AMIR KHAN is no longer the WBC’s No 1 welterweight challenger and has been removed from their top 15 altogether due to inactivity.
The former super-lightweight world champion had been placed in the top spot after moving to 147lbs, potentially setting up a clash with former conqueror Danny Garcia, who previously held the WBC welterweight title.
Garcia has since been defeated by Keith Thurman, and in their latest set of rankings the WBC removed Khan, who has not fought since his knockout loss to Canelo Alvarez in a 155lb catchweight contest in May 2016.
“Amir Khan was a mandatory before. Then he fought Canelo. Then he would remain as mandatory, but then he got injured. He has been out of the ring for so long, that [inactivity] took over,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Boxing News.
After losing to Canelo, Khan underwent surgery on a long-standing hand injury and was granted a medical extension to his mandatory status by the WBC. That has now expired, meaning a new No 1 has been made.
The WBC originally looked to Tim Bradley, who was at No 2, to see if he would participate in a final eliminator but he declined, according to the WBC.
Shawn Porter was then matched with Andre Berto in a final eliminator and Porter – a former IBF champion – stopped Berto to become Thurman’s mandatory challenger, setting up a potential rematch between the pair after Thurman defeated Porter last year.
Though Khan has lost his high standing with the WBC, he is still looking at big fights when he does return to the ring. Domestic rival and IBF champion Kell Brook and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao are two lucrative options that Khan has mentioned, but both have fights to get through first.
Khan has said that he plans to box again in November and will reveal his next fight after Ramadan.
