After IBF World Welterweight Champion Kell Brook dismantled mandatory challenger Ionut Dan Ion in four rounds at the Motorpoint Arena last weekend, talk started heating up again about a showdown for Brook with fellow Brit Amir Khan. But it appears the public will have to wait for that showdown as word is that Khan has settled on former kickboxer Chris Algieri as his next opponent. The two are slated to meet at the Barclays Center in New York at the end of May.
Algieri, who will be fighting Khan in his hometown of NYC, is 20-1 as a professional and is best remembered for his November 23 fight with Manny Pacquiao, where he was floored six times and maybe won a round. Prior to that fight, Algieiri had won the WBO World Super Lightweight title back in June when he defeated Ruslan Provodnikov as a huge underdog via split decision in front of promoter Bob Arum. That showing earned him the big payday with Pacquiao, and Algieri has kept a low profile since the Pacquiao fight, as he seemed to wait for another big fight to materialize.
Khan is one of boxing’s biggest draws. At 30-3 overall, he has had his ups and downs, but he has been in the running for a match with Floyd Mayweather Jr and Pacquiao, so he is looking to stay active here. Khan fought Devon Alexander in December, and he turned in one of his best performances in that fight, as he expected to come out of that and be heading into the Mayweather superfight.
This is a low risk fight for Amir Khan, as Algieri employs a slower, methodical style that on appear would appear susceptible to Khan’s speed, and Algieri is not a big puncher, so Khan’s suspect chin is unlikely to be tested. For Khan, it is a much safer fight than a potential one with Brook, as he is really just looking to cash in a big payday before the end of 2015. With Mayweather and Pacquiao set to clash in a month’s time, Khan will have a few weeks to digest the result, then beat Algieri and start the drums beating for Khan-Mayweather again.
