Amir Khan urges Pacquiao to consider retirement

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-2061567/Amir-Khan-urges-Manny-Pacquiao-consider-future.html#ixzz1djv1hgs0 Khan urges Pacquiao to consider his future after controversial win over Marquez By Jeff Powell Last updated at 12:03 AM on 15th November 2011 Amir Khan is advising the great Manny Pacquiao to retire sooner rather than later or risk losing his cherished status as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Britain’s world light-welterweight champion was a ringside commentator at Pacquiao’s narrow escape from defeat by Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night and became increasingly worried for his celebrated friend and spar-mate. As controversy raged over the majority decision with which Pacquiao held on to his world welterweight crown – a verdict which the Mexican and all his countrymen damned as another great robbery in their close-fought trilogy – Khan said: ‘Manny doesn’t need to keep taking that one more fight which might end up taking some of the gloss of his great legacy as the best boxer in the world. Triumph: Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas Triumph: Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas ‘He’s got away with it against Marquez. Even I had him losing by two rounds. He’s my friend and I’m happy for him that he won. But for his sake we have to be honest. He would not beat Floyd Mayweather on this performance. ‘He is a legend already but he has to be careful now. He has some thinking to do. He has so much on his plate, what with his political work as a Congressman back home in the Philippines and everything else.’ Khan spoke up even though the earlier Pacquiao hangs up the gloves, the less chance of him landing a monster pay night against the thriller from Manila. The pair have always insisted they will not fight each other but Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has given the first serious indication here that it could happen. Controversial: Some commentators felt Marquez deserved at least a draw Pacquiao might feel all the more inclined to do so after these comments from Khan, who is beginning to believe that he could defeat his 32-year-old friend and mentor. When I asked him if he, as well as Mayweather, might beat the Pacquiao we watched in the MGM Grand Garden, this was Khan’s diplomatic answer: ‘Well, let me just say that in our sparring lately he’s not the one getting the better of it.’ Confirmation of that came on Monday when sources in Pacquiao’s camp revealed that he has decided not to spar with Khan again. Arum was lining up Pacquiao for a spring fight against alternative light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who backed off a unification fight with Khan to box on the undercard here. Bradley stopped fading veteran ex-champ Joel Casamayor but Khan would prefer Pacquiao to go ahead with the arrangement rather than a fourth war with Marquez. Khan says: ‘Of course Manny would beat Bradley, who would be easy for me. But it’s never going to be easy for Manny against Marquez because their clash of styles works against him.’ Nevertheless Pacquiao and his esteemed trainer Freddie Roach feel obliged to offer Marquez yet another re-match, with Roach saying: ‘If it happens I will to do my job a little better, I guess. I fully expected Manny to knock him out this time but we still have to find a way to overcome his counter-punching.’ Pacquiao insists he wants to settle the arguments once and for all and Arum wants to put on the fourth fight, not least to scotch the ‘ridiculous’ allegations that the scoring was fixed, adding: ‘The fights between these two are so close that the rounds are very difficult to score. A lot of people thought Marquez won yet the computer stats show Manny throwing and landing more punches.’ Confident: Marquez thought he had done enough to beat Pacquiao Confident: Marquez thought he had done enough to beat Pacquiao To help rebut the accusation of fight rigging, they might coax Marquez out of his threatened retirement, at 38, by offering him home advantage in Mexico on May 5. That is a national day there and potentially another huge pay day, with the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City a sure-fire 120,000 sell out. Khan, meanwhile, is heading for Washington on December 10 and a testing title defence against American Lamont Peterson in his home town. That marks his return to Sky Sports. Then, unless Bradley becomes available, he will move up to light-welterweight in preparation for challenging Mayweather himself. However, the new Sky deal is predicated on three fights in America, thereby making it unlikely he will be granted his wish for a homecoming fight in England.