AMIR KHAN has not given up hope of making a fight with Manny Pacquiao. He does however want to avoid a repeat of the experience he had waiting in vain for Floyd Mayweather, which has haunted his career over the last two years.
Speaking exclusively to Boxing News at the World championships in Doha, where he was on broadcast duty with the BBC, Khan said of Pacquiao, โItโs a good fight for me and I know itโs a big fight. Fight fans want the fight. But it seems to me that [Iโm] waiting around and I donโt want to be in the same position as I was against Floyd Mayweather. Iโd been promised the fight, then it didnโt happen. To be honest with you Iโve just left it with my team, I am looking at other opponents at the same time. If it doesnโt happen Iโve got plan B.โ
Khanโs side have not walked away from discussions. โThereโs contracts there. But I just want to make sure Iโve got plan B because it seems to me that Mannyโs team donโt really want it but I donโt know, I might be wrong,โ Amir explained.
They have to explore the Pacquiao option – โHeโs the biggest name in boxing at the moment,โ as Khan noted. But beyond the great Filipino, other major fights are possible. With British rival Kell Brook, Amir said, โTalks can happen. Weโve had a chat with Eddie Hearn [Brook’s promoter] once about the fight and now itโs all about hopefully seeing what the options are. If a Pacquiao fight doesnโt happen maybe a Kell Brook fight can happen.โ
More likely opponents for the near-future are Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson, who both hold wins over Khan and are also represented by Amirโs advisor Al Haymon. โGarcia could be another guy, Peterson could be another name, theyโre the names weโre looking at so hopefully it could be someone like that,โ said Khan, who is happy to avenge those losses. โThere were some things I needed to change in my career. Iโve changed those things now, Iโm much more of a smarter fighter now. I definitely think the Danny Garcia fight would be a good fight. Itโs still a big fight and I know I wonโt make the mistakes like I made before. Heโs definitely a tough fight. Itโs a fight I want. But I just want to make sure [itโs] at the right weight, I know I should have won that fight and obviously I didnโt so itโs unfinished business for me.โ
Khan has demonstrated that a loss on a boxerโs record does have to be a catastrophe. Heโs bounced back back-to-back defeats to Peterson and Garcia, as well as rallying from an early career loss to Breidis Prescott to became a multi-titled world champion. โYou become a better fighter,โ he insists. โHaving a loss in my career has definitely made me a better fighter. You learn from your mistakes and you learn not to make them again. You go back to the drawing board and you make sure you do the right things next time.โ
The losses have also never stymied his desire to take on the very best in the sport. โIโm not a protected fighter,โ he said. โIf I was a protected fighter Iโd maybe be unbeaten now. So Iโve never been a protected fighter. Iโm one of those guys who fights the best fighters out there.โ