By James Slater – Finally, after weeks of speculation, negotiations and re-negotiations, WBA 140-pound champ Amir Khan has an opponent confirmed for his April 16th defence in Manchester, England. Khan will face unbeaten European light-welterweight champion Paul McCloskey of Northern Ireland.
As fans know, McCloskey was close to taking the title shot against Khan a while back, only to reject the financial offer Team-Khan offered him. Eddie Hearn, McCloskey’s promoter, referred to the cash offer as “a joke,” and said no way would his fighter fight for “peanuts..” Hearn also said that no way would Team-McCloskey go back into negotiations for the fight with Khan. Yet McCloskey evidently did do so, and Khan is delighted to have an official foe for April 16th at The M.E.N Arena.
“I am delighted that this fight has finally been put together following some tough negotiations,” Khan said yesterday. “This is a match-up the British public want to see and it will be a fantastic fight between two of the best light-welterweights in the country.”
According to a news piece on ESPN.com, HBO will carry the fight on same day tape in the U.S, with the big cable network showing the still-in-the-works, but close to being made Andre Berto-Victor Ortiz clash live. For U.K fans, Khan-McCloskey will be available live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Both match-ups are of decent enough quality, but some fans were hoping Khan would face a Breidis Prescott or a John Murray. But the 22-0(12) McCloskey it is. And Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is talking the fight up a storm.
“Amir is back,” Schaefer told ESPN.com. “The King is back. It’s his homecoming, his first fight at home in over 12 months. McCloskey is European champion and he’s been calling out Amir. It’s an important fight for the British fans and for Sky. McCloskey has yet to taste defeat. That makes him dangerous and motivated.
“I heard that he wants to go and finish what [Marcos] Maidana started.”
But is the 31-year-old, who has 12 KO wins on his record, capable of testing Khan the way the Argentine slugger did in December? Khan is still riding high from that great, FOTY win, and rightly so. Make no mistake, it would be some huge upset if Khan were to see his lofty plans derailed by McCloskey.
As a “homecoming” and a “stay-busy” fight (“Paul McCloskey isn’t a Pay-Per-View fighter,” Khan said recently on Sky Sports), April’s fight is interesting enough. But – and no disrespect is aimed at the upset-minded McCloskey – Khan has other, bigger fights in the pipeline. With a potential summer unification with WBC,WBO 140-pound ruler Tim Bradley out there, Khan can afford no mistakes against the warrior from Northern Ireland.
I can’t see Khan making any. Look for a dominant win from Khan in Manchester; either coming via wide decision or by late stoppage. The bottom line: Khan is simply way too fast for McCloskey.