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By Jake Donovan - The wait is finally over, even though the race ended almost exactly where it began.
Amir Khan will return to the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England on April 16. This much we always knew, or at least in the wake of his Fight of the Year-level 12-round war with Marcos Maidana last December.
Over the course of the past several weeks were offered a variety of candidates to stand in the opposite corner for a showcase bout that will air live on Sky Sports PPV and via same-day tape delay on HBO.
A decision was finally made earlier this week, confirming that undefeated Irish junior welterweight Paul McCloskey would land what has become the most coveted assignment in the division these days.
The selection of McCloskey offered a bit of an anti-climactic feel to the sweepstakes, if not unnecessary drama. McCloskey was the frontrunner all along, based on location, glossy record and perceived risk level being considerably lower than the rest of the field.
Negotiations reached a point where it appeared as if the Derry-born boxer was going to move in a different direction. The payout was a sticking point for several candidates vying for the coveted assignment, none of them very appreciative of the modest six-figure payday for a fight that is putting millions more in Khan’s pocket.
The price eventually went up, high enough to finally entice McCloskey’s handlers to close the deal and put an end to weeks of drama and endless rumors.
What now remains is the direction in which the rest of the field heads.
Included among those who sought to face the once-beaten Brit were: John Murray, Lamont Peterson, Breidis Prescott, Junior Witter and Maidana himself, who was scoping U.K.-bound flights the moment it once appeared that McCloskey was out of the running. [Click Here To Read More]
Amir Khan will return to the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England on April 16. This much we always knew, or at least in the wake of his Fight of the Year-level 12-round war with Marcos Maidana last December.
Over the course of the past several weeks were offered a variety of candidates to stand in the opposite corner for a showcase bout that will air live on Sky Sports PPV and via same-day tape delay on HBO.
A decision was finally made earlier this week, confirming that undefeated Irish junior welterweight Paul McCloskey would land what has become the most coveted assignment in the division these days.
The selection of McCloskey offered a bit of an anti-climactic feel to the sweepstakes, if not unnecessary drama. McCloskey was the frontrunner all along, based on location, glossy record and perceived risk level being considerably lower than the rest of the field.
Negotiations reached a point where it appeared as if the Derry-born boxer was going to move in a different direction. The payout was a sticking point for several candidates vying for the coveted assignment, none of them very appreciative of the modest six-figure payday for a fight that is putting millions more in Khan’s pocket.
The price eventually went up, high enough to finally entice McCloskey’s handlers to close the deal and put an end to weeks of drama and endless rumors.
What now remains is the direction in which the rest of the field heads.
Included among those who sought to face the once-beaten Brit were: John Murray, Lamont Peterson, Breidis Prescott, Junior Witter and Maidana himself, who was scoping U.K.-bound flights the moment it once appeared that McCloskey was out of the running. [Click Here To Read More]
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