Brace yourselves for a Khan job, fight fans.
Now that he has pocketed another $32 million-plus for winning an unnecessary rematch against Marcos Maidana, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will spend part of the next several months pretending to consider his options for a May return to the ring.
Don?t buy it. The undefeated five-division champion?s mind is made up.
Mayweather will fight Amir Khan next.
Not Keith Thurman. And certainly not Manny Pacquiao.
Khan doesn?t represent the path of least resistance, just less resistance than Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) or Thurman (23-0, 21 KOs). Mayweather would be favored to defeat them, too, but both bouts would be more intriguing than a fight against England?s Khan (29-3, 19 KOs).
The public?s continual fascination with a Mayweather-Pacquiao clash still probably would make it the greatest-grossing fight in the sport?s history. And Thurman?s skill, power and sturdy chin make him more of a risk than Khan to upset Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs).
Regardless, Khan is a huge star in England and talented enough offensively to sell the former junior welterweight champion as a true threat to Mayweather?s unblemished record. Khan?s hand speed, athleticism and punch output make him an entirely different challenge than the powerful, wild Maidana (35-5, 31 KOs), whom Khan defeated by unanimous decision in December 2010.
Khan?s defensive flaws and chin still should make him the type of “easy work” Mayweather prefers, even as the Grand Rapids, Mich., native approaches his 38th birthday.
LAMP-SHAME: Much of Jim Lampley?s criticism of Mayweather during the newest episode of his HBO show was fair.
Lampley lambasted Mayweather for his increasingly crude behavior in the closing comments of “The Fight Game With Jim Lampley,” which debuted Tuesday night. He concluded that Mayweather?s retirement “cannot come a moment too soon” for boxing?s betterment.
Lampley obviously wouldn?t have criticized Mayweather so strongly ? or at all ? if Mayweather wasn?t performing exclusively on rival Showtime, which through parent company CBS signed boxing?s biggest star to a six-fight, 30-month contract in February 2013 that?ll pay him in excess of $200 million. HBO helped create this “Money” Mayweather monster through its “24/7” and pay-per-view platforms, which makes it hypocritical to hammer Mayweather now that he?s not HBO?s flagship fighter.
Lampley also slammed Mayweather for his cavalier comments regarding Ray Rice?s suspension, calling Mayweather?s assessment “the absolute height of heaving a rock out of a glass house.”
But Lampley himself is just seven years removed from pleading no-contest to violating a restraining order issued after a December 2006 incident involving his then- fianc?e, Candice Sanders. Charges were not filed against Lampley due to a lack of sufficient evidence, but he was sentenced to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service, fined and admitted into a domestic violence counseling program as part of his plea agreement for violating the restraining order.
THROWBACK BOUTS: NBC will air a program at 3 p.m. Saturday that?ll feature cruiserweight Thabiso Mchunu (16-1, 11 KOs) against Garret Wilson (13-7-1, 7 KOs) in the 10-round main event.
DIAMOND GLOVES: Passaic?s Angel Brito (141 pounds; open division), North Bergen?s Isaiah Castanon (152; open), Paterson residents Ignaciao Camacho (201-plus; open), Yordy DeLeon (141; open) and Ian Green (165; open), Lodi?s Miguel Padilla (132; sub-novice) and Englewood?s Peter Roldan (165; open) are scheduled to compete tonight at Parsippany PAL as part of the New Jersey Diamond Gloves Tournament.
