Promoter Barry Hearn says Paul McCloskey will not be fighting Amir Khan after they offered the European champion "peanuts".
McCloskey won't fight for 'peanuts', fumes promoter
Barry Hearn has laughed off Amir Khan's offer to fight Paul McCloskey as 'a joke'.
The European light-welterweight champion emerged this week as a surprise contender to take on the WBA king when he makes his return to Britain in April.
But promoter Barry Hearn says there is no way the fight will happen and is refusing to even enter negotiations with the current bid on the table.
"The offer was a joke," he told the
Belfast Telegraph. "There's no way I'm letting Paul fight for peanuts.
"They made the offer, I rejected it and as far as I can see the fight is dead. We'll certainly not be going back to them to negotiate.
"If they were to come back with a proper offer then of course we would listen but as I expected they wanted to get Paul on the cheap.
"I'm just not interested in that. Paul's got a better record than Khan - he's undefeated and he's never been knocked out like Khan has.
"Nobody has done Paul any favours, he has done everything that has been asked of him and he deserves to be well paid for a fight like this."
McCloskey, who has not lost in 22 professional bouts, was one of several fighters believed to be in the running for Khan's voluntary defence at the MEN Arena in Manchester on April 16.
American Lamont Peterson has apparently priced himself out of contention, while
Breidis Prescott - the only man to beat the Bolton fighter - says he would relish a return, and the likes of Michael Katsidis and Victor Ortiz have also been mentioned.
But Hearn has warned Team Khan they need to up the ante if they are to get a meaningful opponent.
"Frankly, I don't know who Khan is going to get to fight for the money he was offering Paul," he said.
"Certainly Victor Ortiz wouldn't and I don't think any quality fighter would allow themselves to box for the money Paul was offered."
It's all about Amir - read Glenn McCrory's latest column on Khan's return
