Can Amir Khan bounce back in 2017? Khan says he “knows” he can win a world title at 147

12/30/2016 James Slater

Have we seen the best of former 140-pound champ Amir Khan, maybe even the end of his winning fights at the top level – or can the now 30-year-old bounce back from his crushing KO loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2017? Khan, who is excited to get back in action having had an op on his troublesome right hand, told The Bolton News he is positive he can win a world title at welterweight.

Khan Tweeted yesterday how his next opponent will be announced “soon” and the British star told The Bolton News how he will win that welterweight title and that after he does so, “people will forget about the defeats.” Khan of course suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the much bigger and heavier Canelo, and there are plenty of critics out there who feel Khan may have suffered irreparable damage from the heavy KO.

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I saw your Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and raised you a Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin

12/28/201612/28/2016 G.E. Simons

Rather than fight each other, Amir Khan and Kell Brook have been fighting over who can face the most outrageous opponents instead, but signs are that a meeting between the two is at least on the radar for 2017.

Amir Khan is back in training following hand surgery and talking of a British ring return in April against an opponent yet to be determined, although Kell Brook won’t be his pugnacious homecoming first date.

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Khan says Garcia is “trying to run from me,” wants revenge rematch before Brook clash

11/10/2016 James Slater

Amir Khan says the most important fight to him right now is a return meeting with Danny Garcia. WBC welterweight champ Garcia – who faces big underdog Samuel Vargas on Saturday night in Philadelphia and is set to meet WBA welterweight champ Keith Thurman in a big unification showdown in March of next year – shocked Khan when they fought down at 140 in 2012.

Since suffering the 4th-round stoppage loss, Khan has craved a shot at revenge. Right now, even though preliminary talks between Khan and British rival Kell Brook have begun, Khan says he would put that fight on the back-burner in favor of a shot at revenge against Garcia. Khan says “Swift” is trying his best to avoid a rematch with him.

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Kell Brook: If the Amir Khan fight is nailed and all signed, that’s when you’ll see me back at 147

11/05/2016 James Slater

Sometimes a possible big fight that proves to take a long time getting made runs the risk of passing its sell-by date. Fans will only remain interested in a certain match-up for so long. Right now, the all-British showdown that is Amir Khan-Kell Brook still interests fans, in Britain especially, but if it doesn’t happen soon – say by next summer at the latest – both fighters will be running the risk of alienating the fans.

Maybe it’s too late already, and fans have cooled on the welterweight fight? But both fighters are still talking about it happening.

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Khan ready to fight Pacquiao

11/04/2016 BoxNation

Amir Khan says it would be an ‘honor’ to fight Manny Pacquiao after the Filipino superstar said he would be open to the match-up.

Eight-weight champion Pacquiao was speaking ahead of his eagerly anticipated world title clash with Jessie Vargas this Saturday night, exclusively live on BoxNation.

And despite stating that Khan was a ‘friend’ he hinted a future clash would be something that he would be willing to make happen, prompting the Bolton boxer to state his readiness to do battle.

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Kell Brook says his weight “has settled down,” “ I could still make welterweight;” eyes possible fights with Spence, Pacquiao, Khan

11/01/2016 James Slater

Kell Brook is still the reigning IBF welterweight champion and he has until February 24 of next year to decide if he wants to defend that title against mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jnr or move up to 154. As fans know, Brook bulked up for a middleweight title challenge of Gennady Golovkin in September, and the Sheffield fighter says he now craves further massive fights.

But will these come at 147 or at 154? Brook says the broken eye socket he suffered at the damaging hands of GGG is now “healing well,” and that his weight has “settled down.” Still, Brook is not yet sure if his future lies at welter or junior-middle. However, Brook told ESPN.com that he is very much interested in facing the likes of Manny Pacquiao (who Brook expects to beat Jessie Vargas this Saturday, via points verdict) Amir Khan, Spence and the Danny Garcia-Keith Thurman winner – so maybe Brook will look to try to hold onto that IBF belt.

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Amir Khan says he has “about five fights left,” wants Garcia or Brook in UK summer showdown

10/19/2016 James Slater

British star Amir Khan once said he would retire at age 30. The former 140-pound king hits 30 this December, yet Khan has plenty of big plans for next year. Speaking with ESPN.com, Khan said he feels he has “about five fights left,” and that he will look to return to action next summer. Khan will have been out of action for over a year by next May – last fighting on May 7 of this year when he was brutally KO’d by the much bigger Canelo Alvarez – but he says he wants a big showdown with either Danny Garcia or Kell Brook next summer. And Khan wants his return to take place in the UK.

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Danny Garcia says Amir Khan is a better fighter than Keith Thurman

10/15/2016 James Slater

With welterweights Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman, arguably the two best 147-pound fighters operating today, set to meet next year (likely in March) there have been verbal barbs exchanged bwteeen the two. Thurman, unbeaten and the reigning WBA champion, laid into Garcia for choosing the unheralded Samuel Vargas, tweeting how Garcia should “enjoy your last cherry of the year…..I’ll be waiting to take that green belt in 2017!”

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Hearn on Kell Brook’s future: We want to go straight into a big one – Canelo, Khan, Cotto the targets

09/15/2016 James Slater

Promoter Eddie Hearn still has high hopes for Kell Brook. In fact, far from being at all diluted by Brook’s ultra-brave loss to middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, Hearn says the future is bright, very bright for the Sheffield fighter. The step up to middleweight was an audacious gamble which never paid off, with a win, anyway – but the sizzling action got Brook noticed by HBO in a big way and there are more massive fights out there for the 30-year-old; winnable fights.

Hearn, in writing for The Daily Mail, said how the plan for after Brook’s smashed eye socket has healed, is to “go straight into a big one.” The promoter listed three names that are very much in the cross-hares: Canelo Alvarez, Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto. Either fight would be big, the Khan fight more so in the UK, and what’s more, you would have to be a fool to give Brook anything less than a decent chance at worst of winning either match-up.

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Khan: I’ll get the January tune-up out of the way, then I want Garcia rematch in May

08/31/2016 James Slater

Amir Khan has already laid out his plans for 2017: fight three times, beginning in January, and hopefully win two big, big fights after the tune-up. Now, in speaking with UK tabloid The Sun, Khan has targeted his number-one rival: WBC welterweight king Danny Garcia. Fans are aware of two things – Garcia KO’d Khan in an exciting fight back in July of 2012, Khan is the current WBC mandatory contender for “Swift’s” green belt.

Khan now says he wants the rematch and he wants it next May. Before that, though, the British superstar aims to re-sharpen his considerable tools with a fight at home.

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