The dust has settled, the smoke is cleared, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be fighting Marcos Maidana on May 3rd, not Amir Khan. Despite being a frontrunner for a longer period of time, and pulling out of a fight with Devon Alexander in the fall, Khan was left empty-handed in the Mayweather sweepstakes.
A dejected Khan was reassured by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer that this isn't a death knell for his dream of facing Floyd, however. "I explained to Amir that this doesn't mean he'll never get the fight," Schaefer said. "Sometimes you go fishing and catch the big one. And sometimes you don't. It doesn't mean you won't fish again. That fight is going to happen, I have no doubt."
Khan's fast hands and supreme skill had him touting himself as a challenge the likes of which Mayweather hasn't seen before, as opposed to the heavy-handed Maidana. "Money," chose the big hitter over the quick-handed fighter with the larger fan base though because he lacked a "signature win."
While Maidana became a household name by shocking Mayweather's protégé Adrien Broner in December, Khan's best win is a 5th-round knockout of Zab Judah in 2011. He has lost in convincing fashion to Danny Garcia and controversially to Lamont Peterson more recently, and was knocked down by a journeyman in his latest victory, which came nearly a full calendar year ago.
It looks like Khan must build his name back up with tough fights, but by moving to welterweight there's a plethora of options available. One big name he could take on might be Keith "One-Time" Thurman, a knockout artist who put down Jesus Soto Karass on the Maidana-Broner card.
With 20 of his 22 victories coming by way of knockout, Khan would have the chance to put a significant victory on his resume, in addition to quelling concerns about a weak chin. While an opponent is up in the air, the idea of Khan fighting on the Mayweather undercard is possible.
"He could be in Floyd's face throughout and make a big statement," Schaefer said.
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