Manny Pacquiao Next Fight Update 2014: Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana Interested in Facing Former Pound-for-Pound King
Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana loom as Manny Pacquiao's possible opponent in his next fight on November 22 in Macau after both fighters expressed interest in facing the Filipino boxing icon.
In a recent interview, Khan, who has been lobbying for big fight over the past several months, indicated that he wants a shot against his former sparring mate, saying that it could generate big money because of the possible storyline for the bout.
"What a great storyline that would make? We used to train together, we were sparring partners, and we used to have the same trainer. We were both world champions at the same time. There is a lot of history there. That's a great fight," Khan told Be Real TV as reported by BoxingScene.
Khan, who is coming off a convincing unanimous decision win against Luis Collazo last month, feels that he has a good shot against his former stablemate.
The 27-year-old Briton said that Pacquiao has had problems against quicker opponents, and he also feels that his size advantage will give him a good shot of scoring a big win against the reigning WBO welterweight champion if ever they end up facing each other.
"Manny has problems with quick boxers," Khan added. "I've sparred with him myself. I know he has problems with a good boxer who has a very good jab and ... moves great. I'm very big for the weight, I'm a lot taller than Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao is a southpaw and I can deal with southpaws real well, that's a 50-50 fight."
Aside from Khan, Maidana, the former WBA welterweight champion, is also reportedly in the mix for Pacquiao's next fight, and the Argentine boxer's agent, Sebastian Contursi, said that the opportunity to face a fighter like Pacquiao is too good to turn down.
"When you talk about names like Pacquiao, who would say no? Of course. Maidana deserves to belong in the first level. He's been fighting great, great fighters," Contursi said.
However, Contursi quickly added that he has to consult influential adviser Al Haymon about it since they are also aiming for a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr., who scored a close majority decision win against Maidana last month.
"I was surprised lately because I heard Manny Pacquiao's name in the mix with the situation between Golden Boy and Top Rank, but that's something I need to discuss with Al Haymon," Contursi said.
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