Dubai: Besides being world champions at some point of time in their illustrious careers, what do Manny Pacquiao, Amir Khan and Kell Brook have in common?
They are all being linked to a potential super fight, which could happen this December at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
British Promoter Eddie Hearn, who is assembling the biggest stable of fighters ever seen in the US after striking a $1 billion trans-Atlantic deal with an online streaming giant dubbed the ‘Netflix of sport’, is the brain behind the year-end mega boxing event.
Khan is scheduled to fight Samuel Vargas this Saturday at Birmingham but the 36-4 boxer is more interested in taking on former training partner and reigning WBA champion Pacquiao in an event that he believes has the potential to sell out a stadium in the UK.
However, Sheffield’s Brook has also indicated his intent to return to the welterweight division and fight Khan. “I really do believe I am one of the few who can sell out a stadium in the UK,” Khan told Boxing News. “It’s more than just the stadium, it’s the personality and person who sells that fight and it’s the dance partner, as well.”
And that dance partner could be the Filipino icon, who scored a ruthless TKO victory over Lucas Matthysse on July 15.
“Manny is a great champion, he’s a great fighter,” Khan told Fight Hub. “I think styles make fights. Me and Manny trained a lot together for a long, long time in the Wild Card, going to the Philippines back and forth.
“Sometimes, you have to put your friendship aside and you have to take it into the ring. I mean it would be nice to fight Manny. It would be nice to beat someone like Manny who’s a legend in the sport.
“A Manny Pacquiao fight would be massive, anywhere in the world. He is a good fighter, a slick fighter, he’s a huge name in boxing and I am sure if he came to the UK, the UK fans would want to come and see him.”
Hearn, who admits that the planned December showpiece is “wide open” for any of the trio to be involved in a stadium fight, said: “Khan has a decision to make, if he beats Vargas do you want Brook?
“Brook has said to me, ‘I want a big fight’. I met with Pacquiao’s people last week as well, and if Khan is too expensive for Pacquiao, because Pacquiao is very expensive, Pacquiao could fight Brook.
“Could Brook steal the Pacquiao fight, and Amir is left with nothing? Is Brook about to gate crash the Pacquiao-Khan fight? It’s wide open for anybody to fight anybody.”
Meanwhile, the unbeaten Gennady Golovkin (38-0) and Canelo Alvarez (49-1) are all set for a September 15 mega fight. Boxing has never looked like so much fun!
