Amir Khan Vs Timothy Bradley Nearly Set For a July 23rd Bout at the Mandalay Bay!

Lazarus · Feb 17, 2011

LAS VEGAS -- WBO and WBC junior welterweight (140 pounds) champion, Tim Bradley, will face WBA counter part, Amir Khan, on July 23, thanks to an agreement in principle to the terms of a bout that was negotiated by Bradley's promoter, Gary Shaw, and, Khan's Golden Boy Promotions.

According to Rick Reeno of ***********.com, Shaw and Golden Boy Promotions met last week in Los Angeles and reached a verbal agreement on most of the major points in the deal.

Bradley-Khan is going to happen in the United States, with Las Vegas and California as the two preferential locations.

Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin, confirmed the report during a Thursday press conference at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, which Dunkin attended as the manager of WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 knockouts).

Donaire will take on bantamweight (118 pounds) WBO and WBC champion Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs) in an HBO televised clash on Saturday night.

"They've already given out a date and they've given out a place, which is going to be right here at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Our guys is ready to go," said Dunkin of Bradley-Khan.

"We just want to go over the financial terms and everything and all of the things that go around with the fight," said Dunkin. "I'm sure they want to talk about a future and all of that, but we're ready to go."

The 27-year-old Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs) is coming off of an HBO televised, Jan. 29, 10th-round, unanimous technical decision victory that dethroned southpaw WBC titlist Devon Alexander (21-1, 13 KOs) as WBC champ.

Alexander marked the third straight unbeaten fighter that Bradley has defeated, following Lamont Peterson (28-1-1, 14 KOs), and Carlos Luis Abregu (29-1, 23 KOs).

The 24-year-old Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) is coming off of December's unanimous decision victory over then-WBA interim belt-holder, Marcos Rene Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs), whom Khan floored in the first round before having to survive nearly being knocked out himself in the 10th.

Khan-Maidana was named the Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Bradley-Khan is contingent on Khan's getting beyond an April 16 match up against fellow Englishman and southpaw Paul McCloskey (22-0, 12 KOs) in an HBO televised clash from the MEN Arena in England.

The 31-year-old McCloskey was chosen over fellow contenders, Peterson, of Washington, D.C., and fellow Englishman John Murray (30-0, 18 KOs).

McCloskey has scored five consecutive knockouts, including October's seventh-round knockout of Barry Morrison.

The fight with Khan represents Bradley's final fight under his present promotional agreement with Shaw, after which he will be free to negotiate with others concerning promotional deals.

Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum and Schaefer have expressed interest in promoting Bradley, who will also entertain going back with Shaw.
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After Timothy Bradley Jr. unified junior welterweight belts by beating Devon Alexander last month, he said he was willing to face titlist Amir Khan next if that was the fight presented to him. England's Khan said, in no uncertain terms, that he wanted to fight Bradley.

"My next goal is to unify the division and beat Bradley," Khan told ESPN.com recently. "I'm happy to fight him in America. … Definitely, in the summertime, he's the guy I want."

The sides have now taken a major step toward that 140-pound summit meeting to crown the no-doubt-about-it No. 1 fighter in the weight class -- as long as Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) takes care of his business in England against Paul McCloskey in an April 16 (HBO) title defense.

Gary Shaw, Bradley's promoter, and Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer, Khan's promoter, met recently at Schaefer's office in Los Angeles and hammered out a basic framework for a deal for the fight to take place July 23 on HBO. (The date was originally going to be July 30, but moved up a week so as not interfere with Khan's plans to observe Ramadan.)

"I had a good meeting with Gary and had conversations with the Khans," Schaefer told ESPN.com. "Amir has a fight ahead of him. We don't want to look ahead. Too often you do and something happens. I don't want to jinx it. But my belief is that based on the conversations I had with Gary and the Khans, we are going to strike a deal."

Schaefer said he was already looking for a venue and that he had Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on hold as one possibility.
"Mandalay Bay is on hold and interested in the fight, so we will see," Schaefer said.

Schaefer needs to work things out with Khan on at least a one-fight contract extension since his promotional deal is up after the McCloskey fight, but Schaefer said all indications are that he will be able to get that done.

Shaw, meanwhile, was also pleased with his meeting with Schaefer and subsequent discussions with Cameron Dunkin, who co-manages Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs).

"Richard and I came to an agreement," Shaw said. "He said he had to go back to the Khan family and I said I had to go back to Cameron, and that's how we left it. That day I took a plane with [co-promoter] Alex Camponova [of Thompson Boxing] to Vegas to meet with Cameron. He said he would speak to Bradley. Two days later he said they are on board."

It is no secret that Bradley's contract with Shaw is set to expire before July 23 and that there has been friction between Shaw and Dunkin. However, both say they have put that aside to get a deal done for the Khan fight.

"We are in agreement, and I didn't discuss a contract extension," Shaw said. "I said, 'I think I have some great news; this is the deal.' Cameron listened, liked the deal and went back to Bradley. We're done on our side. We need to work out the specifics with HBO, but I know HBO is behind Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley. That I know 1,000 percent."

"We agreed in principle, but nothing is signed yet," Dunkin said of Bradley's deal for the fight with Shaw. "We're willing and Timmy wants to do the fight. Timmy is willing to wait and let Gary do the fight. His contract is over in early June, but he is willing to take this fight. He's not extending anything, but he is not going anywhere and Gary has the chance to talk to him and re-sign him. Right now it's better for Timmy to get along and let's get this fight. It's a fight Timmy wants. It's not about me or Gary. It's about Timmy and Amir Khan. What a great fight.

"We have a rough idea what the money is but we don't know exactly. But now we are moving forward and making the fight. I told Gary to bring us some numbers, but we're doing this fight."

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:bbb

psychopath · Feb 17, 2011

Good . . . the winner rules the division, 3 belts holder. :deal

difO · Feb 17, 2011

thank god alexander didn't win.

khan by ud or tko

Auracle21 · Feb 17, 2011

hope it happens. ill see u there laz if this is the case!!!!!!!

ricky-fatton · Feb 17, 2011

its abit soon for khan 2 fight isnt it he wont hardle rest

jimcox88 · Feb 17, 2011

If i was khan i wouldnt even speak of my next fight until id be paul mcclosky. It might be an easy fight but its a big distraction knowing the biggest fight of your career is around the corner.

fatcity · Feb 17, 2011

I trust this unification fight will be more exciting than Bradley's last "fight".:dead

JIM KELLY · Feb 17, 2011

Potentially speaking.

jonnytightlips · Feb 17, 2011

I kinda doubt it will happen that soon, unless Khan does a Salita Job on McCloskey.

squanto · Feb 17, 2011

Khan outboxes the **** out of Bradley.

naldo marshal · Feb 17, 2011

good news!

naldo marshal · Feb 17, 2011

king khan by TKO, or at least UD!

naldo marshal · Feb 17, 2011

difO said: ↑

thank god alexander didn't win.

khan by ud or tko
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:good:good

prideofvbeach · Feb 17, 2011

Watch McCloskey now somehow pull off an upset...not.

BoxKing · Feb 17, 2011

Khan by TKO body punch or UD

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Amir Khan Vs Timothy Bradley Nearly Set For a July 23rd Bout at the Mandalay Bay!

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