Amir Khan emerges as the early favorite to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, but the Briton might also be interested in taking on Manny Pacquiao, who was his former sparring partner during his time with Freddie Roach.
On his Twitter account, Khan stated that he dropped the former pound-for-pound king three times in sparring, though the tone of his message had fans doubting if he was really serious.
"3 times haha "@garrie81: @AmirKingKhan have you ever put manny down in sparring ??#AmirKingkhan," Khan posted on his Twitter account.
Khan, a former junior welterweight champion, was previously scheduled to fight Devon Alexander in December this year. However, the showdown between the two top-rated fighters was eventually scrapped with Alexander now fighting Shawn Porter in November.
With Khan left without an opponent, boxing fans are now convinced that the Briton is on his way towards fighting the current pound-for-pound champ, probably in the first Saturday of May next year.
In an interview with Hustle Boss via IBT, Floyd Mayweather Sr. hinted that the fight between his son and the Briton might happen next year.
"All those tough guys and champions that Floyd fought over the years. I think Floyd deserves an easy a** fight like Amir Khan. I want Floyd to tear his a** out of frame," said Mayweather Sr, who is very confident that his son will obliterate the Briton in a 12-round title match.
Still, the Mayweather-Khan showdown hasn't been confirmed up to now. Pacquiao, who's fighting Brandon Rios for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Welterweight title on Nov. 23 at Venetian in Macau China, looms as another ideal opponent for him.
There's no doubt that Khan is bound to receive the highest paycheck of his career whether he fights Mayweather or Pacquiao next. Moreover, the opportunity of fighting either legendary boxers is another thing that would surely have British boxing fans pumped up for next year.
Since the retirement of Ricky Hatton, no Briton has made significant buzz in the loaded welterweight division. Khan, coming off back-to-back wins against Julio Diaz and Carlos Molina, is out to prove that he is the next big thing in British boxing.