An article declaring Khan as Pacquiao’s opponent for what could be the Filipino’s final fight on April 9 in Las Vegas surfaced on Tuesday, along with accompanying quotes from Khan’s father on paperwork sent for the encounter.
When questioned on the situation as it stands a short time later, Arum was quick to dismiss the story and didn’t mince his work with his response.
“No. This is nuts!” Arum told World Boxing News when asked to clarify the news directly before the respected promoter then confirmed that Khan remains on a shortlist of two with current super lightweight world champion Terence Crawford.
Khan, 28, once again finds himself in a two-horse race to meet one of the superstars at welterweight after previously missing out of opposing pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr three times between 2014 and 2015.
Argentinian Marcos Maidana beat Khan to the punch to fight Mayweather in May 2014 and put on a performance that earned him a September rematch. Manny Pacquiao and Andre Berto then saw off the Briton this year and Khan has one last chance to earn the super-fight he craves.
The former Olympic silver medallist is once again up against a big-name rival in Crawford that could well be the preferred option for the US market and Khan faces an anxious wait to hear the news of whether Pacquiao has chosen him for the spring of next year.
Arum’s confirmation on Khan and Crawford has now seemingly ruled out Kell Brook, Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, all of whom were on the previous list named to WBN by Top Rank colleague Carl Moretti last month.
