The allure of boxing never dies off. The same was true for Mike Tyson almost a week ago, and now you could say the same about Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao. They are gearing up for a nostalgic fight with heavy money bags on the offer. But where will it be? It seems you can strike off Saudi Arabia and the involvement of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.

Khan, 37, and Pacquiao, 45, have flirted with the idea of a match for a while, and going with the exhibition trend, it won’t be long before they strike a deal. But after splendid careers and a long list of accolades, only money remains the sole motivator to bring these former world champions together. The ideal location would have been Riyadh, as it has emerged as the alternative fight capital of the world. However, it’s not true for Pacquiao vs. Khan.

The British boxer detailed the situation in a conversation with Prime Casino. He said, “Turki would never take that fight. It’s a shame. I don’t think Turki wants to do exhibitions or fights with guys who are retired. Because he has such a good roster.”

The Saudi Royal holds a strong grip on the heavyweight division, and his focus will be on Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch. It doesn’t mean Pacquiao vs. Khan has no takers. Khan, at 34-6, continued, “But another nation is coming in hard and wants to throw money at entertainment now. I can’t say their name. But if they come in now, they’re going to follow the same footprint as Saudi Arabia.”

Interestingly, ‘King’ had disclosed in a separate interview that the other countries could be Qatar or the United Arab Emirates. It all depends on the timing and the stakeholders pouring in the money. With Saudi Arabia sidelining itself, the fight could even be shelved if everything doesn’t come together. Another hiccup could come from ‘PacMan’ himself.

Manny Pacquiao: accepting Amir Khan’s money fight

Khan pointed out the Filipino fighter’s engagements with politics and explained it was a waiting game for him. “The ball is in Manny’s court if he wants to do it. I know there’s a lot going on in his life as he’s in politics. So, it’s just a waiting game,” he continued.

The Bolton is confident of the fight, as he is banking his faith in the supposed country and their funds to make the lucrative fight happen. Meanwhile, the fans will be concerned about Pacquiao, at 62-8-2, as he appeared to be a pale shadow of his former self in his exhibition fight with kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in July.

What if the fight doesn’t happen? Well, Khan has set a time of 12 months for the exhibition fight. Otherwise, he would be happy to walk away from the sports. It remains to be seen when and whether it happens.

What do you make of this hypothetical fight between Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao? Let us know in the comments below.