The showdown between Amir Khan and Chris Algieri on Friday in Brooklyn, N.Y, is a significant event in the wonderful world of boxing; not necessarily because it is expected to land on any “Fight of the Year” ballots, but because it carries instant ramifications for the immediate future of the sport. More precisely, it will dictate exactly what Floyd Mayweather Jr. does next.
However, boxing is full of broken stories and fragmented fairy tales that see potential fights evaporate after one bad night. What happens if Algieri beats Khan?
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Listen, before we break down Mayweather’s future, it is important to consider that Khan losing is not completely out of the question. He has at times managed to fade when the spotlight burns brightest and against competition where he was set up to excel. Breidis Prescott shockingly sent Khan’s rising star crashing into the Atlantic Ocean with a first-round knockout back in 2008; Maidana gave Khan hell when they met in December 2010, as the Argentine arguably came out of the fight with more fanfare following a noteworthy performance that nearly put out Khan late in the fight; and a loss to the PED-using Lamont Peterson followed by a stunning knockout at the hands of Danny Garcia -- Khan was winning handily up to that point -- served as potholes in Khan’s path to success.
Further proof that Khan is a fighter that cannot get over the hump: He decided against facing Devon Alexander in December 2013 and then watched Maidana steal his spot against Mayweather. Although Algieri is not expected to win, who is to say Khan will not pull a no-show at the Barclays Center? He has to prove he is ready for Mayweather by taking care of business against Algieri, and the Huntington, N.Y., fighter is not just going to allow Khan to roll over him. It seems quite plausible that Khan could wind up on the wrong side of things and, once again, miss out on the biggest fight of his career.
If Algieri wins, the boxing world would be in disarray, with Mayweather’s most likely opponent no longer in play. Without Khan, “Money” would have a tough decision to make, considering that he wants his swan song to be an extravagant event. Khan is a big enough name to help carry the promotion and is not perceived to be much of a threat. The same cannot be said of a catchweight fight with Gennady Golovkin.
There is no possibility of Algieri landing a Mayweather fight, no matter how great he looks. He could flatten Khan in 30 seconds and still remain a non-factor. The reason: Manny Pacquiao already took apart Algieri, and Mayweather no longer has a need to surpass any of the Filipino superstar’s accomplishments after dismantling him in their head-to-head showdown on May 2.
If Khan were not in the picture, Mayweather would have a hard time finding a feasible opponent with a big-enough name to carry a fight. A fighter like Keith Thurman would not factor into this equation because the risk outweighs the reward. More importantly, Thurman is still a rising star and has yet to prove he can fill an arena on his own. A fight with someone like Broner -- while intriguing from a marketing standpoint -- will not happen because of Broner’s friendship with Mayweather. Plus, Broner struggled mightily with Maidana, who was beaten twice by Mayweather. As for Golovkin, forget about it.
A scenario that could come into play for Mayweather if Khan loses is a possible rematch with Pacquiao. Although Mayweather soundly defeated “Pac-Man” and is likely annoyed with Team Pacquiao’s sour-grapes approach to the loss, the earning potential involved is greater than any other fight that could be put on the table. Add to that the underlying narrative that suggests Pacquiao’s shoulder injury did not allow him to fight to his potential, and you have a rematch for which the boxing public would pay. Regardless of how disgruntled fans were with the lack of action in their first encounter, Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 would instill “Fear of Missing Out” in everyone who might consider avoiding it. Of course, Mayweather would have to stay on the shelf until 2016 while Pacquiao heels from surgery, but perhaps that would be the best-case scenario for him: Collect another victory along with another hefty paycheck before he rides off into the sunset.
The only other possible scenario would involve a rematch with Miguel Cotto, should Cotto get past Daniel Geale on June 6. The Puerto Rican holds world titles -- WBC, lineal and The Ring middleweight belts -- in a weight class Mayweather has yet to conquer and gave “Money” one of his stiffest tests to date when the two met in May 2012. Plus, he carries some promotional heft of his own, with a passionate Puerto Rican following and mainstream appeal. However, there are a couple of problems here. For one, Cotto is aligned with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports, and Al Haymon manages Mayweather. There is a rumored longstanding feud between Haymon and Jay Z that could derail negotiations before they start. Also, the likelihood of Mayweather facing Cotto at 160 pounds seems slim. Mayweather rarely weighs more than 150, and an extra 10 pounds might be something that turns him off to the fight. Not to mention, he has already beaten Cotto.
In a month that has had some stellar moments, from Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s wicked knockout of James Kirkland and Golovkin beating Willie Monroe Jr. into submission to the long-awaited showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao, the Khan-Algieri clash will likely fly under the radar. It should not. Just consider how much weight it carries on the current boxing landscape. That is reason enough to tune in Friday to see what the sport’s immediate future might look like.
Andreas Hale is a content producer for Jay Z's LifeandTimes.com and Editor-In-Chief Of PremierWuzHere.com, as well as a frequent Sherdog.com columnist. Check out his archive here.