WBN caught up with British welterweight star Amir Khan this week to discuss when the ex-world title holder will be ready for action.
Back in April, Khan unsuccessfully challenged Terence Crawford before returning to winning ways over the summer in the Middle East.
Khan eased to victory over Billy Dib. Then, talk immediately turned to an all-UK super-fight against Kell Brook.
The pair have been on a collision course for years, with 2020 opening up as the ideal time to settle their beef.
The Bolton man confirmed he’s ready for talks but says both may want another fight in the interim before any blockbuster meeting.
Amir Khan talks to World Boxing News
“I’m not going to fight this year. I’m going to fight early next year, so I want to keep myself busy,” Khan exclusively explained to World Boxing News.
“Hopefully, it is the last couple of fights left in me. I want to make sure I maximize what I can out of it.
“I mean, there were talks about the Kell Brook fight happening, talks about other big names out there. So, I will keep tight and see what the future will hold for me.”
Whether that’s a big fight straight away or a tune-up, Khan stated: “It all depends on who it is really. For example, if it’s a Manny Pacquiao fight, I’ll have to go straight into it. But if it’s the Kell Brook one, he might want a tune-up.
“I might then have a tune-up, and then we fight.”
Pacquiao or Brook
Asked if further discussions were planned, the 32-year-old replied: “We were supposed to meet, so I’m hoping to get that done. If not this week, then maybe next week.
“Let’s see what Eddie throws to me and what options he has.”
He continued: “I’ve always been the boss of my career. I’m just going to see what the deals are for me.
“At the end of the day, boxers want to become a world champion. I’ve done that. People want to fight because they want to make a living and earn enough money to live a good life, so I’m in a perfect position where I can pick or choose.
“You could see that sometimes in boxing, you start losing a bit of that love because I’m so busy doing other things now. But I still love the sport.
“Maybe not as much as I did when I was coming up and wanted to win the world titles. But that’s why I say I have the last couple of fights in me now.
“I want to leave the sport and spend time with my family. Then I’ll get into something else.
“I do a lot of charity work, and now it’s about preparing for the future.”
Wildcard
After mentioning Pacquiao, Khan was quizzed on a potential meeting with his former Wildcard stablemate.
“I mean, Manny’s a great fighter, and he’s one of the best out there. He’s in a position where many people would like to fight him because he is the best,” pointed out Khan.
“People want to see how they’d get on against him. Me and Manny have a lot of history. We trained together. We sparred together, had some good times, and are good friends.
“I would put my friendship aside, and I’m sure he would. I think we would both take that fight.
“But look, like I said, there are so many options out there for me, so I’m just going to see what falls into my lap, really.”
