EIGHT-DIVISION world champion Manny Pacquiao claimed that “middle men” ruined chances of a showdown with Britain’s World Boxing Council Silver welterweight champion Amir Khan.
Pacquiao told Sky Sports in Britain that the fight with Khan, which he and his adviser Michael Koncz had personally discussed with the Briton during a meeting at the century-old Fitzroy Lodge Boxing Club in Lambeth, East London, last January 2015 fell through because of a collapse in negotiations with Khan’s middle men.
Koncz continued conversations with Khan’s handlers last November, but indicated that the financial terms for a third fight with Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley were more attractive and that’s the fight Pacquiao decided to take.
Khan previously said he had pulled out of talks with Pacquiao, but on a trip to India revealed that negotiations with his former stablemate under trainer Freddie Roach had resumed some two months ago.
But the talks collapsed and the Filipino ring icon blamed Khan’s representatives for the fight not pushing through.
Pacquiao ruled out a fight with Khan or even a rematch with the now retired Floyd Mayweather Jr., stating: “I’m going to retire so that’s impossible.”
Sky Sports quoted Pacquiao, who said “Yes, 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 and a lot of representatives from him and that is the reason (the fight fell through).”
“I’m 100 percent sure that I’m going to retire after this fight (against Bradley),” said Pacquiao.
He told SkySports News HQ “he (Mayweather) is already retired, so that’s impossible but we don’t know.”
Pacquiao also believes he won his fight with Mayweather.
“If you ask me in my heart, I still believe I won that fight (last May 2), but I respect the decision of the judges, the Commission and that’s boxing,” said Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao told TMZ he is not ruling out a run for President of the Philippines in 2022.
TMZ reported: “President Manny Pacquiao?? It’s possible … because the boxer appeared on ‘TMZ Sports’ and said he isn’t ruling out a presidential run in the Philippines when he retires from boxing.”
Pacquiao told TMZ he plans to run for a seat in the Senate after his fight with Bradley in April—and when he was asked if he eventually plans to run for the highest office in the land, he didn’t exactly say no.
Pacquiao’s desire to seek the presidency is not new. He told us at least three times in the past that he would “pray for us to live long enough to see him take his oath as President.”