It seems that every time Amir Khan is on the brink of the mega-fight which would define his career someone or other comes along to snatch away his dream.
With Floyd Mayweather, the cock has crowed three times.
First Marcos Maidana, then Manny Pacquiao, now Andre Berto have been called to the Money teller just when it appeared that Khan would get the nod.
No sooner does the pride of Bolton switch his attention to his old sparring partner Pacquiao than the picture turns cloudy, yet again.
With a little help from yours truly ? putting Khan’s father Shah on the phone to PacMan promoter Bob Arum ? the ball started rolling in that direction.
Pacquiao needs a comeback fight next February from the shoulder injury which hampered him against Mayweather in what turned out to be non-fight of the century.
Step in Khan, said Arum. Probably in Abu Dhabi but maybe in Las Vegas or Manila.
Not so fast, says Pacquiao’s celebrated trainer Freddie Roach this week.
‘The fight we want is Danny Garcia,’ says Roach in reference to the American who has a knock-out of Khan on his undefeated record. ‘That’s the easiest fight in the world.’
Roach also sees that as the bout which can set up a mega-millions re-match with Mayweather, on the very date next May when Khan has been hoping to finally goad Mr Money into the same ring.
Leonard Ellerbe, the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, has reiterated yet again that his main man will call it a career after beating Berto this September 12 ? he is the 1-80 favourite – and thereby equalling Rocky Marciano’s record of retiring as unbeaten world champion on 49 wins and no losses.
‘Don’t believe it,’ says Roach. ‘Floyd will fight on to his 50th. Too much money to be made. Especially if he fights Manny again.’
While the disappointing nature of the first fight would restrain the re-match from emulating that half-billion-dollar shake-down, it would still be worth at least 250 million dollars.
And the re-branding of this much-hyped saga has already begun.
‘No shoulder injury and Manny beats him,’ declares Roach. Pacquiao keeps watching the video of the first fight and saying: ‘I still believe I won.’
And Mayweather is fond of saying, as he did after finally agreeing to meet Pacquiao the first time after years of refusal: ‘I’m a human being who has the right to change his mind.’
But would the public buy into it again?
Of course.
Not at a hundred thousand bucks on the black market for a seat at ringside or a hundred dollars for each pay-per-view subscription, maybe. But for two-thirds of the price, which would still swell Mayweather’s bank account appreciably.
As they wait to see how the Pacquiao comeback goes, they can carry on selling the Berto bout as more a grand, glitzy Sinatra-esque Mayweather farewell night than a truly competitive fight.
Meanwhile Khan continues trying to provoke the Money man, saying: ‘Floyd is afraid of me. Scared of my speed and power. Frightened of losing that unbeaten record.’
He also speculates on beating the PacMan next year.
Although first he must find an opponent for a lesser fight of his own this November or December.
Then, if Pacquiao goes down the Garcia route and Mayweather agrees to the rematch, at least Khan has a Wembley Stadium blockbuster with Kell Brook as his fall back in 2016.
And if it does come to that, well, everyone’s a winner in the Money market.
