ISLAMABAD: Former Mexican-American boxing great Oscar De La Hoya believes that British boxer of Pakistani-origin Amir Khan deserves his shot at a global super-fight.
Khan announced on Tuesday that he will fight Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in May in his first world title fight since 2012.
The Olympic silver medallist will step up in weight to challenge for the WBC middleweight title, when he faces Alvarez in Las Vegas on May 7. It will be Khan's first fight for a year, after not setting foot in the ring since defeating Chris Algieri in New York back in May.
The fighter from Bolton (England) has previously been overlooked by the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, something De La Hoya doesn't understand.
"He's an exciting fighter," declared De La Hoya. "He's never in a boring fight and he deserves a big fight, says a report on a British website.
"Floyd Mayweather didn't want to fight him. Passed him over. Manny Pacquiao didn't want to fight him. Passed him over. I thought, 'Let's put him up against Canelo Alvarez.'"
"And when has Amir Khan been in a boring fight? If there's one guy who deserve's a big fight it's Amir Khan."
The deal was signed on Tuesday, at a contracted weight of 155 pounds.
However, while the date is set, the venue is still not set in stone. Golden Boy Promotions are planning on holding it at the new 20,000 capacity T-Mobile Arena, due to open off the Las Vegas strip in April.
De La Hoya also revealed that if 46-1-1 Alvarez loses to Khan, then he does have the option of a rematch. However, if he emerges victorious, then a clash with unbeaten Kazakh Gennedy Golovkin is next on his hitlist.
"The Golovkin fight is going to happen, believe me," De La Hoya told ESPN. "We are looking forward to it."
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