WBA Boxing

In front of a massive pay-per-view audience, Badou Jack (22-1-2, 13 KOs) added the WBA light heavyweight title to his resume with a fifth-round TKO win over Nathan Cleverly (30-4, 16 KOs) on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor megafight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. 

The WBA congratulated its new champion:

#AndTheNew WBA Light Heavyweight Champion by TKO5 @BadouJack #CleverlyJack pic.twitter.com/xGkG8zWONv

— WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) August 27, 2017

From the outset, both fighters lived up to their reputations. Cleverly came forward with volume and landed, but Jack came back with the heavier, more impactful punches. Sherdog summed up the first two rounds:

Cleverly has landed more, primarily jabs, but Jack has definitely landed cleaner, more definitive shots. Big Clev right#MayweatherMcGregor

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) August 27, 2017

As the fight progressed, that trend would only be magnified in favor of the challenger. Jack began to string together power punches as Clev's usual aggression turned into constant protection. ShoStats provided context for the first four rounds:

#ShoStatsUnofficial
THROUGH ROUND 4 OF 12 @SteveFarhood: 40-36 JACK

— SHO Stats (@SHOStats) August 27, 2017

In the fifth, it became apparent Jack would continue to bludgeon Cleverly. With no more offense left for Clev and Jack continuing to turn on the pressure, referee Tony Weeks finally called an end to the onslaught. Fox News Radio's Ryan O'Hara agreed with the decision: 

Jack looked to Tony Weeks to stop the bout... and he should. This is a bloody murder. #boxing #MayweathervMcGregor

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) August 27, 2017

This is a big step for Jack. The Mayweather Promotions fighter successfully transitioned from the super middleweight division (168 pounds), where he was the WBC champion, to light heavyweight (175 pounds).

With Mayweather in his corner, the future looks bright for Jack. The 33-year-old showed himself well as a 168-pound fighter in wins over Anthony Dirrell, George Groves and Lucian Bute. 

Defeating a multiple-time champion in Cleverly makes his resume even more impressive. It also shows Mayweather's chops as a promoter. Jack understands the power of Money in that capacity. 

"I made a big name for myself at super middleweight, and Floyd told me that he'd get me a title fight at light heavyweight, either with [world champion Adonis] Stevenson or another title fight," Jack said, per Dan Rafael of ESPN. "He got me the fight. I'd rather fight Stevenson than Cleverly, but this is a good fight too and it's for a world title. Floyd promised me I'd fight for a title and he's always delivered, so I'm very thankful to have a promoter like that."

After the fight, he once again took the opportunity to call out Stevenson, per Bad Left Hook:

Badou Jack calls out Adonis Stevenson. “Unless you want a trilogy with Andrzej Fonfara. Fight someone real.”

— Bad Left Hook (@badlefthook) August 27, 2017

The matchup with Stevenson will have to wait, though. The WBA already ordered up Dmitry Bivol as the mandatory challenger for Cleverly when he was champion, so it's likely that will be Jack's next fight. 

That will be a bout worth keeping an eye on. The 26-year-old Russian is a rising star in the division with an 11-0 record that features nine knockouts.

Boxer Amir Khan was reportedly punched Friday in Bolton, England, in an apparent road rage incident. 

According to Neal Keeling of the Manchester Evening News, a police spokeswoman said the victim was attacked and his vehicle was damaged after taking a wrong turn:

"A man in his 30s was driving his car when he made a wrong turn. This angered a driver who was behind them. There was an altercation and the man behind punched the man in his 30s. His vehicle was damaged by a group of men—possibly three. There were no arrests. Anyone with information should contact us by calling 101."

The 30-year-old is a Bolton native who represented Great Britain in the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal.

Khan is also a former light-welterweight champion who boasts a career professional record of 31-4 with 19 wins coming by way of knockout.

His most recent fight came in May 2016 when he was defeated by Canelo Alvarez by knockout in the sixth round.

In only the third title-unification bout between undefeated welterweights in boxing history, Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) earned a split-decision victory over Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs), unifying the division's WBA and WBC world titles.

Fighting on prime-time network television and in front of a Barclays Center boxing-record crowd of 16,533, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Thurman showed power early on, used his jab effectively and controlled the ring and tempo. 

Bad Left Hook had the judges' scores:

116-112 Thurman
115-113 Garcia
115-113 for your winner…THURMAN

— Bad Left Hook (@badlefthook) March 5, 2017

Garcia didn't seem to have much of an argument for swaying a judge, but Thurman let the final rounds get away from him, moving on his back foot, dancing around and generally looking like he thought he had the bout wrapped up. 

The Vertical's Chris Mannix assessed Thurman's performance: 

Interested to see the scorecards, but I had Thurman in total control early, and just forking over his lead late. Just a weird game plan.

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) March 5, 2017

Sho Stats provided the final punch numbers, showing Garcia was more accurate but didn't land as many as his opponent in total: 

#ShoStats: Total Punches Landed/Thrown
thru 12
THURMAN [147/570, 25%]
GARCIA [130/434, 29%]

— SHO Stats (@SHOStats) March 5, 2017

Garcia didn't appear too worked up over the decision, but he did think he was the more aggressive fighter, per BoxNation: 

"I came up short tonight, I thought I was the aggressor and won the fight. It is what it is" - @DannySwift

— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) March 5, 2017

The action by no means comprised a classic, but it was still a high-stakes affair with some fine displays of pugilistic prowess.

Thurman wasted no time in starting this match, launching wild power shots with little in the way of setup for the first couple of rounds. A solid right-handed connection toward the end of the first frame seemingly stunned Garcia and put a charge into the atmosphere.

Showtime Boxing summed it up:

💣s away #ThurmanGarcia pic.twitter.com/FqZMQaDwXU

— All the Smoke Boxing (@atsboxing) March 5, 2017

It appeared Thurman was banking on his power to see him through this bout. He had told Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole prior to the bout that Garcia "is not a legitimate welterweight," and indeed Garcia had done his best work and faced his toughest opposition at or below 140 pounds. 

Garcia took Thurman's power leads as best he could, and his excellent timing and technique allowed him to land a few of his patented counter hooks, the sharpest of them thudding into Thurman's midsection. 

Bad Left Hook felt Garcia's highlights were sporadic early on: 

Garcia’s had good moments in every round, but little consistency.

— Bad Left Hook (@badlefthook) March 5, 2017

Thurman eventually settled in behind a probing jab, which slowed the pace but didn't give Garcia much of an opportunity to swing things in his favor, at least at first. Thurman's early show of power gave Garcia plenty to think about, and if it wasn't for Swift's iron chin, it might have turned into a rout for Thurman.

Garcia started to get his timing and movement down in the sixth, landing some sharp counters and expertly dancing out of the way of Thurman's wide swings. After seven rounds, boxer Sergio Mora weighed in on the tactical battle: 

Man, this is beautiful to watch. Both missing KO power punches by inches...And NOT BY LUCK.

— Sergio Mora (@TheLatinSnake_) March 5, 2017

The Brooklyn crowd didn't necessarily see the beauty that Mora was enjoying, letting loose a cascade of boos as the action slowed in the eighth and ninth rounds. Thurman's early fervor had long dissipated as he allocated more time to moving around the ring and jabbing, and Garcia couldn't find an opportunity to let his hands go. 

Saturday Night Boxing's Adam Abramowitz saw the fight getting away from Garcia: 

Garcia is getting outboxed and outslugged. He's going to have to start taking more risks. Fight getting wide on my card.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) March 5, 2017

Showtime showcased some of the better exchanges from the late rounds: 

.@keithfthurmanjr & @dannyswift lighting each other up in the final rounds #ThurmanGarcia pic.twitter.com/dFjh5bIBqg

— All the Smoke Boxing (@atsboxing) March 5, 2017

As the fight came to a close, Thurman opted to coast, confident in the work he had done earlier in the bout. Garcia took what opportunities he could, landing some solid shots in the 11th and stringing together a few flurries in the final frame. 

It was a fine late effort considering the powerful shots he had taken at the beginning of the fight, but Garcia didn't do enough to throw Thurman off his game. His counterpunching was brilliant at times, but he lacked consistency and spent too much of the bout on the back foot. 

Thurman showed strong versatility in this bout, further expanding his reputation to more than just a thumper. He has built a good case for himself as the top welterweight working today.

Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan have both confirmed they have entered negotiations to fight one another.

The pair took to Twitter on Thursday:

https://twitter.com/mannypacquiao/status/834578429152407552

#Pacquiaokhan

What do think?

Currently negotiating with Manny #teampacquiao. Coming soon. Watch this space!

— Amir Khan (@amirkingkhan) February 23, 2017

Per ESPN's Dan Rafael (h/t the Guardian), the move puts an end to Jeff Horn's hopes of fighting Pacquiao in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia, in April.

The Filipino's promoter, Bob Arum, said: "The Australian deal is not going to happen now because Manny is trying to get a fight done in the United Arab Emirates. The people there favour him fighting Amir Khan."

Arum added that the fight was far from guaranteed to happen, however: "Whether it will happen or not I just don’t know because they have to come up with a large amount of money. Manny seems to believe they will come up with the money. I have some reservations whether it will happen or not."

The promoter, who revealed the money supposedly on the table in the UAE is $38 million, had previously dismissed reports of Pacquiao fighting Khan as "total and complete bulls--t."

In a Twitter poll conducted by Pacquiao earlier in February, Khan was selected as the overwhelming favourite by almost half of the 45,000 people who responded:

https://twitter.com/mannypacquiao/status/830845509203922944

The 38-year-old is pursuing his 60th win in what will be his 68th fight, having bounced back from his defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. with wins over Timothy Bradley and Jessie Vargas.

Meanwhile, Khan's last bout in May 2016 saw him suffer the fourth defeat of his career—a sixth-round knockout by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez after he had moved up two weight divisions to take on the Mexican.

Per Rafael, Arum said the fight could take place in April or June, but May is out of the question because of Pacquiao's duties as a senator in the Philippines.

Despite Pacquiao's age, he undoubtedly represents one of the toughest opponents Khan could face on his return to the welterweight division.

The pair used to both train under Freddie Roach, who remains Pacquiao's coach, and sparred together during that time.

According to Rafael, Khan has long sought out a fight with Pac-Man, so the 30-year-old will finally get to test himself against his former training partner. It could be one of the trickiest fights of his career. 

British boxer Amir Khan has hit out at former fighter Floyd Mayweather once again, implying the undefeated American was too scared to square off against him before retiring from the sport.

Speaking with Boxing News (h/t Jacob Murtagh of the Daily Mirror), the Bolton-born puncher opened up on his attempts to get in the ring with Mayweather prior to him hanging up the gloves and suggested despite a career record of 49 wins from 49 professional fights, Floyd is definitely beatable:

I wanted the Floyd Mayweather fight. Floyd in a way he chickened out, he didn’t give me the fight. Three years he was saying he was going to give me the fight, then he didn’t give me the fight.

Mayweather’s very beatable. If you look at when he fought against Berto. He was making a few mistakes, he was getting caught a lot, and something I’ve never seen before.

Reading too much into Mayweather’s 49th fight against Andre Berto seems a little misguided from Khan. After all, this was a bout that was hopelessly lopsided, with Floyd going through the motions, barely paying much attention to his opponent and coasting to another easy win.

As we can see here courtesy of TheLounge, it wasn’t a fight that Mayweather seemed to take very seriously at all:

When Mayweather fought Berto, he kept making faces at Berto's girlfriend. pic.twitter.com/DTRLjo3D1h

— The Lounge (@TheLoungeSite) October 3, 2015

But should he come back to boxing and fight someone who is of a higher standard, then you suspect his focus would return very quickly. It’s unlikely to be Khan, though, who continues to diminish any slender chances he has of getting a shot at Mayweather by being critical of the American in a variety of different interviews.

As noted recently by Boxing Kingdom, there is a sense of obsession when it comes to Khan’s relentless focus on Mayweather:

Amir Khan has done 4 press releases over the past 4 days. All mentioned Floyd Mayweather. Who has retired. #boxing #obsessed

— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) September 18, 2015

Still, it seems as though there are big challenges to come for Khan elsewhere and he provided an update on a potential showdown with Manny Pacquiao in the aforementioned piece.

“Pacquiao is a fight I’d like to have because styles make fights,” said Khan. “At this moment in time I think it can happen, it’s all about just doing the little things, contracts and stuff. I’ve left it to my team. My team takes care of it. It’s a good fight for me.”

It’d definitely be a fight the fans would like to see. Pacquiao hasn’t been in the ring since he lost to Mayweather earlier in the year, but he remains a massive draw and for Khan, it’d be a huge opportunity to prove he can mix it with elite guys after making solid progress in his previous three outings.

However, Boxing Memes remain unconvinced that Khan should be waiting around for fights against the likes of Pacquiao and Mayweather when there are other opponents out there:

Amir Khan needs to stop waiting for Mayweather and Pacquiao. His career is suffering, he isn't going to fight them. pic.twitter.com/AyzbLysp30

— Boxing Memes (@Boxing_memes) September 12, 2015

It’s a tricky one for Khan. While his constant chatter about Mayweather is growing tiresome, it’s tough to knock his ambition for wanting to fight the top boxers in the business. Still, although he was strong in wins over Devon Alexander, Luis Collazo and Chris Algieri, you sense he needs one more big win to truly warrant a shot at someone like Pacquiao.

Khan does seem confident a fight can happen with Manny, though. If that was to go ahead, the Brit was to win and Mayweather was to eventually return, it would make sense for a Khan-Floyd showdown. But even if matters were to pan out in that fashion, you wonder whether the man from Bolton has already said too much to ever get a shot at Money.

Amir Khan claimed on Oct. 14 he was no longer pursuing a fight with Manny Pacquiao after the Filipino put off signing the contract.

However, it appears things have changed, as Pacquiao is considering a potential April 9 encounter.

Continue for updates.

---

Pacquiao Admits Khan Fight 'Possible'

Thursday, Nov. 5

"I’ve not talked to Bob Arum yet, but it’s possible. It’s part of our plan, we have Amir Khan, Danny Garcia, Terrence Crawford or Timothy Bradley," Pacquiao told Ashley Hammond of the Gulf News (h/t Edward Chaykovsky of BoxingScene.com).

"But I don’t know yet, a lot of names have been given to me by my promoter Bob Arum. [It’s] not yet [decided, but] we are going to finalize,” Pac-Man added.

---

Arum Reveals Timeline for Khan/Crawford Decision, Denies Khan Deal Has Been Signed

Thursday, Nov. 5

"(Pacquiao adviser) Michael Koncz is flying over to the Middle East where Manny Pacquiao is at this moment—with tapes of the Crawford fight and tapes of Amir Khan," Arum explained to Ryan Burton of BoxingScene.com. "We will be discussing everything with Manny next week after the Bradley-Rios fight and we will have a decision probably by mid-November," he added.

Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail had reported on Nov. 3 Pacquiao vs. Khan was a done deal for early April.

However, Arum responded the same day, telling ESPN.com's Dan Rafael (warning: full tweet contains NSFW language) that it isn't true.

---

Khan Frustrated with Pacquiao Camp

Tuesday, Oct. 13

"I'm really disappointed in Manny and his team," said Khan, relayed by Abu Dhabi newspaper the National (h/t Sky Sports). "They aren't playing ball. All that was left to do is to sign the contract. But they are stalling. I have pulled out of the negotiations. I am no longer fighting Manny Pacquiao."

However, Khan later tweeted confirmation that the fight will still go ahead if Pacquiao signs the contract. 

---

Khan Represents Dangerous Option for Manny

A collision with Khan would be Pac-Man's first fight since he lost to Floyd Mayweather in May this year. Since that bout, the 36-year-old has been recovering from a shoulder injury.

The Brit has made major strides in his last three bouts, winning in impressive style against Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri. He is ready for a step up in class and has the quality to trouble an ageing Pacquiao.

The veteran clearly wasn’t at his ferocious best against Mayweather, with many attributing his lack of dynamism in the bout to the damaged shoulder. After such a long, draining and thrilling career, it’d be intriguing to see whether he would be able to cope with the fast hands of a resurgent Khan.

On Sept. 28, the Bolton-born puncher told Sky Sports of his hopes that a win over Pacquiao could potentially lure Mayweather out of retirement and into a bout. But it’d be a massive mistake to look beyond a fight with someone as talented as Pac-Man, who should be desperate to make amends after a tough few months.

Amir Khan is hoping a win over Manny Pacquiao would lure Floyd Mayweather out of retirement and into a future bout, but when discussing potential opponents, the Bolton-born boxer also revealed he would like to go up against Danny Garcia for a second time.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Khan revealed that he thinks a win over Pacquiao, who lost to Mayweather in May, would be the trigger for massive demand from boxing fanatics to see the undefeated American come back to the ring and fight for a 50th time:

I want to fight Manny Pacquiao next because if I beat him, maybe that will make Floyd Mayweather come out of retirement to fight me. The public demand would be huge.

I'm looking at fighting in December but if not then it will be as late as February. We're looking at a few different opponents and hopefully we'll find out exactly in the next week or so.

In the same interview, Khan did admit he was cautious about his chances of eventually getting in the ring against Mayweather, who claimed he would be retiring after beating Andre Berto and moving on to a career record of 49-0. But Khan insisted Money has “got one more fight left in him.”

“I think he thinks I'm too dangerous for him,” Khan added. “I don't think he'll ever want to fight me. I bring too much to the table and would cause him a lot of problems.”

As noted here by FightNights.com, it’s been a frustrating few months for Khan, who had every right to feel hard done by after being shunned by Mayweather at the expense of Berto:

First Andre Berto gets Mayweather then Kell Brook wins the UK Fighter of the Year award. Anybody check Khan's well-being lately?

— The Boxing Zone (@boxing) September 26, 2015

Khan revealed he was hoping to fight in December, but with no opponent decided, it could easily be February 2016 until he next steps foot in the ring. A bout with Pacquiao would certainly get pulses racing among fight fans, as the two former sparring partners would surely put on an absorbing, aesthetic spectacle.

Pacquiao is coming to the end of his exceptional career and is currently recovering from the shoulder injury he accrued in the build-up to his fight with Mayweather earlier in the year. But he’s a boxer who enjoys taking on interesting fights and he’ll feel as though he’d still have enough to get the better of Khan.

Khan seems as though he has other options if that one doesn’t come off too. According to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, the Brit may have to square off against Garcia for Mayweather’s vacant belt, per Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com. Khan told Sky Sports he would be keen to avenge the loss to Garcia from 2012.

“I'd like to fight Danny Garcia and settle the score properly,”  he said. “I’d like that fight as well and in the next two or three weeks we should know exactly who I'm going to be against.”

Garcia, who remains unbeaten, looks to be much more comfortable bulked up at welterweight and has insisted recently that he's ready to take on anyone. "I'm going in with a whole different mindset," said the American, per Chris McKenna of the Daily Star. "I'm going for the kill in every fight."

Laceupboxing think that despite the obvious strides made by both men since the bout three years ago, it could pan out much the same way:

I see Garcia vs Khan 2 the same way, Khan either out works Danny and chops him up or Danny lands that left hook and it's curtains again

— Laceupboxing (@Laceupboxing) August 2, 2015

Khan remains besotted by a Mayweather fight, it would seem, but there’s nothing wrong with possessing ambitions to beat the best men around in an attempt to lure the American out of retirement. If the motivation to do so can forge the basis of an impressive run of results from Khan, then that can only be viewed as a positive step.

The Brit is definitely entering a decisive point in his career. A loss to Garcia in similarly one-sided circumstances to their first fight would represent a huge setback, but a win over him or Pacquiao would pave the way for some lucrative opportunities moving forward. After a lot of recent talk, time is fast approaching for Khan to make good on his promises.

British boxer Amir Khan is not buying Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s claims to have retired, but he seems to have shifted his focus away from the undefeated American and is now eyeing up a bout with Manny Pacquiao.

Khan was speaking with talkSPORT (h/t Edward Chaykovsky of BoxingScene.com) about a variety of topics, and needless to say, talk quickly turned to Mayweather, who defeated Andre Berto in what was billed as his final fight on Saturday, taking his career record to 49-0 alongside the late, great Rocky Marciano. The Brit feels Floyd will eventually be tempted to surpass that mark.

“Why match his [Marciano’s] record and not beat it?” said Khan. “Why not do something that no other fighter has done? He will wake up one day and think why am I only matching that record.”

It’d be an underwhelming end to a remarkable career for Floyd. BBC Sport’s Ben Dirs certainly doesn’t expect Mayweather to hang up the gloves after such a one-sided showdown with Berto:

https://twitter.com/bendirs1/status/642941122831085570

Khan also took a little shot at the substandard calibre of Mayweather’s final opponent, claiming “he had the hard fights early in his career, so perhaps that’s why he’s choosing the easier ones now.” 

The Brit, who made no secret of his desire to get in the ring with the American, was shunned by Floyd in favour of Berto. Khan also wasn’t buying Mayweather’s assessment of himself as the best fighter of all time and, in a separate interview with Robert Cassidy of Newsday, claimed that even if Floyd does return, he won’t fight him:

If he does [come back], I still don't think he'll fight me, I think he doesn't want to be beaten. It would be a massive fight. I have a huge fan base in England. But I think he just wants the undefeated record, that's the reason he won't fight me. He's cheating the fight fans. 

He can't call himself 'TBE' ['The Best Ever'] because he's not fighting guys at their peak. Look at [Muhammad] Ali, he fought tough guys when he had to fight tough guys.

Khan has also been speaking about his future plans, and with the Brit giving up in the pursuit of a bout with Mayweather, he seems to have turned his attention to Pacquiao.

The Filipino icon has been out of action since his showdown with Mayweather earlier this year, in which he was well beaten. Pacquiao has been recovering from a shoulder injury but is on the mend, per Viva.co.id (h/t Sky Sports), and the prospect of the two former stablemates squaring off would certainly make for an intriguing contest.

Khan told Cassidy that he thinks the fight could happen too: “A Pacquiao fight is something I would love to have. I think it can happen. That would be a huge fight. With his fanbase and my fanbase, that's a huge international fight. Obviously we both want to fight, right now it's up to the promoters.”

However, FightNights.com thinks the Brit should fight a big puncher such as Ruslan Provodnikov to prove he no longer has a delicate chin:

Amir Khan going to duck Ruslan Provodnikov. Smh. He'll continue to be disrespected if he doesn't fight a puncher next.

— The Boxing Zone (@boxing) September 12, 2015

Khan even discussed life outside the boxing ring and hinted to Cassidy that he would like to try mixed martial arts: “One day, I may put the MMA gloves on and compete. … One thing I've never done is kick. I would have to learn how to grapple. But if you put me against an elite MMA fighter, I think I can take him out.”

Moving on from Mayweather is probably the best thing Khan could have done at this stage of his career. Although it’s looking unlikely he will fight again this year, 2016 could potentially yield a fight with Pacquiao, while talk also continues to rumble on over a potential British superfight between him and compatriot Kell Brook.

The 28-year-old is fast approaching the prime of his boxing career, and the chance to go up against someone as iconic as Manny would represent a remarkable chance to make his name on the world stage. The opportunities seem to be there for the man from Bolton; if he’s to scale the heights his undeniable talent warrants, it’s imperative he grasps them in the months to come.

Manny Pacquiao has seemingly chosen his next opponent, with the Filipino's promoter Bob Arum suggesting Amir Khan is being lined up for a 2016 fight in the Middle East.

Britain's Khan recently missed out on meeting the undefeated Floyd Mayweather after the American revealed Andre Berto as his next opponent, a decision Arum has labelled "a farce."

However, a bout with eight-division world champion Pacquiao could provide Khan with some consolation given the 36-year-old's immense pedigree and profile.

Pacquiao was beaten by Mayweather back in May, and Arum is eyeing Khan as the opponent for his comeback fight, although it will not take place until next year, per Gareth A Davies in the Telegraph:

This kid Amir Khan keeps shooting his mouth off about Manny Pacquiao. I can arrange for Khan to fight Pacquiao. Amir Khan has been begging Mayweather for a fight and now he can get a major fight. I'm not a hard guy to deal with. I'm not going to mess them around. 

That's a farce [Mayweather's bout with Berto]. Mayweather should have fought Khan next. It would have been an interesting fight. One thing's for sure, Pacquiao is not ducking Khan. Pacquiao will fight him. I don't know if Khan will fight Pacquiao, but it's available.

Manny's not going to fight this year. He'll fight early next year and probably in the Middle East. Vegas is a possibility, but more likely in the Middle East. It won't be in Dubai but it will be in the Middle East. If not, we'll do it in Vegas.

Arum is not the only one disappointed by Mayweather's choice of Berto for his next opponent as he looks to equal Rocky Marciano's undefeated 49-0 record.

ESPN's Dan Rafael summed up the prevailing attitude toward the fight when it was announced recently:

Let's be honest: It's laughable Floyd is fighting Berto instead of @AmirKingKhan or @keithfthurmanjr or @ShowtimeShawnP.

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) August 5, 2015

However, a potential clash between 28-year-old Khan and Pacquiao is a much more exciting prospect.

Since suffering back-to-back defeats in 2011 and 2012, Khan is undefeated in his last five fights, most recently beating Chris Algieri—a 2014 victim of Pac-Man's—by unanimous decision in May,

A 2016 clash would allow Pacquiao time to fully recover from the surgery he had on a shoulder injury he claimed hampered him in his defeat to Mayweather in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao's over-hyped meeting with Money was a huge disappointment. However, a clash with Khan could be a fascinating battle.

Khan is fast, and would no doubt cause Pacquiao some problems, but the Briton would have to out-manoeuvre one of the most experienced fighters in the business.

There is set to be little excitement over Mayweather's clash with Berto, but perhaps boxing fans will have something else to get pumped up about if Pacquiao and Khan can work out a deal.

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (33-3-1, 18 KOs) survived a stunning fourth-round knockdown to earn a split-decision victory over the unheralded Aron Martinez (19-4-1, 4 KOs) on Saturday afternoon at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles.

ESPN's Dan Rafael provided the scores:

We go the cards: 95-94 Martinez, 95-94 Guerrero, 97-92 for the winner Guerrero. Split decision. Putrid 3rd card. #boxing #GuerreroMartinez

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) June 6, 2015

Guerrero, an experienced fighter who has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and most recently Keith Thurman, was shaky in the early rounds against Martinez, a boxer with four knockouts in 23 career fights coming into Saturday. Coming off a loss to Thurman, the 32-year-old knew he was vulnerable and couldn't take his opponent lightly.

"You never want to overlook anybody,” said Guerrero, via the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Robert Morales. “I don’t care who it is. You’ve got two hands, you can throw a punch. Anything can happen in the ring. So you never want to overlook anybody.

Martinez proved to be an effective brawler at close range, as he was strong enough to trap Guerrero on the ropes in the fourth and score a knockdown with a crushing right hook. Guerrero's iron will brought him back into this match, and his versatility in the ring led to him winning several exchanges in the later rounds and, ultimately, the bout.

Showtime Sports' Brian Custer disagreed with the decision, and Rafael took issue with one score in particular:

Wow Martinez was robbed! 97-92 really judges!!!! Even after Martinez dropped Guerrero.#BadDecision#PBConNBC

— Brian Custer (@BCusterTV) June 6, 2015

97-92 for Guerrero is putridness personified.#boxing #GuerreroMartinez

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) June 6, 2015

The fight was much closer than a 97-92 scorecard; the first two judges' scores were much more indicative of the way the bout actually unfolded on this early card.

UCNLive.com's Steve Kim and Rafael pointed out the sparse crowd and lack of energy at the beginning of the fight:

Honestly, the vibe in hear matches the GGG fight IMO... https://t.co/Y0XddcQUGy

— Steve Kim - the Thomas Sowell of Boxing (@SteveKim323) June 6, 2015

Watching the #boxing show on NBC. Main event is up next. But so early for fights in SoCal that StubHub looks empty. Like EMPTY.

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) June 6, 2015

The first round didn't give the crowd much to cheer about in terms of action.

Guerrero did grow into the fight in the second round, battering Martinez at close range and landing a punch flush on his jaw that drew a loud reaction from those in attendance. Martinez did well with the close-range action, countering with strong uppercuts of his own and doing a fine job of slugging his way off the ropes.

Guerrero was the aggressor for the most part, walking Martinez down, but the latter seemed to invite the phone booth-style boxing. 

Some might have expected The Ghost would walk over the unsung Martinez, but he instead found a willing, capable brawler.

The fourth round continued in a similar vein to the first three, with Martinez and Guerrero trading punches and searching for angles with their foreheads touching. Martinez managed to trap Guerrero on the ropes at the end of the frame, and a clean right hook to finish off a textbook combo dropped The Ghost to the mat for a seven count.

Rafael praised the knockdown combo:

Guerrero in trouble again at start of 4th. He looks in rough shape. #boxing

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) June 6, 2015

Morales noted it was a surprising development considering Martinez's record:

Aron Martinez came in with 4 KOs in 23 fights but he just sent Guerrero to the canvas #PBConNBC

— Robert Morales (@RMoralesPT) June 6, 2015

PBC provided a look at the crucial blow:

#Martinez stuns @GHOSTBOXING with right hand in round 4 #PBConNBC pic.twitter.com/595UGphaIT

— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) June 6, 2015

To his credit, Guerrero recovered quite well from the knockdown. He survived an early onslaught in the fifth and by the sixth round had moved the bout to the center of the ring, where he was able to use his jab and slow down Martinez's attack.

The 34-year-old Martinez didn't press his advantage enough once the fight moved away from a brawl, and Guerrero used the extra space to throw quick combos inside before darting back out of range. PBC noted his renewed energy:

This fight ain't over yet! #GuerreroMartinez #Slugfest pic.twitter.com/n5eQZ8PeXX

— Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) June 6, 2015

The Gilroy, California, native fought as if the knockdown had never happened, and a final intense flurry at the end of the 10th round brought the crowd to its feet in appreciation of a hard-fought bout.

There's a great case to be made for Martinez winning this bout based on the fourth-round knockdown. While he doesn't appear to have the tactical acumen to survive quicker boxers, he could prove to be an entertaining draw on an undercard for a bigger fight.

Although the judges awarded Guerrero the victory, he looked nothing like a top-tier welterweight contender. His quick turnaround from the loss to Thurman on March 7 couldn't have done him any favors, but one would have expected a better performance.

His reputation will earn him a fight against a big-name boxer if he wants it, but it wouldn't be at all surprising if an up-and-comer like Sadam Ali pounced on the aging star.