MANILA, Philippines - Naniniwala si dating world welterweight king Amir Khan na ang panalo kay Manny Pacquiao ang kanyang magiging tiket para mapuwersa si Floyd Mayweather, Jr. na labanan siya.
Kasalukuyang hawak ni Khan ang World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver welterweight title at sakaling manalo siya kay Pacquiao ay makakamit niya ang pagiging No. 1 contender para sa koronang suot ni Mayweather.
“I have the WBC silver title and the winner would move on to the number one position to fight Mayweather after that,” sabi ni Khan, dating sparmate ni Pacquiao, sa panayam ng Fight Hype.com.
“I think the only way of getting the Mayweather fight would be probably forcing him and putting him in that corner, so 147 is the ideal weight for us to take that fight,” dagdag pa ng Briton.
Lumitaw ang pangalan ni Khan (30-3-0, 19 KOs) na posibleng labanan ni Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) sakaling hindi na naman matuloy ang laban nito kay Mayweather (47-0-0, 26 KOs).
Nauna nang itinakda ni Mayweather ang kanilang mega showdown ni Pacquiao sa Mayo 2 kung saan ang venue ay ang MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bagama’t pumayag na si Pacquiao sa lahat ng kondisyones ni Mayweather ay wala pang kumpirmasyon ang American world five-division titlist kung lalabanan nito ang Filipino boxing superstar.
Sinabi naman ni Khan na hindi siya bababa ng timbang mula sa welterweight division (147 pounds) para labanan si Pacquiao sa catchweight.
“You know, because I’m so used to 147 and I built myself up to 147, I think 147 is just an ideal weight for me. I wouldn’t want to go lower or higher. Let’s just stick to 147,” ani Khan.
Ang pinakahuling catchweight fight na ginawa ni Pacquiao ay kontra kay 5-foot-11 Chris Algieri noong Nobyembre ng nakaraang taon kung saan anim na beses pinabagsak ang American challenger para sa kanyang unanimous decision victory.
“Obviously Algieri was coming up from 147. I’m already a full-on 147 fighter, so the fight would probably be made at 147. Plus, you know, the title would be on the line there as well,” wika ni Khan. (RC)