By Edward Chaykovsky
According to Showtime Sports Executive VP Stephen Espinoza, former champion Amir Khan is not necessarily the frontrunner to land Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 3 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Khan has been mentioned as the top frontrunner among the bunch, but Espinoza says there are other candidates being seriously considered - like WBA welterweight champion Marcos Maidana, who recently scored a major victory with an upset of Adrien Broner.
To keep himself available to accept a Mayweather opportunity, Khan walked away from a planned December showdown with then IBF champion Devon Alexander.
Mayweather recently used the social networks to take shots at both Khan and Maidana, which in turn gave a strong hint that one of them will be selected for May.
“Khan is definitely one of the leading contenders for the fight,” Espinoza told The Telegraph. “I know Amir wants the fight. Floyd hasn’t made a decision. I expect an announcement by mid-January or the end of January.
“It is still wide open. Floyd has not made a decision yet about who he is going to fight on May 3. Obviously, Marcos Maidana is making a late case and a strong argument for the fight, but Amir is definitely there in the conversation.”