- Published:March 12th, 2010
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- Category:Uncategorized, User`s Boxing Prediction/Talk
Khan expects to fight Pacquiao or Mayweather in the next 18 months News
March 12th, 2010
By William Mackay
World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) appears to be on the fast track to get big money fights against mega stars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Khan, 23, has a fight coming up against former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KOs) on May 15th, at the Madison Square Garden, in New York, New York. This will be Khans debut fight in the United States, and Malignaggi, a fighter popular in the New York area, has been picked to give Khan an opponent that is fairly well known, at least by hardcore boxing fans.
Khan sees big things for himself in the future, saying in article at the Timesonline They [Golden Boy Promotions] have laid out a plan that over the next 18 months I will be fighting the likes of Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather.
One cant blame Khan for wanting to fight those guys. After all, most fighters would want to fight Mayweather and Pacquiao because of the huge payday they would get. Never mind actually beating them. Just fighting Mayweather and Pacquiao is a guaranteed huge payday. But the question that has to be asked is who will Khan be fighting in the next 18 months for him to continue winning and moving forward with his career.
Khan has had problems with fighters that good power. He was stopped in the 1st round by Breidis Prescott in 2008. Khan has been carefully managed since then and put in with a variety of fighters, none of which could punch. Khans next opponent Malignaggi, a fighter with only five knockouts during his entire nine year pro career, is a prime example of that.
Will Khan continue to be put in with soft opposition so that he can get an eventual big money fight against Mayweather or Pacquiao? I dont know how Khan can be shielded from the top light welterweights for the next year and half without him taking tremendous criticism from the boxing public. Khan, you would think, would have to step it up at some point and face someone like Timothy Bradley, Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz or Devon Alexander.
But he might not. 18 months isnt that long of a time, and Khans handlers could in theory keep him away from Alexander, Bradley and Maidana until after Khan gets his shot against Pacquiao or Mayweather. Bradley and Alexander are both champions and arent in the position to force a fight against Khan. If they were highly ranked challengers, then they could become Khans mandatory challenger.
He would then have to force them or risk having his title stripped, but thats not the case. As long as Khan doesnt have to face them or a big puncher like Maidana or Ortiz, Khan could very hold onto his title for another 18 months until he gets a big money bout against the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao. I dont know how much longer he can get away with not fighting Maidana, though, because hes the WBA light welterweight interim champion.
At some point within the next 18 months, Khan will have to fight him you would think unless Khan maybe gives Maidana a step aside fee to stay out of the way. Hopefully, Khan doesnt do this and gets the Maidana out of the way as soon as he can. Supposedly, Golden Boy Promotions dont want Khan to fight Maidana now because Maidana isnt well known enough in the U.S.
They want to have his name built up more by having him fight more on HBO. However, with Khan looking at big names like Mayweather and Pacquiao, I dont see it worthwhile to be stringing Maidana along for a fight that will still probably not be a huge money fight even a year from now.
For Maidana to become a big name, he has to fight opponents with a name to them, not fighters that fans have never heard of. Maidana is fighting Victor Cayo on March 27th on HBO. Few people, Im willing to guess, have heard of Cayo other than hardcore fans. As such, Khan should take on Maidana and get the fight over with because it wont be any bigger a year from now than it is now. However, I doubt he will, if at all.
March 12th, 2010
By William Mackay
World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) appears to be on the fast track to get big money fights against mega stars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Khan, 23, has a fight coming up against former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KOs) on May 15th, at the Madison Square Garden, in New York, New York. This will be Khans debut fight in the United States, and Malignaggi, a fighter popular in the New York area, has been picked to give Khan an opponent that is fairly well known, at least by hardcore boxing fans.
Khan sees big things for himself in the future, saying in article at the Timesonline They [Golden Boy Promotions] have laid out a plan that over the next 18 months I will be fighting the likes of Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather.
One cant blame Khan for wanting to fight those guys. After all, most fighters would want to fight Mayweather and Pacquiao because of the huge payday they would get. Never mind actually beating them. Just fighting Mayweather and Pacquiao is a guaranteed huge payday. But the question that has to be asked is who will Khan be fighting in the next 18 months for him to continue winning and moving forward with his career.
Khan has had problems with fighters that good power. He was stopped in the 1st round by Breidis Prescott in 2008. Khan has been carefully managed since then and put in with a variety of fighters, none of which could punch. Khans next opponent Malignaggi, a fighter with only five knockouts during his entire nine year pro career, is a prime example of that.
Will Khan continue to be put in with soft opposition so that he can get an eventual big money fight against Mayweather or Pacquiao? I dont know how Khan can be shielded from the top light welterweights for the next year and half without him taking tremendous criticism from the boxing public. Khan, you would think, would have to step it up at some point and face someone like Timothy Bradley, Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz or Devon Alexander.
But he might not. 18 months isnt that long of a time, and Khans handlers could in theory keep him away from Alexander, Bradley and Maidana until after Khan gets his shot against Pacquiao or Mayweather. Bradley and Alexander are both champions and arent in the position to force a fight against Khan. If they were highly ranked challengers, then they could become Khans mandatory challenger.
He would then have to force them or risk having his title stripped, but thats not the case. As long as Khan doesnt have to face them or a big puncher like Maidana or Ortiz, Khan could very hold onto his title for another 18 months until he gets a big money bout against the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao. I dont know how much longer he can get away with not fighting Maidana, though, because hes the WBA light welterweight interim champion.
At some point within the next 18 months, Khan will have to fight him you would think unless Khan maybe gives Maidana a step aside fee to stay out of the way. Hopefully, Khan doesnt do this and gets the Maidana out of the way as soon as he can. Supposedly, Golden Boy Promotions dont want Khan to fight Maidana now because Maidana isnt well known enough in the U.S.
They want to have his name built up more by having him fight more on HBO. However, with Khan looking at big names like Mayweather and Pacquiao, I dont see it worthwhile to be stringing Maidana along for a fight that will still probably not be a huge money fight even a year from now.
For Maidana to become a big name, he has to fight opponents with a name to them, not fighters that fans have never heard of. Maidana is fighting Victor Cayo on March 27th on HBO. Few people, Im willing to guess, have heard of Cayo other than hardcore fans. As such, Khan should take on Maidana and get the fight over with because it wont be any bigger a year from now than it is now. However, I doubt he will, if at all.
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