And then there was none.
With Amir Khan seemingly the only candidate left as Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent for 2016, it now seems that the Pacquiao camp will have to find new candidates to face the Filipino boxing icon.
The latest report reveals that Khan has pulled out from possible fight talks With Pacquiao for 2016, with the British southpaw believing that Pacquiao is more interested in a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I’m really disappointed in Manny and his team,” Khan says via The National. “They aren’t playing ball. All that was left to do is to sign the contract. But they are stalling.
“I have pulled out of the negotiations. I am no longer fighting Manny Pacquiao.”
The thing is, Mayweather announced last September 12 that he is officially retiring. After winning via unanimous decision over Andre Berto and get to 49-0, Mayweather stood pat on his claim of hanging up his boxing gloves.
But Mayweather’s name suddenly came up last October 8 in a report via Yahoo Sports/AFP. It was mentioned in the report that Pacquiao was allegedly in talks with the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Amir Khan.
Not long after, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was shocked at the reports and said that he had no idea what Pacquiao was talking about.
“He said it, not me. But I have had no talks with anyone about that. None. Zero. Not one. Mayweather is retired and I take him at his word. But second, you know there is no way that Mayweather is ever going to fight in the Gulf,” says Arum.
For his part, Khan strongly believes that Pacquiao’s advisers are urging him to forego the British southpaw for competitive reasons. It marks the second time that Khan has been shunned for a high profile match after being passed over as Mayweather’s opponent last September 12.
“I don’t really know if Mayweather is fighting Pacquiao again. It is a possible reason for him to stall on signing the contract, but I don’t really know.”
With regards to Khan’s next fight, he mentions names like Danny Garcia, Timothy Bradley Jr., Lamont Peterson and even Kell Brook as his options.
“I am willing to fight anyone, but it seems not everyone is willing to fight me.”
Amir Khan pulls out of possible fight talks with Manny Pacquiao camp