Arum Tabs Khan as Top Target For Pacquiao's Return
Sep 26, 2015 • 2:55 AM ET
By Edward Chaykovsky
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is working hard to secure Amir Khan for the 2016 return of Manny Pacquiao. Arum is looking to make this fight in the early part of next year in Las Vegas.
The two fighters were training mates for several years under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. Khan left Roach in 2012 and hired Virgil Hunter.
Khan had tried to secure a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the last two years. Mayweather retired after his September 12th victory over Andre Berto. Pacquiao's last bout was against Mayweather, a twelve round decision loss in May.
The British star has now turned his attention to Pacquiao. Arum says Khan is the only person his company is negotiating with at the moment.
While Khan is advised by Al Haymon, who never does business with Top Rank, it won't be a problem in these negotiations. Arum is speaking with Khan's uncle and his personal attorney to make the fight happen.
“We were planning for Manny Pacquiao to fight at the end of February, or at the latest, the first two weeks in April,” Arum told Gareth Davies of the Telegraph. “March is out of the question because of a big college basketball tournament in the United States. That gets all the ink at the time. I’m in the process of having negotiations with Amir Khan’s uncle and his lawyer, Robert Davis, and those negotiations are ongoing.
“I don’t negotiate with two people at the same time. I think that’s unethical. I’m in the process of negotiating for an Amir Khan fight against Manny Pacquiao. I’m not saying necessarily that the negotiations will be successful, although I believe that everybody is negotiating in good faith. While those negotiations are going on, I’m not going to discuss any other opponent for Manny Pacquiao."
