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Pacquiao-Khan is the Fight for the future - not now.
FRANK WARREN - Columnist
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Published: Today
BOB ARUM revealed this week that Amir Khan was offered the chance to fight Manny Pacquiao.
I spoke with Arum about the fight a couple of months ago and it's something I'm interested in doing.
But it's a fight for the future - not now.
Khan is WBA light-welterweight champion and an exceptional talent, but at 22 and just a handful of fights at world level, it's not controversial to say he needs a few more before he's ready for Pacquiao.
The Filipino has been involved in a series of mega-fights destroying the likes of Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya plus wars with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. And another major stumbling block is that Freddie Roach trains both Amir and Manny.
Roach's loyalties lie with Pacquiao - who he has looked after for years - and Amir would be at a major disadvantage at this stage if he had to switch to another trainer.
Arum suggested Khan be trained by Manny Steward for the fight, he said Roach agreed, but it would be too disruptive.
All the advantages would lie with Pacquiao as when Angelo Dundee stuck with Muhammad Ali before his fight with Jimmy Ellis.
If it happened now Khan-Pacquiao would be a big-money fight in the UK and generate good returns in the US. But in the future it will be worth much more because we need to build a bigger profile in the States.
Besides, the WBA have ordered the Dmitiry Salita fight as Amir's first defence.
TALKING of Bob Arum, he's promoting Manny Pacquiao's next fight against Miguel Cotto and kicked off the publicity tour at the new Yankee Stadium in New York.
Arum staged the last fight at the old Yankee Stadium, Muhammad Ali's 1976 showdown with Ken Norton.
It was marred by a NYPD strike which left fans no protection on the mean streets of the Bronx.
Having sold 30,000 advance tickets the fans boycotted the fight. Arum was prepared and opened 108 ticket booths at the stadium - yet with anarchy reigning outside, just eight tickets were sold on the night.
Email the author
Published: Today
BOB ARUM revealed this week that Amir Khan was offered the chance to fight Manny Pacquiao.
I spoke with Arum about the fight a couple of months ago and it's something I'm interested in doing.
But it's a fight for the future - not now.
Khan is WBA light-welterweight champion and an exceptional talent, but at 22 and just a handful of fights at world level, it's not controversial to say he needs a few more before he's ready for Pacquiao.
The Filipino has been involved in a series of mega-fights destroying the likes of Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya plus wars with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. And another major stumbling block is that Freddie Roach trains both Amir and Manny.
Roach's loyalties lie with Pacquiao - who he has looked after for years - and Amir would be at a major disadvantage at this stage if he had to switch to another trainer.
Arum suggested Khan be trained by Manny Steward for the fight, he said Roach agreed, but it would be too disruptive.
All the advantages would lie with Pacquiao as when Angelo Dundee stuck with Muhammad Ali before his fight with Jimmy Ellis.
If it happened now Khan-Pacquiao would be a big-money fight in the UK and generate good returns in the US. But in the future it will be worth much more because we need to build a bigger profile in the States.
Besides, the WBA have ordered the Dmitiry Salita fight as Amir's first defence.
TALKING of Bob Arum, he's promoting Manny Pacquiao's next fight against Miguel Cotto and kicked off the publicity tour at the new Yankee Stadium in New York.
Arum staged the last fight at the old Yankee Stadium, Muhammad Ali's 1976 showdown with Ken Norton.
It was marred by a NYPD strike which left fans no protection on the mean streets of the Bronx.
Having sold 30,000 advance tickets the fans boycotted the fight. Arum was prepared and opened 108 ticket booths at the stadium - yet with anarchy reigning outside, just eight tickets were sold on the night.