Mayweather showdown not on Khan’s radar yet (From Asian Image)

Mayweather showdown not on Khan’s radar yet

11:11am Wednesday 7th December 2011 in Sport

AMIR Khan has ruled himself out of a May 5 showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The IBF and WBA lightwelterweight champ takes on Lamont Peterson in Washington on Saturday night.

But talk has already turned to Khan’s next outing – and a possible super-fight with Mayweather.

The unbeaten American is looking for an opponent for his return to action. And Khan, who intends to move up a weight division to 147lbs after the weekend, has spoken of his desire to facethe 34-year-old in 2012.

But the Bolton star feels taking on Mayweather so soon would be a mistake – although he insists he would never turn down the fight if it was offered to him.

“We need a little bit more time to think about it instead of rushing into something so big,” he said.

“First of all, we’ve got to get Lamont Peterson out of the way, then we know exactly where I am and then I can sit down with my team and trainer Freddie Roach and everyone and see where we go from there.

“But one thing about me the world of boxing knows is I never shy away from any fight. I’ve taken on whoever they put in front of me and I’ve never refused a fight. That’s one thing about me.”

They put Floyd Mayweather in front of me; I’ll be more than ready for Floyd Mayweather.

But we’ve got Lamont Peterson to take care of first.”

Khan is more likely to go down the route of Mexican legend and WBC belt holder Erik Morales if he stays at light-welterweight, or a UK clash with Matthew Hatton or Kel Brook if his fellow Brits can win world titles.

Mayweather, meanwhile, would prefer to take on Manny Paquaio to finally decide who is the world’s pound-for-pound king.

Negotiations between the two camps have broken down before, specifically over drugs testing in the build-up to a £100million mega-bout, and Khan, who trains with the Filipino legend, is not convinced the two will ever meet.

Khan said: “It will never happen. If it was going to happen then it would have done by now.”

Oscar De La Hoya has backed Khan to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

The American, who won 10 world titles at six different weights, believes the Olympic silver medalist has all the ability to succeed Pacquiao and Mayweather as the king of the ring when their reign finally ends.

“He’s definitely up there in pound-for-pound terms,” he said. “Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are on top, but Amir Khan is right on their backs.

“With time, he can catch them. He’s a young fighter and he’s learning at a rapid pace. Over every single fight, we have seen him get better.

He can become the best.”

But De La Hoya, Khan’s promoter, has warned his man not to take home-town boy Peterson lightly.

He added: “Lamont Peterson is a very dangerous fighter.

He had that draw with Victor Ortiz a year ago and then he went on and won the eliminator for the IBF title.

He took Timothy Bradley the distance in his only defeat and he’s hungry.

“We are looking at a dangerous Lamont Peterson with a record of 29-1 and 15 KOs.

He has fought the best and on December 10, Amir Khan will fight the best."