It was announced earlier today that Amir Khan will face fringe welterweight contender Samuel Vargas in his next fight, to be held on 8th September at Arena Birmingham.
Prior to the fight announcement, Khan’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, had promised an opponent that would provide the former unified super lightweight World champion with more of a test than his last opponent, Phil Lo Greco, who was blown away by Khan in the space of 40 seconds in April this year.
Khan’s explosive return to the ring against Lo Greco, after a devastating knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez followed by a layoff of nearly two years, re-ignited interest in a domestic grudge match with former IBF welterweight titleholder Kell Brook, which would prove the culmination of a bitter rivalry that has brewed for years.
In his post-fight ring interview, Khan declared his desire to face and defeat Brook – who had entered the ring to confront his nemesis and stood just a few metres away – and insisted that he was ‘not a fighter to run away’.
Brook, himself rebuilding after consecutive stoppage losses to Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr., in turn claimed he would make Khan ‘see stars’ in reference to his jungle appearance on British reality TV show ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’.
Although both fighters find themselves without World titles and arguably past their prime, a clash between the two would still be a blockbuster boxing event in the U.K. and a guaranteed money-spinner.
Although Brook, the naturally bigger man, now fights at super welterweight, Khan fought his last two bouts at catchweights of 155lbs and 150lbs respectively. With both now sharing the same promoter in Eddie Hearn – and both insistent that they want the fight – it would seem to be a no-brainer.
It makes the choice of Khan’s next opponent a head scratcher at first sight.
On paper, Vargas is at best a side-step from Lo Greco. The Colombian native, now fighting out of Canada, is coming off a draw with a fighter by the name of Mauro Maximiliano Godoy. He has fallen well short on the two previous occasions he has stepped up in class, against Errol Spence Jr. in 2015 (Round 4 TKO) and Danny Garcia in 2016 (Round 7 TKO). His career-best win to date came by majority decision against badly-faded former lightweight contender Ali Funeka.
The revelation that the Vargas fight looks set to be a final eliminator for the WBA ‘Regular’ title which Lucas Matthysse and Manny Pacquiao will contest next month provides a measure of clarity.
Matthysse and Pacquiao are mere shadows of what they once were as fighters and would be prohibitive underdogs against the other welterweight titleholders Spence, Keith Thurman and Terence Crawford, all of whom represent altogether more formidable propositions. Both still, however, command name value and Filipino ring-legend Pacquiao remains one of the biggest money draws in boxing.
From a risk-reward perspective, it is hard to begrudge Khan such an opportunity, but it raises questions over the bona fides towards making the Brook fight happen: as does Khan’s insistence that the fight must take place at 147 pounds (despite having fought at higher weights himself).
Gamesmanship one could say, but gamesmanship does not make fights happen.
Boxing history teaches us that fights left to marinate too long will invariably fall flat when they finally materialise. Khan-Brook has been mooted now for six years.
Only time will tell whether or not the expectations of boxing fans will be realised or whether Khan-Brook will simply be relegated to the status of boxing fable. That time is running out rapidly.
Article by: Paul Lam
You can follow Paul on Twitter at: @PaulTheWallLam