LAS VEGAS: Britain’s former two-time light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan has said he wants to be the next opponent for Floyd Mayweather after watching ringside as the American outpointed Manny Pacquiao in the Las Vegas superfight.
Mayweather kept his unbeaten record with a unanimous points victory over Pacquiao in a welterweight unification showdown that failed to live up to all the pre-match hype, but fully highlighted the winner’s superb defensive skills.
Mayweather said after the fight that he would only get in the ring once more — in September — and Khan, 10 years younger at 28, believes he is ideally placed to be the American’s final opponent.
“I think the fight is there,” Khan told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek program.
“I spoke to Len Ellerbe, his manager, I saw him in the media room and he came over to say ‘hi...he’s ready when you are’.
“I think Mayweather’s team are wanting the fight. But then — on the other hand — I’ve even spoken to Manny’s team and they said the same thing. (They said), ‘Look Amir, I think it’d be good to have the fight between you and Manny next’.
“So, I’m in a position where I could fight either guy but I think Mayweather’s the one I want, because I really believe I have his number.”
The Bolton boxer, with 30 wins and three losses to date in his career, is in action later this month in New York taking on Chris Algieri, but he hopes to get in the ring with Mayweather later this year or early in 2016.
“I think it would be an amazing fight, one that boxing fans all around are talking about because I really believe size is a big factor between me and him and the speed and the power as well. I really believe I have his number.”
Early reactions to the richest fight in boxing history were mixed with Oscar de la Hoya, a former rival of both Mayweather and Pacquiao saying on Twitter: “Sorry boxing fans” and “call me old school but I like the fans getting their money’s worth by watching an action packed fight.”
Former Irish champion Barry McGuigan agreed saying on his Twitter site “boringly one-sided“
Others though praised the boxing skills of Mayweather as he took his unbeaten streak to 48 wins over 19 years.
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who had picked Pacquiao to win told Sky Sports: “It’s him. It’s who he is. It’s just his time at the moment.”
Britain’s Lennox Lewis on Twitter said: “If U can’t catch it you can’t hit it #Maypac that pretty much sums up the fight.”
Frank Bruno hailed Floyd Mayweather as a supreme “craftsman” of the boxing ring.
“In this generation you have to go very, very far before you can be a skilled craftsman, businessman, technician, professional and a king in knowing his craft,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek program.
“As a boxer you’ve got to admire him, he’s got to go down as one of the greats.”
Boxing: Amir Khan wants Mayweather fight
Boxing: Amir Khan wants Mayweather fight
Sweden’s Ekstrom takes Dakar stage seven win in Saudi Arabia
- Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stays top in the car category
WADI AL-DAWASI: Mattias Ekstrom won stage seven of the Dakar Rally on Sunday as the field started the second week in Saudi Arabia with late drama for Toyota’s Henk Lategan while Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stayed top in the car category.
South African Lategan had looked like taking the stage and overall lead but let both slip through his fingers after the day’s final checkpoint.
Instead, Sweden’s Ekstrom, winner of the prologue in a Ford Raptor, became the first driver in the top car category to take more than one stage this year.
Lategan had led Ekstrom after 417 of 459km from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir, but finished eight minutes and 35 seconds behind the winner after having to stop for 10 minutes at the 428km mark.
Ekstrom moved up to second overall, four minutes and 47 seconds behind Dacia Sandriders’ five-times Dakar winner Al-Attiyah with Lategan third.
Spaniard Nani Roma was fourth for Ford after being reinstated by stewards late on Saturday’s rest day as winner of stage five and having a one minute and 10 second penalty rescinded.
In the motorcycle category, Australian Daniel Sanders extended his lead over American rival Ricky Brabec to four minutes and 25 seconds with Argentine rider Luciano Benavides a further 15 seconds adrift.
Sanders had been a mere 45 seconds clear after Friday’s sixth stage but Honda’s Brabec finished the 459km stage 10th to the Australian’s fourth.
Argentine Benavides won the stage, his second triumph of the event, in a one-two for the Red Bull KTM factory team with Spaniard Edgar Canet, while Honda’s French challenger Adrien Van Beveren was third.
Monday’s 481km stage eight is the longest of the race with riders and drivers navigating canyons and dunes around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
