Floyd's treatment of Khan is 'a disgrace', says Bob Arum

EXCLUSIVE: Promoter Bob Arum says Amir Khan is being "humiliated" by Floyd Mayweather and believes the American will fight Marcos Maidana.


By Gareth A Davies, Boxing Correspondent 10:08AM GMT 19 Feb 2014

Amir Khan has been ritually humiliated by Floyd Mayweather and made a laughing stock, claims veteran promoter Bob Arum, who has even labelled Mayweather's actions "a disgrace".

Arum, who promoted Muhammad Ali and has overseen the rise of Manny Pacquiao, believes Khan will not get the fight with Mayweather he has been holding out for since November last year. Mayweather has stated that he will fight on May 3, but is refusing to announce his opponent yet.

Khan signed a contract to fight Mayweather this year, made that fact public last year and, in the last two weeks, the undefeated American has set up a poll on his Twitter account asking fans to vote on whether he should fight Khan, or Argentinian Marcos Maidana.

"What he has done to Amir Khan is absolutely disgraceful, whether he ends up fighting him, or he doesn't," Arum told Telegraph Sport in an exclusive interview from Macau, China, where his boxer, Zou Shiming, the former double Olympic gold medallist, fights this weekend.

"My feeling is he is not going to fight him, but it's disgraceful to do that to another human being because you are in a position to do that. Just because he has the power where you can do something like that.

"If a promoter did it, if a Bob Arum or a Frank Warren did it the press would be all over them. They have allowed Myweather to get away with this s***. It's terrible.

"They have twisted the kid in the wind. Mayweather should be ashamed of himself. He's not going to sign the contract. I think he will fight Maidana."

Arum's advice? Forget about the payday with undefeated Mayweather - boxing's No 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
"Cut your ties with these people, be a man," he said. "You were the great hope of England at one point. I have Olympic gold medal winners with me. The pride with which Vasyl Lomachenko and Zou Shiming carry themselves is astonishing."

Lomachenko, the double Olympic gold medallist, and one of the most decorated amateur fighters in history, is in action next weekend in San Antonio, Texas, fighting Orlando Salido for the WBO featherweight world title - only his second professional fight.

"These people will never be humiliated like that," Arum added. "Amir Khan has put himself in a position where he can be humiliated. He's like a laughing stock. Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

"He's not fighting back and telling these guys to get lost. Get another promoter, maybe go back to Frank Warren, get another opponent and tell them to p*** off."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/10648329/Floyd-Mayweathers-treatment-of-Amir-Khan-is-a-disgrace-says-promoter-Bob-Arum.html

Nice to have an objective source commenting on Mayweather..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Nice to have an objective source commenting on Mayweather..

He has a point though. Khan is like a jilted ex-boyfriend begging for one more chance. It's unmanly.

Up to Khan to decide..

Not some bitter old moron crying over a lost share of 100 million bucks..

He's not objective and neither are you..

Haye, Hearn and Mayweather always get it...

But fairplay..You get away with it..

I'm the only one on here with an agenda apparently..

He has a point , Khan is a young man and dwindled a year of his career away believing this fight was going to happen, the whole X factor voting debacle was a joke , I've said it before I'll be happy when Mayweather actually retires.

If it doesn't happen, where does Khan go next ? Dejected and stale and accident waiting to happen if his mind has gone.

Cheers Rodders

He'll fight Kell Brook who also won't be having a major fight for ages, they can fight on the undercard of Froch/Groves or Fury/Chisora but not headline their own fight as I'm sure the British public couldn't take any more top quality contests being arranged in such a short space of time.

I like watching great fighters rod..

As a boxing fan you should too..

His a great fighter Truss, no denying but I don't enjoy his fights others do fair enough.

Can't stand the whole circus he brings around him.

Cheers Rodders

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Up to Khan to decide..



He's not objective and neither are you..

Be careful that mountain top you like standing on top of is crumbling.

You aren't Mate and neither am I..

I admit it though..

Rod you are right in the way the circus does irk Mate..

I think its a price worth paying though..

Arum's only trying to convince Khan to step aside as you know Bob will suddenly announce Manny has agreed to all terms and conditions and then there's no barrier to the fight being made (outside of the fact that no-one real cares now)

Bit like watching Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox and Jennifer Aniston doing a lesbian scene in 40 years time when they should have done it when "Friends" was at it's peak. (In my mind they're doing it right now....how YOU doin?)

It's Khan's own fault if he's left out to dry by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Had he fought Devon Alexander, won the IBF belt, the fight would've been more acceptable.

At present Khan doesn't merit a Mayweather fight/payday. If beating Carlos Molina and Julio Diaz gets you a Mayweather fight, I'll fly to Mexico tomorrow to beat up a few old timers to get my name out there.

Khan needs to fight a name a welterweight. Whether it's Guerrero, Thurman, Brook, Porter, Broner or rematch Maidana.

"Innit".....Was Khan's response to the news..

Yep, what Gerry said.

Khan pulled out of the fight with Devon, nobody made him do that. It's pathetic how he's chasing Floyd for a pay day, personally I hope he doesn't get the fight purely because of how he's gone about it.

Still plenty of good fights there for him, get back in the ring and prove yourself Amir rather than whimpering about it all.

Wouldn't you chase Floyd for 3/5 million bucks...

Not pathetic at all..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Wouldn't you chase Floyd for 3/5 million bucks...

Not pathetic at all..

You can chase whatever you want I'm life Truss...

If Khan had a legit claim to being a Mayweather opponent then his begging might get him somewhere.

Beat someone of note and if a Mayweather fight develops there after, Khan gets his payday.

If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.

Arum will never say anything good about Floyd and he himself is a disgrace to boxing.

Floyd may be messing Khan about but nothing new and Khan is an idiot if he doesn't know it. I'm sure Khan does know it anyway.

As others have said, Khan has done NOTHING in last couple of years to even demand a world title shot let alone the most lucrative fight in combat sports.

In saying that, Floyd should just get on with it and confirm his opponent.

I'm sure Floyd is already in training for May 3rd, I doubt his potential opponent is.

Floyd looking for every edge again.

Strongback wrote:I'm sure Floyd is already in training for May 3rd, I doubt his potential opponent is.

Floyd looking for every edge again.

Yeah, his opponent might only get a 10 week camp, devilishly underhanded.

I struggle to feel for for shafted fighters who shafted other fighters for a bigger pay day.

It's an odd situation. Floyd's probably just waiting for a date so I'm not sure we should jump to attach blame to him personally. The fact that Khan hasn't yet been announced is probably due to the fact Showtime/Haymon/GBP aren't convinced they can sell it based on the feedback they've canvased on social media. Ditto Maidana. Maybe the whole venture just isn't financially viable and isn't worth Mayweather entering into months of media tours culminating in another tough training camp?
 
You can't blame Khan either. He appeared to be next in line for a life-changing opportunity and he looked so vulnerable last time out, a prelim fight might well have scuppered his hopes completely.
 
This is the downside of a fighter having unfettered autonomy over their career. For more than a century, we've read stories of fighters being treated like livestock rather than human beings: toe-curling contracts and health-sapping schedules that usually left them broke and damaged with dim prospects for the future.
 
Floyd's the most successful fighter who's ever lived (in terms of earnings, status and how he's protected his health) but a byproduct of his success is that he wields a fair bit of power over the rest of his peers. Is that worse than the former?
 
Without a single governing body (preferably fully regulated) boxing will continue to throw up scenarios like the one Khan faces here, or worse.

Go back far enough in his career and you’ll find plenty of times Khan dismissed or ignored his natural domestic rivals like Murray and Thaxton and denied them opportunities and paydays, sometimes you reap what you sow.

Not sure I buy Floyd waiting for a date. I posted a thread a few weeks back where he confirmed in a "Dinner with Floyd" that MayDay is 3rd of May this year.

kingraf wrote:Not sure I buy Floyd waiting for a date. I posted a thread a few weeks back where he confirmed in a "Dinner with Floyd" that MayDay is 3rd of May this year.

I meant an opponent. I'm sure he isn't overly fussed which one of them he fights.

Rowley wrote:

Strongback wrote:I'm sure Floyd is already in training for May 3rd, I doubt his potential opponent is.

Floyd looking for every edge again.

Yeah, his opponent might only get a 10 week camp, devilishly underhanded.

For the biggest fight of a boxers life they might like a 12 week camp.

What state is Khan in psychologically given he has been hanging around in limbo for months?

How long will Floyd wait? Is a focused 8 weeks enough of a camp to allow Khan or Maidana to prepare fully at this level?


It all plays into Floyd's hands. He knows a fighter won't turn down a good payday no matter how badly he treats them.

Well the reality is Strongy there is nothing to stop Khan going to the gym now and beginning to train, and should it come, given it has been speculated of for what seems like an eternity, the call offering him the fight on 3rd May can hardly come as a bolt from the blue to Khan.

I appreciate you don't much care for Floyd, I don't myself but your desire to see conspiracy and underhandedness in everything he does verges on the ridiculous at times. Khan will get adequate notice and time to prepare for the fight, he will lose because Floyd is better than him and no other reason.

Rowley wrote:If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.

Or get nicked for bestiality.....

Gerry SA wrote:It's Khan's own fault if he's left out to dry by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Had he fought Devon Alexander, won the IBF belt, the fight would've been more acceptable.

At present Khan doesn't merit a Mayweather fight/payday. If beating Carlos Molina and Julio Diaz gets you a Mayweather fight, I'll fly to Mexico tomorrow to beat up a few old timers to get my name out there.

Khan needs to fight a name a welterweight. Whether it's Guerrero, Thurman, Brook, Porter, Broner or rematch Maidana.

Spot on Gerry i was about to write the same thing, wont bother now   

Rowley wrote:Well the reality is Strongy there is nothing to stop Khan going to the gym now and beginning to train, and should it come, given it has been speculated of for what seems like an eternity, the call offering him the fight on 3rd May can hardly come as a bolt from the blue to Khan.

I appreciate you don't much care for Floyd, I don't myself but your desire to see conspiracy and underhandedness in everything he does verges on the ridiculous at times. Khan will get adequate notice and time to prepare for the fight, he will lose because Floyd is better than him and no other reason.

I always found it difficult to get really focused on an exam until I was given the exam date. It's hard for most to give 100% intensity if they don't know if they even have the fight.

This coming Saturday will mark 10 weeks to the 3rd of May. Surely it must be time to make some announcement of any kind.

As it goes I don't have any mission against Floyd. There just seemed to be a lot of threads started that included Floyd and Louis that I debated on. If you made the conspiracy comment about my posts on Haye I could understand it as I pretty much beat that old door mat to death. For the record I still don't like Haye.

Strongback wrote:

Rowley wrote:Well the reality is Strongy there is nothing to stop Khan going to the gym now and beginning to train, and should it come, given it has been speculated of for what seems like an eternity, the call offering him the fight on 3rd May can hardly come as a bolt from the blue to Khan.

I appreciate you don't much care for Floyd, I don't myself but your desire to see conspiracy and underhandedness in everything he does verges on the ridiculous at times. Khan will get adequate notice and time to prepare for the fight, he will lose because Floyd is better than him and no other reason.

I always found it difficult to get really focused on an exam until I was given the exam date.  It's hard for most to give 100% intensity if they don't know if they even have the fight.

This coming Saturday will mark 10 weeks to the 3rd of May.  Surely it must be time to make some announcement of any kind.

As it goes I don't have any mission against Floyd.  There just seemed to be a lot of threads started that included Floyd and Louis that I debated on.  If you made the conspiracy comment about my posts on Haye I could understand it as I pretty much beat that old door mat to death.  For the record I still don't like Haye.

Says more about you than anything else and yet for you to judge others by your woefully inadequate standards seems par for the course these days.

DAVE667 wrote:

Strongback wrote:

Rowley wrote:Well the reality is Strongy there is nothing to stop Khan going to the gym now and beginning to train, and should it come, given it has been speculated of for what seems like an eternity, the call offering him the fight on 3rd May can hardly come as a bolt from the blue to Khan.

I appreciate you don't much care for Floyd, I don't myself but your desire to see conspiracy and underhandedness in everything he does verges on the ridiculous at times. Khan will get adequate notice and time to prepare for the fight, he will lose because Floyd is better than him and no other reason.

I always found it difficult to get really focused on an exam until I was given the exam date.  It's hard for most to give 100% intensity if they don't know if they even have the fight.

This coming Saturday will mark 10 weeks to the 3rd of May.  Surely it must be time to make some announcement of any kind.

As it goes I don't have any mission against Floyd.  There just seemed to be a lot of threads started that included Floyd and Louis that I debated on.  If you made the conspiracy comment about my posts on Haye I could understand it as I pretty much beat that old door mat to death.  For the record I still don't like Haye.

Says more about you than anything else and yet for you to judge others by your woefully inadequate standards seems par for the course these days.

Degree, masters, post grad diploma, I've passed enough exams to elevate me above admin grade.

Strongback wrote:

Degree, masters, post grad diploma, I've passed enough exams to elevate me above admin grade.

But not enough to elevate you above responding.

Rowley wrote:

Strongback wrote:

Degree, masters, post grad diploma, I've passed enough exams to elevate me above admin grade.

But not enough to elevate you above responding.

He's lacks my iron will when it comes to a staunch refusal to get drawn into arguments.

Rowley wrote:

Strongback wrote:

Degree, masters, post grad diploma, I've passed enough exams to elevate me above admin grade.

But not enough to elevate you above responding.

Respond to Dave? He's on the wum, just returning in kind.

The delay is probably down to both potential opponents being a hard sell. Where is the next Victor Ortiz when you need one??

catchweight wrote:The delay is probably down to both potential opponents being a hard sell. Where is the next Victor Ortiz when you need one??

Applying face lube somewhere while muttering "I don't deserve this".

Khan signed even tho Mayweather did'nt

he deserves to get messed around. Should have made sure Mayweather had signed also so he would know wether to find another opponant.

Instead he waits all this time to see if May gives him the nod.

Pathetic

If there was a lab someplace where they could clone Ortiz and recycle him as Diego Lopez, Jesus Sanchez, Carlos Montoya etc then Mayweather would never fight anyone else.

Khan should have had a proper welterweight fight before Mayweather anyway but probably thought there was too big a chance he would lose. Hes been inactive for ages and the sounds from his trainer are that he isnt exactly practising "hard work and dedication". I get the feeling he just wants the money. Bit like Marquez when he stepped to fight Mayweather.

Nobody else to blame but Khan in this, it was his choice to hang around for years waiting for this fight. He overlooked both Peterson and Garcia then looked to steer clear of danger in taking on Molina and Diaz. He could have put himself in a position to guarantee the Mayweather fight but didn't.

Only one lot if people to blame for this khan and his money grabbing family and hangers on!!! They all know that khant is a spent force and will be blasted out as soon as he goes in with anyone decent therefore they want the biggest payday and then he retires saying he last to the best fighters out there... All if em absolute scutters

Khan almost deserves this. His blood suckiing'team' certainly do. More to the point, they don't deserve the pay day that's for sure. If he had the balls he showed prior to the Peterson fight then he'd have beaten Devon and earned the fight. His Harris has gone.

Now I know why Khan fights in America..

Truss a lot of us Brits don't like khan because all his shabby career he and his family/hangers on are classless moronic loud-mouthed scrotes. I would probably like khan a lot more if it wasn't for his idiotic following

If any other promoter (including Arum) would have treated a potential opponent the way Mayweather has, we'd be hopping mad saying it's out of order and X, Y or Z should stick 2 fingers up. Problem is that Mayweather = Money so the sport let's him get away with it.

Khan is not completely blameless though as he really doesn't have to put up with it, and could have put himself in pole position by matching himself a bit better. I personally like Maidana's idea of saying screw you Floyd an them 2 having a rematch

titaniumjaw wrote:Truss a lot of us Brits don't like khan because all his shabby career he and his family/hangers on are classless moronic loud-mouthed scrotes. I would probably like khan a lot more if it wasn't for his idiotic following

Shabby career? Two weight world champ, wins over Kotelnik, Paulie, Maidana, Judah. Only lost to Prescott early and Garcia, probably the best LWW around at the moment (Peterson is a nc as far as Im concerned). Im guessing hes made more money than the lot of us on this board combined. If you have a life so good that you can call that shabby then fair play. Probably not though.

Looking at his career, he has basically fought the best opponents that were available to him every chance he could. Only after the Garcia loss did he become cautious, but only because it would be a long road back if he 'lost' three on the bounce.

If I was in his position, I would be chasing Mayweather too.

Joeyjojo I don't think khan career has been that great tbh all his fights apart from maidana (in which I thought he was v lucky) he's avoided fighters than can punch ie kotelnik paulie Judah then comes up against Garcia and bang it's over. Also he has done nothing to earn a shot at mayweather. Khan is over rated and in my eyes always has been

How many other British fighters have a record like Khan's with two titles at different weights ?

Maidana, Paulie, Judah, mcloskey, Kotelnik...Not too far removed from Hamed's best wins...

Not that he's quite that good..
Say what you like about his credentials for fighting Floyd..

But he's a top British fighter..

Have a bit more respect..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:How many other British fighters have a record like Khan's with two titles at different weights ?

Maidana, Paulie, Judah, mcloskey, Kotelnik...Not too far removed from Hamed's best wins...

Not that he's quite that good..
Say what you like about his credentials for fighting Floyd..

But he's a top British fighter..

Have a bit more respect..

Maidana - Lucky to win

Paulie - good win but nothing special

Mcloskey - who?

Kotelnik - who?

Judah - what version of Judah are we talking about here? The prime Judah? or the current just another payday Judah.

Just don't comment on Khan Truss you should know better.

How you can say Khan is a nailed on ATG and a far better fighter the Naz is beyond me.