by James Slater – A world title fight unification is always a good thing for the sport, and according to top British promoter Frank Warren, one could soon be coming up in the 140-pound weight class, with the fighter he promotes in Amir Khan taking on rival light-welterweight ruler Timothy Bradley. Khan, who, according to his promoter “arrived on the world stage” with his points win over Adreas Kotelnik last month, would be attempting to add Bradley’s WBO crown to the WBA strap he took from the Ukrainian. It’s still very early days, and so far Warren has only spoken about the fight, but he did go as far as to say that the match-up is “on the horizon..”
Bradley, unbeaten in 25 pro outings and coming off a controversial stoppage win over Nate Campbell, would likely start favourite over the once-beaten 22-year-old from Bolton. However, due to the improvements he’s clearly made since hooking up with ace trainer Freddie Roach and moving up in weight, Khan would be in with a genuine chance of winning. Fans could expect a top quality boxing match/chess match if the fight were signed, and it’s debatable who the faster boxer is between the two champions.
Both men are quick and throw lots of punches, and it’s safe to say Bradley-Khan would not be a boring affair. The venue the fight takes place at will be an interesting factor. Bradley, as he proved when coming to the UK to relieve Junior Witter of his WBC belt last year, is not afraid to travel, but would Khan perhaps relish the idea of making his debut in America in this prospective fight? Maybe.
The man who now holds the WBC crown, Devon Alexander, would have something to say about it, but the winner of Bradley-Khan could make some claim to being the best title holder at 140-pounds. Bradley must first fight the unbeaten Lamont Peterson (his mandatory challenger), but it’s almost a certainty that “Desert Storm” would jump at the chance to face Khan – and Alexander, come to that.
Wherever and whenever it takes place (the sooner the better), let’s hope Bradley Vs. Khan does indeed get made. The light-welterweight division, still a distant second to the welterweight division in terms of available super-fights, is in pretty good shape these days. And it’s thanks largely to talented and hungry fighters like Bradley, Khan and Alexander that this is the case. Indeed, between these three champions alone, there is the potential for some excellent fights in the coming months.