NEW YORK - British boxer Amir Khan will be in the arena when Devon
Alexander defends his world welterweight title Saturday (Sunday, PHL
time), just not in the ring as the US champion had originally intended.
Khan
will serve as a ringside commentator for Showtime for the telecast of
the card at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, replacing Paulie Malignaggi, the
regular commentator who will instead be in the ring against Zab Judah
in a main-event showdown of hometown heroes.
With a deal almost
set, Khan decided against fighting US southpaw Alexander for the
International Boxing Federation welterweight crown amid speculation that
the Briton will be the next opponent for unbeaten Floyd Mayweather next
May.
While the Khan and Mayweather camps have said no such deal is in place, neither fighter has announced his next opponent.
"They
felt I was a big risk, that I was too much for him right now,"
Alexander, who faces unbeaten American Shawn Porter instead, says of
Khan's backers. "I was ready to fight him. He pulled out so it didn't
happen that way."
In the meantime, former world
light-welterweight champion Khan will handle guest analyst duties in the
fight, as well as for Judah-Malignaggi, a subject he knows well having
beaten Malignaggi in 2010 and Judah in 2011.
"The main event
between Paulie and Zab will be a Brooklyn blockbuster with two of
boxing's most skilled fighters. Having shared the ring with both men I
know together they will bring speed, power, ring craft and heart to the
table," said Khan.
Khan, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics at age 17, turns 27 on Sunday. He is 28-3 with 19 knockouts. - AFP