Amir Khan has shed light on the reason that a huge money fight with former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather never materialised.
The Bolton boxer had been recurringly linked to a fight with Mayweather in the early 2010s when the two were amongst the elite of the welterweight division, but ultimately, they would never share a ring.
Speaking to former Manchester United captain Gary Neville on The Overlap, Khan revealed that a contract to face Mayweather had actually been signed, but the American pulled the plug at the last hour – due to Khan announcing the fight before him.
“Me and him (Mayweather) were supposed to fight. I signed all the contracts, everything was negotiated and signed off.
Why didn’t it happen? Because I announced it first before him – can you believe that?
He wanted to be the man to announce the fight, but because I announced it he said ‘look I’m not fighting you’
He believes in his own ego so much that nobody can announce something before him.”
Facing Mayweather would have no doubt been a career high payday for Khan, so it is perhaps unsurprising the collapse of the fight leaves a somewhat bitter taste, especially as Khan believes he would have beaten Mayweather when both fighters were in their prime:
“I’d have beaten him. Honestly, I beat Mayweather if I was in my prime and he was in his prime.”
Although the Mayweather fight never materialised for Khan, the former unified world champion still had a host of huge fights in America, taking on the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Zab Judah and Marcos Maidana.
Mayweather ended his professional career with a record of 50-0, but has competed in various exhibition bouts since retirement. The latest of these will take place on September 28th, when he will box Japanese MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura.
Khan, who announced his own retirement after a stoppage defeat to Kell Brook in February of this year, has himself expressed an interest in facing Mayweather in an exhibition fight in the future.