By Mark Vester
Trainer Freddie Roach made a recent appearance on BoxingScene.com's official audio show, Leave It In The Ring, and discussed his junior welterweight champion, Amir Khan, and their upcoming ring return on December 11. The frontrunner to face Khan is WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Both fighters are under Golden Boy Promotions, who tried to make that fight a few months ago. Marquez turned the fight down, telling Golden Boy that he refuses to become a "stepping stone" for Khan. Roach is not sure exactly if Marquez will agree to fight them the second time around.
"Marquez had a chance to be the first Mexican fighter to win four world titles [in four weight divisions]. We offered him that opportunity and he turned it down last time. If he's going to turn it down again, I'm not sure," Roach said.
A lot of fighters at 140 are taking verbal shots at Khan, including WBO champion Tim Bradley. Roach says he is not worried about any of the fighters at 140. He says Amir will beat any of them. Roach is willing to accept any opponent that Golden Boy offers them for December.
"Bradley is talking about fighting [Manny] Pacquiao but he better worry about Amir first. [Amir] is way better than any of these guys out there and he has a lot more amateur experience. If these guys are so good, then why didn't they go to the Olympics and why didn't they win a medal," Roach said.
"I fear nobody in that division, whoever [Golden Boy CEO] Richard Schaefer offers me, I'll take. The 140 division is tough right now, we just have to get these guys to the table to fight us."
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