Amir Khan: record, next fight and profile →
HOLLYWOOD--Bob Arum, sneaking up on his 80th birthday come Dec. 8, was standing on the stairway of Coach Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym, soaking up some sunshine and chatting with a pair of wizened fight scribes Wednesday afternoon.
Trainer Freddie Roach sat down with The Philippine Star to discuss Manny Pacquiao's future options for opponents. Pacquiao returns on November 12th, when he defends his WBO welterweight title against Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Roach admits his boxing is quickly running out of options but there are still a few out there.
During a recent conversation with Alex Ariza, the strength and conditioning coach vented his frustrations at the way last weekend’s Antonio DeMarco-Jorge Linares bout was handled. Ariza began working with the former champion Linares for this particular shot, for the vacant WBC lightweight title, and despite his charge dominating the early action, a bloody Linares would be halted in the eleventh round by a surging DeMarco in a finish that he believes occurred too soon.
WBA/IBF junior welterweight champion Amir Khan is throwing water on the circulating story that a possible rift exists between himself and members of Manny Pacquiao's team. Freddie Roach is currently training both boxers at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Two weeks ago, BoxingScene.com posted a story which outlined the possibility of a future a clash between close friends Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan. In the same story, it was revealed that members of Pacquiao's team are no longer willing to allow the Filipino superstar to take part in sparring sessions with Khan.
WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley appeared on the latest edition of The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene's official audio show. The California native recently signed a promotion contract with Top Rank and will make his debut with company on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view on November 12th in Las Vegas. Bradley will face former champion Joel Casamayor.
There is some speculation that a working relationship is possible, in the near future, between Amir Khan and his former promoter Frank Warren. Khan has not worked with Warren since the first round destruction of Dmitriy Salita in December 2009. The two sides parted on decent terms, or at least they were calm when compared to Warren's past breakups with Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton.
Junior welterweight contender Breidis Prescott disagrees with a recent statement that appeared on BoxingScene.com. According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, WBA/IBF 140-pound champion Amir Khan might possibly possess the "best chin in boxing." In 2008, Prescott knocked Khan out in 54-seconds of the first round.
Promoter Barry Hearn is still bitter with Paul McCloskey's technical decision loss to WBA/IBF junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. Khan won a six round decision over McCloskey in April. The fight was stopped early due to a cut suffered by McCloskey from an accidental clash of heads.
Amir Khan believes there could be "a few more twists and turns" in David Haye's career but will back the former heavyweight champion should he stand by his decision to retire this week.