Khan: You can’t call me chicken
AMIR KHAN is mystified by accusations from Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach that he does not have the courage to challenge the Pacman or Floyd Mayweather.
Roach, who used to train Khan, claimed he does not ‘have the balls’ to take on either of the fighters.
‘Where does Freddie get that from?’ said Khan. ‘I’ve spent almost two years trying to pin down Floyd for the fight he promised me and I’ve already said I would love to fight Manny later this year.
‘How can anyone say I don’t have the guts for this? I’ve dedicated myself to training over here, in America, a long way from home in Bolton, in the hope I can get that mega-fight I’ve always dreamed about.
‘I’ve never ducked anyone and I’m doing all I can to get in the ring with the men considered the best fighters in the world.
‘Not only did Floyd make me wait in vain but we had talks with Manny’s team which set me up to fight him if Mayweather didn’t go through with their big fight.’
Khan has also responded eagerly to the possibility raised by promoter Bob Arum of a fight against Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year. He added: ‘I’ve accepted that Mayweather-Pacquiao is the fight the whole world wants to see. And I know that if it’s a great, close fight in Vegas it will almost certainly mean they have a rematch in September.
‘I would like nothing more than to fight the winner next May. I’m keeping on being patient out of respect for the enormity of them meeting each other in the fight we’ve all been wanting for years. I know it would be great for boxing.
‘But I also know that me against either of them would be huge.’
Being patient does not mean sitting on his hands. He will be gloved up in New York on May 29 for an interim bout with Chris Algieri.
Mayweather-Pacquiao is live on Sky Sports Box Office late next Saturday, at £19.95