LONDON: Multiple world champion Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight Britain’s Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan on April 23, both boxers said on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Pacquiao had said four days ago that he and Amir’s management were in discussions for the fight, despite an earlier announcement the Filipino’s next bout would be against Australia’s Jeff Horn in Brisbane.

Pacquiao, however, had said that Horn was one of many possible opponents.

“Negotiations between team Pacquiao and team Khan have come to terms for the April 23 bout as this is what the fans wanted,” Pacquiao tweeted.

The 30-year-old Amir, who won silver as a lightweight at the Athens Olympics, has not fought since last May when he moved up two weight classes to fight middleweight Canelo Alvarez.

The much bigger Mexican proved too powerful and the Briton was knocked out in the sixth round and he is likely to drop back to welterweight to fight Pacquiao, who holds the World Boxing Organisation title at the weight.

“My team and I have agreed terms with Manny Pacquiao and his team for a super fight,” Amir said on his Twitter page.

Pacquiao won the WBO welterweight title last November against American Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision.

No venue for the fight was announced.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Plugging the gap
06 May, 2024

Plugging the gap

IN Pakistan, bias begins at birth for the girl child as discriminatory norms, orthodox attitudes and poverty impede...
Terrains of dread
Updated 06 May, 2024

Terrains of dread

Restored faith in the police is unachievable without political commitment and interprovincial support.
Appointment rules
Updated 06 May, 2024

Appointment rules

If the judiciary had the power to self-regulate, it ought to have exercised it instead of involving the legislature.
Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....