Can’t Amir provide bigger test for Manny?
It’s not surprising that the name of former world boxing champion Amir Khan often lingers at the tailend whenever they do a list-up of Manny Pacquiao’s possible next opponents.
“I’m sick of waiting,” Khan cried, “I’m just tired waiting around and hoping for a title fight.”
What does he plan to do?
“If it’s Pacquiao, it’s Pacquiao. If not, we will go to someone else.”
Khan, a former Olympian, is scheduled to fight little-known Samuel Vargas in Birmingham, England, on Sept. 8.
In his last bout in April, Khan blasted away a certain Phil Lo Greco in less than a minute.
Khan continued to say Pacquao would be great and any fighter would love to do it.
The closest Khan came to fighting Pacquiao came in April 2017, but negotiations fizzled out due to absence of proper funding.
This subsequently led to Pacquiao clashing with Jeff Horn, the fight resulting into a dreadful upset that led to Pacquiao’s dethronement as WBO welterweight champion.
Reports say Pacquiao plans to fight early December, before he turns 40.
First names mentioned for the new WBA welterweight champion included Terence Crawford and Vasyl Lomachecko, both unbeaten and leading pound-for-pound stars.
There was also tentative mention of Khan’s name among Pacquiao’s possible next foes.
Pacquiao himself has not commented about his former stable mate in Freddie Roach’s famous Wild Card camp.
But in a happy twist for Khan, his name was singled out by Pacquiao conditioning coach Justin Fortune, who noted the Bolton boxer would easily fill up the vast Wembley stadium in Great Britain if he happens to be paired against Pacquiao.
Experts have noted that Khan should be able to provide a more interesting fight than dethroned WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina.
Khan has been listed to have lost three times by stoppage. But all those falls were fighting defeats, with Khan making a gallant stand before ending up flat on his back.
Matthysse was criticized for a gutless stand versus Pacquiao, when he suffered three knockdowns before inexplicably giving up on his knees in the seventh round in Kuala Lumpur last July 15.
From veteran news correspondent Jun Velasco of Dagupan: My condolences to Atty. Jess Santiago on the passing of his wife, Dr. Teresita Reyna, 77, of Dagupan City. She was the daughter of the late former Mayor Liberato Ll. Reyna Sr.
