bells are former champion Kell Brook and rejuvenated WBA champion Manny Pacquiao, who scorched Lucas Matthysse this past July to capture his belt.
Khan vs. Pacquiao is a fun fight, with danger coming from both sides, yet things changed last month when Pacquiao met face to face with his former opponent and current nemesis Floyd Mayweather in Tokyo, as the two discussed a possible rematch.
Looks now like either Mayweather or Pacquiao could take a tune-up, as former champion Adrien Broner’s name being in the mix. Khan feels on the outside looking in and shared his frustration on the subject recently.
“I don’t think Pacquiao vs. Broner is a good fight,” Khan told WBN. “Broner has been beaten and had some hard fights. I mean, [Marcos] Maidana beat him comfortably, and I beat him. But then Mayweather fought Maidana.”
Khan seems to believe that Mayweather, who has an on and off relationship with Broner, is trying to get Adrien beaten by Pacquiao.
“It seems to me that Mayweather must want to see Broner get hurt by putting him in the ring with Manny Pacquiao,” said Khan. “I think it’s a mismatch. It’s not like Broner has done anything lately. I think Manny Pacquiao will walk right through Broner. It’s not a bigger fight than me versus Pacquiao. Me versus Pacquiao is a massive fight, globally.”
Just the other day, WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford dismissed Pacquiao as an opponent, as he feels he is not a real champion. Yet Khan sings a different tune.
“The history between us, where we’ve had the opportunity to spar and train together. Maybe that’s the reason a fight with me puts fear in Pacquiao,” Khan said. “People have always thought, ‘Did Pacquiao get the better of me or did I get the better of Pacquiao in sparring?’, so why not let them see the fight live and see who wins?”
You can tell that Khan has his edge again and he wants to see this fight go through.
“Manny is a global name and is massive in the sport of boxing,” Khan said. “The fight has to happen for the fans.”
