When facing middleweight championship opponent Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, contender Amir Khan vowed to teach the 25-year-old a lesson in the ring.
What transpired was the Briton received a pummeling from the Mexican pugilist with only seconds to go in the sixth round. Knock-out.
Khan’s performance was not at all disappointing. Promoter and boxing legend Oscar de La Hoya even said the former unified WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion was “one of the bravest fighters on the planet” for stepping into the cauldron two classes above his usual weight.
While Alvarez’s victory gives him the possibility of going toe-to-toe with Gennady Golovkin – what’s next in store for the former Olympic silver medalist?
1. Kell Brook
Although Amir has made it absolutely clear he has no intention of facing his fellow compatriot in his final three or four bouts, Kell has been quick to highlight Khan’s recent demise, slyly agreeing with Khan’s decision to stay “safe” after his defeat to Alvarez rather than risk more injury.
There is obvious bad blood between the two boxers and for future promoters, this makes it an intriguing prospect and one that can reel in the cash.
After all, Khan wants a fight in the UK, something that hasn’t taken place in three years since defeating Julio Diaz in Sheffield. While this fight is unlikely to come to fruition again, Khan would be silly to waste the opportunity of filling up any football stadium of his choosing.
2. Danny GarciaProps to Khan for trying his luck with the middleweights. Now that he is back in his normal category, it might be high-time he got his revenge on Garcia, the man who once defeated the Briton back in 2012. Although the American undefeated WBC champion would welcome a potential Khan challenge, he would likely pull out should Mayweather decide to come out of retirement in the not-too-distant future.3. Miguel Cotto
Even if Khan prefers his fights on home soil, he wouldn’t pass up the chance of facing the multifaceted Puerto Rican. Hall of Fame fighter trainer Freddie Roach revealed the Cotto gig was nearing a reality but subsequently ended because the team didn’t “want to fight a guy that’s going to run and try to make [them] look bad”. Unlike other probable match-ups, Cotto doesn’t have a flawless record, meaning the odds of Khan coming out on top in his comfortable weight category are in his favour. A win may prolong his career, but a loss could end it.
4. Manny Pacquiao
It’s no secret the boxer would love to fancy his chances against the formidable Filipino, who preferred to fight with Timothy Bradley for a third time in April. But at the age of 37, it seems unlikely as the eight-division champion’s days are numbered, especially with the shoulder injury he sustained in the highly anticipated fight with Mayweather in May last year. Yet, Pacquiao maintains he chose to fight Bradley because Amir’s “middlemen” cut the negotiations short.
5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In recent weeks, the undefeated Michigan star has expressed his interest to come out of retirement, an action he carried out in May 2009 when he took on Jose Manuel Marquez. Prior to the Canelo fixture, Khan has accused Mayweather of “chickening” out of their showdown, even announcing that should he triumph over Alvarez then he’d reject all incoming fight offers from Mayweather. Unfortunately for him, we all know how that turned out.
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