Money fight vs Khan also for legacy
Their combined 10 losses inside the ring clearly show Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan are not necessarily the toughest of their breed.
Three of Pacquiao’s six losses were by crushing knockout; of Khan’s four defeats, three came by shattering stoppage.
It would therefore be hard to sell the Pacquiao-Khan bout as one between KO stars.
After a closer look, would it be unfair to call it a clash between Knocked-out Artists?
Will the Pacquiao-Khan bout, whose venue has yet to be chosen, go the distance?
No doubt that Khan, 30, will be the underdog.
It may not be double-your-money for Pacquiao. But one thing is sure: Odds will be a lot closer than the ones initially taken for Pacquiao’s aborted bout against the unbeaten Jeff Horn of Australia.
In bookmakers tally made last month, before Khan suddenly materialized as Pacquiao’s next foe, Horn was given only an eight percent chance of winning, while Pacquiao gained a whopping 92 percent.
Roughly, that would make Pacquiao a 9-1 favorite, Horn a 2-13 underdog.
Correct, that would also make Horn practically a no-risk assignment.
Upon being asked about Horn, Pacquiao would claim that it was his first time to hear about the unbeaten but obscure former school teacher from Brisbane with a 16-0-1 record.
Maybe Pacquiao wanted to say he felt uneasy about the pairing against the slow and predictable Australian aspirant.
But Pacquiao kept his cool after his adviser Michael Koncz called the $5 million offered by Australian promoters peanuts.
With his stature, Pacquiao definitely deserved a more significant opponent, respect.
Anyway, as fate would have it, Pacquiao next announced he was taking his act to the United Arab Emirates.
This was followed by a personal poll on social media, which showed Khan an outstanding choice by fans for Pacquiao’s next foe.
Bob Arum was right. The huge sum dangled by negotiators from the UAE did turn Pacquiao’s head.
But it should not be overlooked that Pacquiao readily decided to dump Horn because of the likelihood his conquest of the unbeaten Australian could be as obscene and odd as grabbing candy from a mindless tot.
Pacquiao did agree to box Khan, a former stable mate, for the funds of it. But it cannot be denied he agreed to take some risks for the sake of providing thrill to the audience, also to enhance his legacy.
