British star Amir Khan has questioned whether the sport has now seen the last fight of former training partner Manny Pacquiao.
Having been out of the ring for seven months before the coronavirus hit, it could now mean at least 13 months out of action for the Filipino Senator.
Once boxing resumes, possibly in August, Pacquiao will still need to make arrangements when approaching his 42nd birthday.
It’s a long time for a veteran boxer to be sidelined. Khan is wondering whether the ‘Pacman’ may decide to call it a day.
Amir Khan
“Yeah, for Manny Pacquiao, it’s a long time to be out of the ring,” Khan exclusively told World Boxing News. “I’m sure he knows what he is doing.
“Manny is a great champion, a great fighter, and a friend of mine as well. Even though we tried to get a fight on, at the end of the day, it’s a business.
“But I think it’s a very long time to be out, especially at his age. At 41 or 42, your body is not going to recover as quickly as it normally does even when you are trying to get back into shape again.
“Your body is not going to get in peak shape as quickly as it once did even if you train as you normally do.
“It could be a long time. Is he going to come back? We don’t know now. I know he has a lot of options out there.
“Who knows?”
MAYPAC
Khan is known to be keen on being Pacquiao’s opponent when he does scouting his next challenge. But that could depend entirely on Floyd Mayweather.
‘Money’ is back in the gym after previously expressing his interest in a rematch with Pacquiao in 2020.
‘MayPac 2’ remains a lucrative option for both, meaning Khan – like Errol Spence, Terence Crawford, Mikey Garcia and everyone else, has to wait until Mayweather gives a definitive answer.
Mayweather is testing the waters in the early stages of camp. Trying to decide whether a full ten weeks for Pacquiao is doable.
If it is, and Mayweather does get the bug back, Khan would be forced to wait for the winner in 2021.
Follow experienced boxing writer Phil Jay on Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter.
