Manny Pacquiao News: 'Pacman' Reveals Why Amir Khan Was Not Chosen To Be His Final Opponent
Eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao recently gave the main reason as to why his former sparring partner Amir Khan was not chosen to be his final opponent.
"King Khan," who is also a former world champion, was among the shortlist of fighters who were being selected to face the Filipino boxing icon for April 9.
It is slated to be Pacquiao's 66th and final professional boxing fight, right before he puts his full focus on being a public servant in his home country of the Philippines.
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Along with Khan on the list was undefeated WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford, and reigning WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. In the end, Pacquiao opted for a rubber match with Bradley.
The said match-up will take place at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas, the same venue where the first two fights were held in June 2012 and April 2014, respectively. Khan has been lobbying for a fight against Pacquiao since 2014, but has been unsuccessful.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports (as reported by Edward Chaykovsky for Boxingscene), "Pacman" revealed the reason why the fight with Khan did not push through, despite the fact that negotiations had already begun.
"Yes [we were talking with Khan]," Pacquiao explained. "Before this fight with Timothy Bradley, we were negotiating and trying to fix and get it done, this fight with Amir, but it didn't work out."
"There were a lot of middle men in negotiations, a lot of representatives from him, and that is the reason," he added.
The 37-year-old Pacquiao also turned down the possibility of meeting Khan down the line, as he reiterated his retirement plans once again.
Khan has since responded to Pacquiao's claim in a report by the Daily Mail.
According to the 29-year-old British boxer, the only people in his camp who dealt with Pacquiao's team comprised of adviser Michael Koncz and promoter Bob Arum was his uncle and lawyer.
