MANILA, Philippines — Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants to make sure British Boxer Amir Khan will be at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the long-waited Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao showdown on May 3 (Manila time).
Mayweather has offered Khan, who thinks the touted “Fight of the Century” would turn out to be a damp squib, a ticket to catch the title bout live.
“I am touched that Amir is concerned about the fight and that it might be boring for the fans,” the outspoken pound-for-pound king Mayweather told The Daily Mail. “He doesn’t need to worry. The fact this has taken so long to happen only makes the anticipation and buildup of the fight that much greater.”
“I can even get him a ticket if he wants so he can see what the biggest fight in the history of boxing looks like and to appease any fears he might have about a boring fight,” Mayweather, who turned 38 last Tuesday, said.
The 28-year-old Khan, the former champion, recently claimed Mayweather chose an “easier” fight when he decided to fight Pacquiao, the sport’s only eight-division champion, over him.
Before Mayweather’s announcement that his showdown with Pacquiao was a go, Khan said he had been in deep talks with both fighters for a potential deal.
“Of course he wanted to fight me, of course he wanted to fight Manny, I get that, I really do. The reality is that this is the only fight the public were demanding and we had no choice but to give it to them,” said the undefeated Mayweather.
“The world was not calling for Mayweather vs. Khan or Pacquiao vs. Khan. He knows that, he is a smart kid. He knows this fight had to happen.”
RELATED STORIES
Khan says Mayweather took easy way out by fighting Pacquiao instead of him
Ex-Pacquiao sparring partner Khan also wants a piece of Mayweather