Khan, atat makalaban si Pacquiao
SISIKAPIN ni British boxing superstar Amir Khan na patulugin ang makakalabang matibay na si WBA- NABA welterweight champion Samuel Vargas ng Colombia para magkaroon ng pagkakataon makaharap ang kanyang dating training partner na si eightdivision world champion Manny Pacquiao.
Maghaharap sina Khan at Vargas sa Setyembre 8 sa Birmingham sa United Kingdom sa kanyang ikalawang laban matapos ang masaklap na pagkatalo via 6th round knockout kay dating WBC middleweight champion Saul Alvarez ng Mexico noong Mayo 7, 2016 sa Las Vegas, Nevada sa United States.
Sa pagbabalik sa ring ni Khan noong nakaraang Abril 21 sa Echo Arena sa Liverpool sa UK, magaang niyang pinatulog sa 1st round si dating WBC International welterweight tilist Phil Lo Greco ng Canada kaya nag- aambisyong hamunin si Pacquiao na WBA welterweight titlist ngayon.
“If a win over Vargas means I fight Manny Pacquiao, you know we’ll take that fight,” sabi ni Khan kay boxing writer Phil Jay ng World Boxing News. “I won’t be wasting my time chasing opponents anymore as I think I wasted too much time waiting for Floyd Mayweather, for example, and even Pacquiao but I’m not really going to wait around.”
Dapat na maghaharap sina Pacquiao at Khan noong 2016 sa Dubai, United Arab Emirates pero sinabotahe ni Top Rank big boss Bob Arum ang sagupaan sa banta sa mga promoter na ihahabla dahil may eksklusibong kontrata sa kanya ang Pinoy boxer.
“I’m just going to see what my promoter Eddie and Team Khan have to say and who they think I should fight because there’s no point me wasting any more time. I’m just going to be smart now and fight whoever comes up to keep myself busy,” ani Khan. “There’s been no contact with Manny or his team yet, but even if there was, I’m focusing on Samuel Vargas. I’ve made a mistake before where I looked beyond an opponent and you end up getting caught or you end of losing, so I can’t afford to make any mistakes and I’m just going to be focusing on Samuel Vargas. Whatever happens after that, it takes me where it takes me, but my focus is on one guy.”
Pero hindi maikakailan ni Khan na kapag nagwagi siya kay Vargas ay posibleng harapin siya ni Pacquiao sa sagupaan sa London.
“At the end of 2018 I want to fight again. The last time I fought three times in a year was a very long time ago, so let’s just hope I can stay injury free and we go straight back into training camp after this fight against Samuel Vargas on September 8th,” diin ni Khan. “I want a third fight this year, and as I said, I don’t want to be waiting around for anyone. Obviously it would be lovely to fight someone like Manny Pacquiao as he’s a legend in the sport and I’ve always wanted to fight him.”
“I’ve always fancied my chances, so if it happens, it happens but there are also other names out there for me,” ani Khan na matagal nang hinahamon si Pacquiao. “A Pacquiao fight anywhere in the world would be massive. In the UK, I believe it could sell out Wembley but that’s up to my promoter Eddie Hearn to make sure we put a good card on.”
“Manny Pacquiao versus myself it’s two big names in boxing and it’s a fight that people would want to see. It would be an explosive fight and obviously, Manny is a superstar in the sport,” dagdag ni Khan. “I’m sure the British fans want to see Manny Pacquiao, so I believe Wembley would be the ideal arena to stage a fight like that.”