Oscar De La Hoya believes in Amir Khan.
“I’m pushing for a Pacquiao fight,” De La Hoya said prior to Khan's upcoming bout with Devon Alexander next weekend. “And I’m also pushing for a Mayweather fight.”
De La Hoya stated that Khan “is a perfect example” of why welterweight has long been boxing’s glamour division. “He is a devastating puncher, has tremendous speed and he knows how to use it. He pleases the fans. He’s exciting. People want to watch him fight.
“Amir Khan is just beginning, he has a lot of fight left in him. He’s still learning and he’s still growing; he’s getting stronger and he’s getting faster. He’s more motivated than ever. If he keeps winning, if he keeps on getting into these big fights that are promised, I really do feel that Amir Khan can be one of the top fighters of all time. But first things first: Devon Alexander is a tough, tough opponent.”
This will be Khan's first bout at the MGM Grand.
De La Hoya was not on scene very much for Mayweather's rematch with Marcos Maidana prompting rumors that his company's influence with "Money" has declined.
“We’re always happy to be working with and promoting Mayweather. We’ve done it for the last 10 fights. But, look, Amir Khan has been having eliminator after eliminator. The time for him is now. He deserves to be fighting Floyd Mayweather. He deserves to be fighting Manny Pacquiao.”
Negotiations would go smoother for a Pacquiao-Khan battle. The two are former gym mates. Kell Brook is another option for Khan, seemingly recovered from a knife attack that took place three months ago.
“I can see that type of fight happening at Wembley Stadium, for instance, in front of a hundred thousand people,” De La Hoya said. “That would possibly be plan B.
“It really rubs me the wrong way that Amir has been promised fighting the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao and it hasn’t happened yet. He is at the perfect moment of his career. And one thing is for sure: 2015 is going to be his year. He is a force to be reckoned with, a threat to everyone in the welterweight division. I’ve always said if you put him up to the test, if you put him up against a Floyd Mayweather, a Manny Pacquiao, don’t be surprised if he wins.”
In regards to a Mayweather and Pacquiao fight, De La Hoya said “I’ll believe it when I see it, I’ve heard it for about five years. It’s very complicated. First of all, you have one fighter [Pacquiao] with HBO and the other with Showtime. You have sponsors. But most importantly, you have egos and egos can get in the way of making big fights happen.”
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