Bob Arum Keen on Crawford vs. Khan

Terence Crawford made his Welterweight debut in grand fashion by torturing Jeff Horn for nine rounds last month, and there’s no time to waste as Crawford’s handlers are hoping to make moves to take the charismatic and supremely talented three-division champion into superstar territory. In a story on BoxingScene, Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum mused about the possibility of matching Crawford up with Amir Khan in a fight that would turn heads and command tremendous attention.

Crawford is considered by many boxing experts to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a distinction he’s earned by displaying talent from another era as he has completely dominated his competition from 135-147, yet has not found the spotlight in the same way as stable mate Vasyl Lomachenko whose similar accomplishments against lesser foes have made him a certified star. Crawford has been missing a marquee opponent up to this point, but a Khan fight would immediately fill that void and grant him a spectacle to display his talent.

Despite being inactive for the better part of the last five years and hasn’t been in sniffing distance of a title since he held a belt at 140, Khan is still one of the most recognizable fighters in the world and easily Crawford’s highest profile opponent. Khan shook off almost two years of ring rust by blasting out Phil Lo Greco in one round earlier this year and has ambitions of another title after years waiting on the sidelines for a big payday (that finally came along with a brutal knockout from Saul Alvarez in 2016).

Though there was reason to suggest that Khan would finally come around to face rival Kell Brook in what would potentially be the biggest fight in UK history, Brook’s relocation to 154 pounds puts him in a place where Khan won’t follow. With too much red tape in dealing with the Welterweight monopoly Premier Boxing Champions has and Manny Pacquiao allegedly angling for a shot at Lomachenko next year, Khan is easily the best option available for the Omaha bruiser.

The feeling might not be mutual for Khan. While the former champion is looking for another shot at the top, Khan has always been willing to take the risk as long as the reward is there; Crawford gives him way too much risk in relation to the reward. Khan could just easily wait for the winner of Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter for a much bigger payday or work out a catchweight with Brook, but it will be interesting to see if Khan is receptive to the idea of matching his wits against one of the sport’s premier talents.