Boxing News: Manny Pacquiao Will Fight Amir Khan Next, Bob Arum Says
As boxing fans already know, Manny Pacquiao has been resting his shoulder ever since getting surgery in May. Unfortunately that rotator cuff tear prevented a great fight on May 2 against Floyd Mayweather, but Pacquiao has debunked any rumors of retirement.
Pacquiao has said that he wants to get in the ring at least one more time, which would obviously have to wait until next year. Possible worthy opponents include Keith Thurman, Kell Brook, Timothy Bradley, and maybe even a fifth bout with Mexican veteran Juan Manuel Márquez. However, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, recently announced that Pacquiao could and will fight Amir Khan next.
"This kid Amir Khan keeps shooting his mouth off about Manny Pacquiao. I can arrange for Khan to fight Pacquiao. Amir Khan has been begging Mayweather for a fight and now he can get a major fight. I'm not a hard guy to deal with. I'm not going to mess them around. One thing's for sure, Pacquiao is not ducking Khan. Pacquiao will fight him. I don't know if Khan will fight Pacquiao, but it's available" said Arum.
Mayweather, who is now 48-0, is scheduled to fight Andre Berto on Sept. 12.
Khan is ranked No. 6 in the welterweight division, and he holds an impressive record of 31-3. It's unlikely he'll get a future bout with Mayweather, but he's been calling for a fight with Pacquiao for quite some time. Khan has won his last five fights including a victory over Chris Algieri in May. However, like Pacquiao, Khan does not have a scheduled next fight.
Khan is years younger than Pacquiao, so a potential fight between the two would definitely be a matchup of youth vs. experience. Khan has a large fan base, and this match would certainly gross large revenues, but there are some who feel Khan doesn't deserve this fight. Khan has been called "overrated" by other welterweight boxers in the past, and his fourth round knockout defeat against Danny Garcia hasn't been forgotten.
A Khan vs. Garcia rematch would be something to watch, especially now that both fighters have moved up in the weight class.
For Pacquiao, he still very much would like a rematch with Mayweather next year. He wasn't fully healthy in the first match, and in all honesty, Mayweather didn't exactly overwhelm Pacquiao back in May. There are some (Evander Holyfield, Shane Mosley) who feel that Pacquiao actually won that fight because he was the "aggressor." Unfortunately, a rematch between Mayweather and Pacquiao is extremely unlikely as Mayweather has shown no desire whatsoever to face Pacman again.
In mid August, Pacquiao's trainer said they "wanted Garcia, not Khan." Khan has since called out Pacquiao for a future match, but hasn't got a direct response from the Filipino icon. Rumors have also swirled that Pacquiao wants to finish his career in the Philippines, where his career began. If Pacquiao can get on the same page with Arum, a 2016 match with Khan could very well be looming.
Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1