In a quick trip to England over the weekend, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, met with potential foe and former sparring partner Amir Khan to discuss a possible fight at the huge Wembley Stadium if the ongoing Pacquiao-Mayweather talks fail.
The long-delayed Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is penciled for May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Last month Mayweather announced in a live TV interview on CBS/Showtime that he has decided to accept Pacquiao’s challenge to face him in the ring in which he gave May 2 as the date of the fight. But almost a month had passed and Mayweather has yet to sign the fight contract. There are reports that Mayweather will officially announce the fight in Australia when he travels there next week. Pacquiao’s camp is looking at possible options if the Mayweather fight falls apart for the last time which could be the reason Pacquiao had traveled to England over the weekend to hear Khan’s offer besides meeting with Prince Harry at the Buckingham Palace. The potential showdown between Pacquiao and Khan could be a blockbuster fight provided the venue of the fight is right. Talks about the fight happening in the UAE won’t guarantee a record crowd as no similar fight of the same magnitude had drawn big crowd in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi as potential venues. Besides there is a wide gap or time difference there to align with the US prime time for pay-per-view audience which is the main revenue source for the event. Las Vegas would still be the best venue option for the fight but London’s Wembley Stadium would be a good alternative. Pacquiao and Khan have maintained cordial relationship since they worked together in training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and over at Baguio City in the Philippines when they both trained for their ensuing fights under trainer Freddie Roach. Because of the close friendship they have nurtured over the years, both fighters have dismissed the idea of facing each other in the ring. But now it seems that they are ready to forget their friendship for the duration of the 12-round duel in the ring to entertain their fans. Khan, who is a former Olympics silver medalist, is very popular in UK and is capable of filling Wembley Stadium if he gets Pacquiao to face him in England where Pacquiao has also a rising fan’s support. Still Las Vegas or even the Madison Square Garden in New York remain good options if the fight is held in the US. While promoter Bob Arum is exploring options for Pacquiao’s next fight, it appears that Mayweather had finally decided to fight Pacquiao in Las Vegas and the official announcement is forthcoming.
