Khan-Maidana is definately ON!

[Suckmedry]

I keep hearing it's on but BPP has said otherwise so I'm inclined to believe him.


Shame really, would have been winnable for Khan but he would have had to be careful.

[Dave Rado]

This fight is NOT ON. Golden Boy promotes both guys and said the FIGHT IS NOT ON. Roach is on the main page and said the fight is NOT ON. Schaefer said on the main page Monday the fight is NOT ON. None of the websites talk to anyone or do any fact checking. They just print whatever.

They're all basing it on the WBA's news article (here) - which was published yesterday, and which does state (wrongly) that the fighters have come to terms and that as a result, the purse bids have been cancelled.

Dan Rafael has just written the following clarification though:

The junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan and interim titleholder Marcos Maidana have been given a two-week extension to see if they can work out an agreement for their mandatory fight, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

Golden Boy signed England's Khan to a promotional deal last weekend and co-promotes Maidana with Universum, one of the leading promoters in Germany.

The WBA had scheduled a Monday purse bid for Khan-Maidana in their offices in Panama before agreeing to the extension.

There was some confusion, however, because several media outlets reported that the sides had made a deal after the WBA announced on its Web site that the purse bid had been canceled because they struck a "tentative agreement" for the bout to take place "approximately" at the "end of March or beginning of April."

That is not the case, Schaefer said. He said Golden Boy asked for the extension, which is why the purse bid was called off, not because a deal for the fight had been made.

"Amir Khan just changed promoters and is with us now, so we asked the WBA to allow us to discuss things with him to see what he wants to do and so we can speak with our co-promoters with Maidana to see if we could come to terms without a purse bid, or work out a situation acceptable to both parties, and that was granted," Schaefer said. "We have two weeks to see what we can work out. If we can't work anything out we will go to a purse bid."

Freddie Roach, Khan's trainer, would prefer for Khan to face somebody else in his next fight rather than the big puncher from Argentina.

One possibility, according to Schaefer, is for Khan, who wants to fight in the United States, to make an optional defense with Maidana fighting on the undercard, before eventually matching them.

"A situation where they are on the same card would make sense. Let's build up the fight," Schaefer said. "We want to explore what other fights are out there."

Schaefer has discussed a match between Khan and former titlist Paulie Malignaggi with Malignaggi promoter Lou DiBella, but said that Khan facing Maidana is still possible for his next bout.

"Amir has not said to me, nor has Freddie said to me, that they are afraid to fight Maidana," Schaefer said. "But at this point of his career, there are other bigger names out there."

Schaefer mentioned Malignaggi along with former lightweight titleholders Juan Diaz and Nate Campbell, both of whom are promoted by Golden Boy, as potential opponents.

"If they are not available, Khan is not saying he won't fight Maidana," Schaefer said. "We have two weeks to figure it out."

The 23-year-old Khan (22-1, 16 KOs), a 2004 British Olympic silver medalist and the 2007 ESPN.com prospect of the year, won a 140-pound belt in July with a dominant decision victory against Andreas Kotelnik. Khan made his first defense on Dec. 5, stopping outgunned mandatory challenger Dmitriy Salita in 76 seconds.

Maidana (27-1, 26 KOs), 26, lost a debatable split decision to Kotelnik in a February 2009 title challenge before making a name for himself in June, when he stopped rising prospect Victor Ortiz in the sixth round in an HBO main event to claim the vacant interim title. Maidana has made one defense, a third-round knockout of William Gonzalez in November.

Which seems to echo what Roach has been saying for some time - that they'd rather build the fight up if possible with a voluntary defence first, with Maidana on the undercard; but that they won't vacate under any circumstances, and that they will fight Maidana this year.

It's odd that the WBA themselves should be directly responsible for this incorrect story getting into all the newspapers, though! You'd have thought journalists ought to be able to trust what the WBA's website says, but obviously not.

[aznhybrid]

Maidana by KO 8th round even if khan tries to dodge shots...if Ortiz couldnt do it then what makes you think Khan can? Lol

footwork.

[FLYBOY]

This fight is NOT ON. Golden Boy promotes both guys and said the FIGHT IS NOT ON. Roach is on the main page and said the fight is NOT ON. Schaefer said on the main page Monday the fight is NOT ON. None of the websites talk to anyone or do any fact checking. They just print whatever.

Thanks for letting us know it's NOT ON.

[Marijuana]

This fight is NOT ON. Golden Boy promotes both guys and said the FIGHT IS NOT ON. Roach is on the main page and said the fight is NOT ON. Schaefer said on the main page Monday the fight is NOT ON. None of the websites talk to anyone or do any fact checking. They just print whatever.

In your opinion, do you think Team Khan wants Maidana right now or later?

[FloydTBE]

Khan-Maidana will be a great action packed fight. It willonly last maximum 8 rounds. I can se Maidana winnign this fight by KO. I think that his ovrall movement (head/foot) will be too much for khan to handle.
Lets face it, khan has been in with ordinary boxers since his loss to prscott. As soon as he steps in with good quality fighters he will lose, and be sitting on the canvas.

[Dave Rado]

In your opinion, do you think Team Khan wants Maidana right now or later?

See here. ...