Khan says Mayweather took easy way out by fighting Pacquiao instead of him

By: Mark Giongco - 10 years ago

England’s Amir Khan. AP

MANILA, Philippines — British boxer Amir Khan said Floyd Mayweather Jr. played it safe for choosing to fight Manny Pacquiao over him.

Khan reportedly loomed as a potential opponent of both fighters if negotiations concerning the megafight fall through anew. But on Saturday, Mayweather announced his showdown with Pacquiao will finally push through on May 2.

And after missing out on a big fight, Khan claims Mayweather is avoiding him in the ring after agreeing to fight the Filipino boxer.

“We came very close to securing the fight between both Manny (Pacquiao) and Mayweather, particularly Manny,” Khan told thesun.co.uk. “I was in a good position and I could have fought either one of them.”

Khan also said his dominating performance against Devon Alexander, where he won via lopsided decision last December, has intimidated other boxers, including the outspoken Mayweather.
“My strong performance against Devon Alexander has made some of the opponents think twice about taking me on. Mayweather has probably chosen to fight Pacquiao because it’s an easier fight,” said the former two-time world champion.

“He is taking the easy route but boxing is a business and obviously he is going to do what makes for sense for him financially. ”

Khan also took a shot at the upcoming megafight, saying it could turn out to be a “boring fight” despite the high expectations surrounding it since Mayweather and Pacquiao are six years removed from their best form.

“The thing is when they were both at their peak – which was six years ago – this fight was talked about then and it should have happened then,” he said. “That’s when it would have been a great fight because they were both explosive. They were both at their peak and the fight would have been massive. They both seemed unbeatable back then.

“Six years later Manny Pacquiao has had two defeats and been knocked out. Mayweather has had some good fights but he is getting old and he’s showing signs of ageing now. He is getting caught a lot more frequently,” the 28-year-old Khan added.