KHAN IS FRONT-RUNNER IN CASE PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER DOESN?T HAPPEN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 22 Jan 2015
World Boxing Council welterweight Silver champion Amir Khan is ?the front-runner? to face ?Fighter of the Decade? in case the planned May 12 showdown between Pacquiao and undefeated pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr doesn?t happen.
Pacquiao?s longtime adviser Michael Koncz told the Manila Standard/Viva Sports that after Pacquiao had agreed to the key terms for the fight to materialize, Mayweather had failed to sign-off and that Pacquiao was ?not going to sit around and wait.?
Koncz revealed that Amir Khan had offered to fight Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi or England and that Khan ?is the front-runner? provided he doesn?t price himself out even as he indicated there are other possible opponents they have in mind although he declined to reveal who they are.
However, Koncz insisted that undefeated WBA super lightweight/light welterweight champion Jessie Vargas whose name cropped up as a possible opponent for Pacquiao since he is also handled by Top Rank is not even being considered.
Koncz said staging a Khan fight in Abu Dhabi or Britain would create problems for the pay-per-view audiences in the US and South American because of the time difference which would necessitate staging the fight around 3:00 a.m.
But if the financial offers were good enough to overcome the pay per view losses, then staging the fight in the United Arab Emirates or Britain would be seriously considered.
Koncz who will accompany Pacquiao for a private dinner with Prince Harry in London and while there, they would discuss the possibilities of staging the Pacquiao-Khan fight in Britain with British officials and boxing people and see what concessions they could offer to help make the fight happen.
Pacquiao?s former strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza who now works with Floyd Mayweather Jr has suggested that for negotiations on a planned May 2 fight to move forward, the two fighters should talk to each other and not through the media.
Ariza reiterated Mayweather?s remarks during a radio interview that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum calls the shots, not Pacquiao, and that ?it?s the actions that count, not the talk.?
He suggested that the best way to resolve the issue would be for Pacquiao ?to call Floyd, agree to meet in a restaurant or some place and discuss the terms? of a possible fight.
However, Pacquiao?s longtime adviser Michael Koncz shot down the suggestion saying ?it won?t work.? He recalled that some years ago when he put Pacquiao on the phone with Mayweather, ?Floyd insulted him by offering Manny $40 million, take it or leave it.?
Koncz also questioned Mayweather?s claims that he is his own boss unlike Pacquiao, stating that Mayweather?s boss is Al Haymon,? even as he made it clear that Arun was only Pacquiao?s promoter.
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