Pacquiao: Talks with Khan ongoing
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao on Thursday confirmed that negotiations are going on between his and Amir Khan’s camp for a fight.
Pacquiao took to Twitter to confirm the talks, teasing his around 114,000 followers that an announcement will be made soon.
My team and I are in negotiations with Amir Khan for our next fight. Further announcement coming soon. #TeamPacquiao pic.twitter.com/nW5jpmwVJs
— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) February 23, 2017
It appears that the Filipino icon took seriously the results of a poll he put up on Twitter last week asking his fans who should he fight next.
Khan topped the poll with 48 percent of 44,815 votes.
Who do you want me to fight next in the UAE?
— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) February 12, 2017
There are reports that interested parties in the United Arab Emirates have offered Pacquiao $38 million to fight Khan in the country, most likely in Dubai.
But Top Rank Inc. chief Bob Arum, in a tweet by ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael, said he isn’t going crazy over the reports.
On a Pac-Khan fight in UAE, @BobArum said to me: "I am not holding my breath and I’m not making plane reservations."
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) February 23, 2017
More @BobArum on Pac-Khan in UAE: If $38M (offer) comes up, fight will take place & if it doesn’t there'll be 1 guy who won’t be surprised.
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) February 23, 2017
That's because it is Pacquiao's adviser Mike Koncz, not Arum himself, who's handling the Dubai negotiations. For the past weeks, the Top Rank boss has been in touch with representatives of Australian prospect Jeff Horn to stage a Pacquiao-Horn fight in Brisbane, Australia.
Rafael, for his part, believes Arum and Koncz aren't aligned on their plans.
It is very clear that Arum and Pacquiao/Koncz are not on the same page. At all.
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) February 23, 2017
Pacquiao is originally eyeing to return to the ring on April 23, so a deal better get finalized soon so he will have around two months to train, the standard duration of his preparations for fights.
Khan (31-4, with 19 KOs) has long wanted to get a megabuck fight with either Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Pacquiao. He hasn’t fought since getting knocked out by a bigger and more powerful Saul Alvarez when he challenged the WBC middleweight champion in May last year.
The British fighter once trained under Freddie Roach, and served as a sparring for Pacquiao before.
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