Floyd Mayweather is so desperate to show the world that he (and he alone) calls the shots, that he?s willing to nix the biggest money fight currently available to him in favor of one reviled by all and likely to be an economic flop.
Recent reports have indicated that Mayweather is close to signing a bout with damaged-goods former welterweight titlist Andre Berto. Even more recent reports, however, indicate that Berto is the leading candidate for the September 12 bout because the logical leading welterweight candidate happened to anger the current pound-for-pound top dog.
Amir Khan, who has pined away for a crack at Mayweather for over two years now, has beaten Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander, and Chris Algieri while waiting for his shot. But if recent stories are to be believed, the British former junior welterweight titlist may have voiced his displeasure one too many times over Mayweather?s apparent unwillingness to fight him.
According to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Mayweather has decided to intentionally freeze Khan out of the championship picture because of the challenger?s persistent trash talking.
?Khan was removed from consideration,? Pugmire wrote, citing an unnamed anonymous source, ?because he kept publicly criticizing Mayweather after being told to keep his opinions quiet.?
But Khan is not without options and the lack of a Mayweather fight doesn?t mean that a big ticket mega-fight is out of question for the immediate future.
?There have been talks of an Amir Khan fight in Dubai for many years now,? Khan recently told the media. ?Everyone knows my position: I am ready to fight if they are serious about it. Bob Arum has contacted my team to fight Manny Pacquiao around March or April in Dubai. Let?s see how that develops.
?Since Floyd is running scared, I want Pacquiao in 2016 when he is back from his injury; 2016 will be Amir Khan?s year; you will see me in two of the biggest fights in that year.?
Khan, with his UK following and Muslim background, would be the perfect Dubai B-Side to Manny Pacquiao. And with the movers and shakers of the oil-rich Mid-East oasis eager to initiate their own major fight scene, they will be tossing fistfuls of money at the two camps if they think the bout can be made. Realistically, Pacquiao-Khan could be a money fight, second only to Mayweather-Pacquiao and, shockingly, bigger than anything Mayweather can generate on his own at this point.
And Pacquiao can give full credit to Floyd Mayweather and his ego for placing this huge windfall right at his nimble feet.
A spokesperson for the Dubai Sports Council has recently gone on record as saying that a Pacquiao-Khan bout in 2016 would be unlikely because of planning and budgetary issues. Another report has Khan perhaps pursuing an all-UK super fight with IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook before moving on to Pacquiao. But money talks and if Manny and Amir are serious and things look like they?ll be made, somehow the money and the logistics will work themselves out for the big one.
Meanwhile, Mayweather looks to have forced himself into a bout that nobody wants and few will purchase. In the grand scheme of things, it?s appearing as though Mayweather needed Khan a lot more than he ever cared to admit and by childishly booting the Brit from consideration, he?s the one who will actually suffer.
