Former unified junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan, disappointed that he did not get a crack at either Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao — because they are fighting each other instead in their long-awaited May 2 showdown — will instead face Chris Algieri.
Khan and Algieri, also a former junior welterweight titlist, will square off in a welterweight bout on May 29 at the Barclays Center in New York, in the main event of a Spike TV-televised Premier Boxing Champions card (9 p.m. ET).
England’s Khan, 31, will be fighting in New York for the second time. In 2010, Khan knocked out New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi in a one-sided junior welterweight title defense at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Khan is excited about coming back to the Big Apple.
“I have happy memories of New York, having made my successful U.S. debut there against Paulie Malignaggi in 2010,” Khan said. “I’m delighted to now be fighting there once again against another [former] champion in Chris Algieri. Algieri has shared the ring with some tremendous fighters and shown great skills in those fights so I know I will need to be at my very best when we meet. In all my fights I bring excitement, speed and skill and can guarantee more fireworks on May 29 at Barclays Center.”
Khan had been the leading candidate for both Mayweather and Pacquiao before they finally made a deal to fight each other. Khan was then offered a shot at British countryman Kell Brook’s welterweight world title on June 13 — a huge fight in the United Kingdom — but declined. His team also declined a title elimination bout against former titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. for the right to becomes Brook’s mandatory challenger.
While Algieri is a step down from those opponents, Khan will undoubtedly get a major fight if he defeats him. Khan (30-3, 19 KOs), 28, has won four fights in a row and is coming off a nearly flawless performance in a lopsided decision against former two-division titleholder Devon Alexander on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.
Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs), 31, of Huntington, New York, on Long Island, has not fought since he was knocked down six times and dominated in a one-sided loss challenging Pacquiao for his welterweight world title in November in Macau.
Algieri, who fired trainer Tim Lane after the loss to Pacquiao and is now being trained by John David Jackson, will be returning to the Barclays Center, the site of his greatest triumph. In the fight before the loss to Pacquiao, Algieri survived two knockdowns in the first round and a terribly swollen eye to claim a split decision and a world title against Ruslan Provodnikov in June.
“I am very excited to get back into the ring and to be fighting here in New York,” Algieri said. “Fighting at Barclays Center, where I won my world title just under a year ago, is an added bonus. Amir Khan is a tested champion and is the matchup that I wanted. I believe this is a fight that will bring the best out of me.”
New York promoter Lou DiBella, who works closely with Al Haymon, Khan’s adviser and creator of the PBC, will be putting on the card.
“Amir Khan is hands down one of the biggest names in the sport,” DiBella said. “Coming off a huge win over Devon Alexander, Khan is on the short list to participate in a future mega fight. He must first get by the hometown fan favorite, Algieri.
“This is a fight that Chris wanted. He is looking to show the world that he belongs, at the arena where he shocked the world and upset Ruslan Provodnikov for a world title.”
The Barclays Center, a regular host of major fights, hosted its first PBC event last weekend as Danny Garcia edged Lamont Peterson in an exciting welterweight main event. Brett Yormark, CEO of the Barclays Center, is happy to have another one.
“We are excited to bring two outstanding fighters in Amir Khan and Chris Algieri to Brooklyn,” he said. “Khan is among the most talked-about and dynamic fighters in the sport, and Long Island’s own Algieri had his career-defining win at Barclays Center last June. Our first PBC event in Brooklyn on April 11 was a huge success and we expect another big night on May 29. After less than three years in existence, Barclays Center is cementing itself as the premier boxing venue in the country.”
