In a recent interview with Box Nation, former world champion Amir Khan made clear his desire to return to the ring. The Briton, who retired after a defeat in 2022, expressed interest in a high-profile match against Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao. In his statements, Khan didn’t hide his enthusiasm for the potential fight, emphasizing the magnitude that a bout between the two would have.
“Amir, what’s going on with you and Manny Pacquiao?” the interviewer asked, directly addressing Khan. “I know Manny says he wants to fight, I’ll take the fight, I mean, let’s make it happen.” Khan highlighted how significant the fight between the two retired fighters would be, pointing out that despite their retirements, a match between them would still attract many fans.
“You know how big of a fight that would be? It’d be massive. I mean, it’d be good to come back and sell out Arenas again,” Khan added.
Khan, who will turn 38 in December, hopes that the fight could be arranged early next year. Pacquiao, now 44, has yet to comment on the matter, although the Filipino legend has shown interest in staying active with exhibition fights since his retirement in 2021.
Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao share a history that dates back to their time training together under the guidance of Freddie Roach.
The highly anticipated match between the two is not a new concept. Several years ago, the fighters announced on social media that a fight was scheduled to take place in the Middle East. However, the event was canceled due to a lack of proof of funds from the promoters. Despite the cancellation of that first attempt, Khan’s interest appears to have been reignited.
Amir Khan has not competed since being brutally stopped by his rival Kell Brook in February 2022. As for Manny Pacquiao, he retired after losing by unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. However, Pacquiao has participated in several exhibition fights since then, keeping the possibility of one last big fight alive.
In a March interview this year with NordicBet, Pacquiao’s advisor, Sean Gibbons, left the door open for a fight between the Filipino and Khan.
According to Gibbons, there had been interest in making the fight happen in the past, but Pacquiao temporarily retired to focus on his political career.
“There was interest in the past, and there were opportunities,” Gibbons remarked. “But unfortunately, when there was a chance to do it, Manny retired to run for president.” However, Gibbons did not rule out the possibility of the fight happening if there is a promoter willing to pay. “If someone said tomorrow that they want to see Manny Pacquiao take on Amir Khan in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, or England, then of course Manny is up for all of this,” Gibbons expressed.
Gibbons added that Pacquiao is likely in the final year of his career, highlighting the love Pacquiao has for boxing. “This is a final swansong for Manny,” the advisor concluded, suggesting that a fight against Khan could be an ideal opportunity to close out his legendary career.
With Pacquiao still active in exhibition matches and Khan eager to return to the ring, the possibility of the two facing off remains open. The key, as Gibbons pointed out, will be finding the right financial backing to organize an event of this magnitude.
Time will tell if we’ll finally see these two boxing legends step back into the ring in 2024.
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