Who next for Khan?

“I’m ready for all the big names, If the big names want to fight me, line up.” Amir Khan.

Britain’s WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan has put on hold any suggestions or rumours that he is ready to step up in weight.

Khan has plenty of unfinished business in his current weight class that he need to taking care of, before making the inevitable move up.

Argentina’s big punching Marcos Maidana, the mandatory challenger for Khans WBA title, looked almost certain to be his next fight, possibly in England.

Maidana who knocked out Victor Cayo in March to claim his chance of a fight against the WBO champion Timothy Bradley, pulled out of that fight because of a back injury, and it is uncertain when Maidana is going to be able to fight again, and in any case, Bradley’s manager Gary Shaw has said, he will not allow Maidana to pull out of the proposed fight with Bradley and that Khan can forget about that fight.

Bradley, who you may remember beat Britain’s Junior Witter in 2008, is still pencilled in to fight Maidana on the 17th July.

A unification fight with IBF and WBC champion Devon Alexander, is also a possibility and there has also been talk of lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez, who is scheduled to fight Juan Diaz in a rematch, although that fight doesn’t have too many legs, and wouldn’t go down well with the fans, Marquez not being the fighter he once was.

Breidis Prescott who gave Khan his first loss is a distinct possibility and Khan really wants that fight, but since that dramatic knockout of the Brit, he has gone on to lose to Miguel Vazquez and Kevin Mitchell, he did however win on the under card to Khan’s fight with Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden, against Jason Davis, and Khan would love to put that loss to Prescott firmly to bed, and now could be a perfect opportunity.

Fans had been bracing themselves for an all British world title grudge match against Kevin Mitchell, but Dagenham man lost to Michael Katsidis on Saturday at West Ham’s Upton Park, and plans to match the two were scuppered, when Mitchell was stopped in 3 rounds by the Australian power house.

Khan’s promoter, Richard Schaefer, has said this week that a fight with Katsidis could be on the cards also, and it is a match up that he would like to make.

“He (Khan) wants Maidana but obviously he’s not available,” Schaefer said. “What I’d like to do is make a fight with Michael Katsidis. Can you imagine that?”

Khan didn’t rule out a fight with lightweight Katsidis if he moves up in weight, and is willing to take on all comers, in the light-welterweight division whoever it may be.

Khan talked about fighting all of the champions in his weight division, in a super six esc, style showdown if it was up to him, to prove who is the best.

“Maidana is a great fighter, but I know I can beat him,” Khan said. “I’d like to fight him next and I feel I’ve made a statement with this win.

“I’ll fight Maidana and Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley, like two semi-finals, and then the winners can fight each other to see who is the No. 1.

“I won’t leave this division until I have unified it and proved I am the No 1.”

After all the handbags, bad words and standoffs prior to last weeks fight, Malignaggi was full of praise for Khan, and even apologised to him for the trash talking and goading in the build up.

“Paulie apologised yesterday and wished me the best of luck for the future, I appreciate that, I want to thank everyone for the support, starting to feel the aches and pains today,” Khan said yesterday.

“I ran into a clone of myself of when I was younger. But he was faster and stronger,” Malignaggi said. “He’s bigger and stronger. But I gave it all I had.”