MANILA, Philippines – Amir Khan has faced Manny Pacquiao before in sparring. Now he wants to take on the Filipino icon in an actual fight.
Khan, a British fighter, made his case as a possible opponent for Pacquiao, citing the “history†he shares with the boxing icon.
INFOGRAPHIC: Manny Pacquiao’s Next Foe?
"We used to train together. We were sparring partners. We used to have the same trainer. We were both world champions at the same time. There is a lot of history there. That's a great fighter,†he explained in a recent interview with Real TV.
The former lightweight champion used to be Pacquiao’s sparmate, even flying to the Philippines sometime in 2011 to help Pacquiao prepare for his fight with Shane Mosley.
Khan also trained under Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s longtime cornerman.
"What a great storyline that would make?" Khan (29-3, with 19 knockouts) continued.
Khan is among the few fighters seeking a shot at Pacquiao, who is scheduled to return to the ring on Nov. 23 in Macau. Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris Algieri, Luis Carlos Abregu and Danny Garcia are also possibilities.
But Pacquiao’s camp is in no rush to pick an opponent, with Top Rank chief Bob Arum saying it could even take until August to make a decision.
Nevertheless, Khan has already started building himself up as a Pacquiao foe.
“Manny has problems with quick boxers. I've sparred with him myself. I know he has problems with a good boxer who has a very good jab and moves great,†he stressed.
At 5-foot-8, Khan is taller than the 5-foot-6 Pacquiao, something the British believes will work to his advantage.
“I'm very big for the weight. I'm a lot taller than Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao is a southpaw and I can deal with southpaws real well, that's a 50-50 fight," he added.