The giant poster of Amir Khan that adorns the wall of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas has made Floyd Mayweather "bitter," Khan has claimed, after the retired American boxer hinted at a return.
Bolton-born Khan is going toe-to-toe with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on Saturday in what will be the first major bout at the T-Mobile Arena, which is part of the MGM group.
Khan, who was due to fight Mayweather on two occasions before the American backed out, believes Mayweather's suggestion that he may come out of retirement is due to the large amount of publicity focused on Khan. Of a possible return to the sport, "Money" Mayweather said to Showtime on Saturday: "You never know."
"I think [Mayweather] is a little bit bitter," Khan told reporters on Tuesday. "He is walking and driving around Las Vegas, and people are talking about [my] fight with Canelo. He has probably seen the big poster at the MGM, and now it is me and Canelo. I remember him saying a long time ago he wanted to be the first guy to fight at this new arena."
Khan's fight with Canelo falls on Cinco de Mayo weekend, a holiday that celebrates the Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla and a date that Mayweather was regularly scheduled to fight on.
The Englishman suggests this may also contribute to Mayweather's fueling talk of a return.
"Basically now people aren't talking about him and he is missing all this," he said. "That is why he is saying these things now to try to get people talking about him again. I'm sure he is missing it. This used to be his day."
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