By Lem Satterfield
WBA junior welterweight king, Amir Khan, reached out to BoxingScene.com to lash out at WBO and WBC counter part Tim Bradley, whom Khan believes has a fear of fighting that has led to his reluctance sign for a potential bout July 23.
A former Olympic silver medalist, Khan (25-1, 17 knockouts) is coming off of month's sixth-round, technical decision victory over Irish southpaw Paul McCloskey (22-1, 12 KOs), this, following December's unanimous decision victory over then-interim WBO junior welteweight belt-holder, Marcos Rene Maidana (30-2, 27 KOs) that was named Fight of The Year by Boxing Writers Association of America.
Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs) is coming off of January's 11th-round, technical decision victory that dethroned southpaw WBC king, Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs).
Bradley is being considered as an opponent for eight-divison titlist, Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs), should a deal not pan out for Pacquiao to clash with WBO and WBC lightweight king, Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs).
A winner of six straight, Khan spoke to BoxingScene.com in this Q&A.
BoxingScene.com: So what do you have to say?
Amir Khan: I think that everyone, including HBO, thought that he was going to fight me. But I think that he's just making excuses, to be honest with you. If he's says that it's money, then, you know, I really want to unify the division. Why does he want to go and look forward.
If he really thinks that the future fight is with Manny Pacauiao, then he has to get past me. But I think that the reason he's saying that he wants that fight is because he realizes that it's a big risk for him to fight me. So that's why he wants to avoid me, because he knows that I'll beat him. That's why he's trying to go straight to Manny Pacauiao.
But we have already arranged to have this fight. I mean, everybody was talking about how big of a fight it would be between myself and Tim Bradley. There's more talk about that fight because it's a good fight for both of us.
It's two, young fighters at the top of their game and it's a 50-50 fight. I want to show who the best in the division is, so why is he trying to move up to 147? He knows that he's already got a tough fight at 140 with me.
BoxingScene.com: So you don't think that it's a sound business decision?
AK: No, I just think that he's scared, really. All the boxing fans in the world are let down because there are a lot of fights that people are looking forward to and this is one of them.
BoxingScene.com: Being that both of you were in Las Vegas for last weekend's Manny Pacauiao-Shane Mosley fight, did you get an opportunity to speak with Tim Bradley?
AK: No, but if I had seen him, I would have pulled him up and said, 'Look, what's going on?' I remember that I met him at a fight once before and he said to me, 'Look, we should get it on,' and I said, 'I'm ready.' He said, 'Let's get it on.' I mean, he was very respectful.
But then, as soon as I beat Paul McCloskey, not once has he mentioned that he's wanted to fight me, and I'm the only guy whose saying that I want to fight him. I don't know what's going on with him. I want the fight. I don't know why he's backing out. He's just not going for the fight right now, and I can't believe it, really.
The guy has no balls and I think that he realizes that he can't beat me. He wants to just cash in by fighting Manny Pacquiao. The fight between me and him is the one that's being talked about all around the world. And now, he's just avoiding me. He's not willing to fight me. I just think that he's scared, to be honest with you.
He's just making excuses really, because he knows that once I beat him, no one will know him anymore.
BoxingScene.com: Is there anything else that you want to say?
AK: No, I just think that the end of the day, if he's a true champion, then he'll fight me. But I think that people are figuring out who Tim Bradley really is for not wanting to take this fight. The respect that I had for him and the respect that other people have had for him has totally gone out of the window at this point for not taking this fight.
At the end of the day, we want this fight, and HBO and everyone else is keen on getting this fight. So, my feeling is, let's get it on.