By James Slater: We all know reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) and IBF 140-pound champion Amir Khan wants a massive fight with superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior; Khan has been talking about his 2012 summer Dream Fight for quite a while now. But does the unbeaten boxing master known as “Money” have any interest in coming to the U.K to fight Khan, or in facing him anywhere else?
Well, in a recent interview videoed by roving reporter Elie Seckbach of ES News, the 34-year-old future Hall of Famer spoke about the possibility of a Khan fight in some detail. Laying his terms flat out on the table, Floyd made it clear that for Khan to get a fight with him, he must first come through unbeaten light-welterweight talent Jessie Vargas – a young fighter Mayweather goes as far as to call “the future of boxing.”
“You’ve got to take certain steps to get to Floyd Mayweather,” Floyd said. “If Amir Khan can get through Jessie Vargas do he have a fight with Floyd Mayweather? Absolutely.”
So, will Khan be prepared wait for the 22-year-old wannabe star of the future to feel as though he is ready for someone as experienced as he is if he has to? Or will Vargas opt to call out Khan next (providing he comes through okay against Josesito Lopez on the upcoming Mayeather-Victor Ortiz fight card)?
Khan, as Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer has told us, has a plan all mapped on: he will fight in the U.S on December 10th, in what will be his last fight at 140 (possibly against Lamont Peterson), he will then move up to welterweight and face a solid domestic test (maybe Matthew Hatton) and he will then look to get Mayweather into the ring either next summer or towards the end of 2012. But this plan was made before Mayweather issued his recent demands. Will Khan now change his plans, stick around at 140 to accommodate the currently 16-0(9) Vargas, and then look to go for Floyd?
Khan, a proud champion, will not like being dictated to by Mayweather, yet if he wants to fight him so badly he could do a lot worse than to fight Vargas. Khan would surely feel he would defeat Vargas (unless he felt as though he could no longer make 140 and be 100-percent effective), and if he did so, he would have called Mayweather’s possible bluff.
It seems the ball is in Khan’s court: he either fights Jessie Vargas or he does not. How badly does the British superstar want to get it on with the global superstar known as “Money?”