'Stuck between a rock and a hard place'
Wednesday 27 January 2016 10:39, UK
Amir Khan is mandatory challenger to WBC champion Danny Garcia, while a blockbuster fight looms with IBF king Kell Brook. But Johnny Nelson thinks Khan is stuck in an unenviable position...
It seems like Khan's in a brilliant position that most fighters want to be in - but privately, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. He could fight Brook or fight Garcia, a guy who has knocked him out and knows how to do it. On paper, it's a great position but in reality, is it?
Khan is now in a situation where he fights Brook - who he's been saying is an easy fight - or he goes and fights Garcia, which is a risk.
I don't think Khan wants to fight Garcia again. Had Garcia lost to Robert Guerrero, then Khan would have said 'let's do this'.
Danny would do it, I don't doubt for one second that Danny would do it, but Khan's handlers believe, even if he doesn't, that Garcia is his bogeyman.
Khan lost to Breidis Prescott because of a mistake. He messed up, and could have fought him again to right the wrongs but he chose not to - some fighters believe that you can have a bogeyman that has got your number. Garcia, as far as Khan is concerned, is his bogeyman. I'd be surprised if that fight takes place.
Fighting Brook would be a bigger payday than fighting Garcia, which would be a quarter of the money. I'd be surprised if Khan risks losing again to his bogeyman. The biggest fight out there is with Brook, it's for a title and gives him a chance to unify the titles.
You might be Mr Big but you've got to fight somebody and have that competition. Can Khan afford to lose a fight against Brook with massive bragging rights? He isn't in a great position.
If Khan had boxed Mayweather or Pacquiao and lost, he could still have come back and boxed Brook. If he boxes Garcia and loses, he could come back and box Brook but it wouldn't be as attractive. If Brook is smart, he could say 'let me fight Garcia or Keith Thurman'. That would make Khan look silly.
Khan is an amazing fighter, but people will start forgetting that because of his lack of fighting over the past two years. He's been waiting for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, and it's not his fault that those fights didn't happen. Now he says he wants the biggest fight - well, the biggest fights are for the titles.
Khan, unless he can find another avenue, will be out in the cold.
