Wednesday 28 January 2015 21:49, UK
Amir Khan believes he is in pole position to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr should a bout between the undefeated American and Manny Pacquiao fail to materialise.
A big-money fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao appears to be edging closer after the pair met face-to-face and chatted briefly at a basketball game in Miami on Tuesday night.
But Khan is waiting in the wings in the event they fail to agree terms and the Bolton fighter insists he has earned his shot at the Pretty Boy.
"If that fight falls through, I think I have to be the next fighter to face Mayweather because I've proven myself in many ways," Khan told Sky Sports News HQ.
"Mayweather wanted me to prove myself at 147lbs which I did by beating Luis Collazo and then by moving up and beating Devon Alexander - two top guys in the welterweight division who were both coming off good wins.
"I think I've proved myself and I think the fight has to be very close to happening now. Mayweather kept saying I had to prove myself and I’ve done that so what next? Is he just going to keep putting these obstacles in front of me or is he going to take the fight?
"The fight between me and him would be much easier to make than the Pacquiao fight because we have the same manager and the same promotions team, so why not get it done?"
Khan was speaking in Bolton as a new portrait of him by Christian Hook was revealed.
Hook, 43, created the portrait last year as part of a portfolio of work which saw him beat off competition from 1,600 artists to win Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2014.
