Amir Khan is hoping that he'll able to get a long awaited showdown with former sparring partner, Manny Pacquiao, in the fall.
Khan will return on July 12th, in a clash against Billy Dib in Jeddah.
Pacquiao will challenge Keith Thurman for the WBA welterweight title on July 20th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
They were scheduled to fight at one point in 2017, but the deal fell apart after the claimed investors were unable to provide any concrete proof of funds to stage the event.
This time around, Khan believes there will be more than enough money to fund their contest, in Jeddah, on a date of November 9.
According to Khan, he doesn't want anyone to question the integrity of the contest - and because of that he would want a stringent drug testing protocol for the two of them.
“I think testing is something that’s very important in boxing,” said Khan to The Mirror.
“We have these tests for a reason. If fighters don’t want to take them, there must be some reason. I would definitely want testing to make sure the fight is legal, where both parties are happy. Win or lose for Pacquiao against Thurman, it would be a big fight here in Saudi Arabia because they want to see Manny, who’s from not far from here. Manny knows he will make big money here, whether he wins or loses."
Khan is not paying attention to any of the rumors claiming that Pacquiao was at one time using performance enhancing drugs.
The two boxers were at one time training side by side, when Freddie Roach was their mutual head trainer.
“It’s hard nowadays and everyone has something to say about drug cheats,” Jhan said. “Fingers will always be pointed at people. But I know Manny and in training camp I never saw him doing anything bad.
“All these fighters who are taking something, I don’t think it will get them far in life. It will always come back to haunt you. It’s good to know I’ve never done something like that because you have to live with it. I can live knowing I’m a clean fighter. All my life I’ve not done anything. I’ve been tested regularly, been happy to take tests. Never missed a test and have always done everything right.”
2023-10-23 15:35:40
