Greg Grimes: Khan eyes up Pacquiaos Crown

After the dust from Amir Khan's cut-row win on Saturday night had settled, the focus immediately switched to Khan's future. In contrast, Paul McCloskey and promoter Barry Hearn were still dealing with the controversial defeat and the sour taste it had left.

Khan's camp were in no mood to dwell, and immediately focused on the tasks ahead, which you can tell have been mapped out since Oscar De La Hoya signed the golden boy to his label.

There is no fear in the eyes of the WBA light-welterweight champion. After a short break he will be back in the ring by the end of July to fight Timothy Bradley, if rumours are to be believed.

Khan's coach Freddie Roach has even given his vision on what is to come after, that is if Khan can find his way past Bradley, with cuts to the head potentially being a prime focus on that bout.

Unifying the division will only propel him to bigger things or even the biggest - a fight with his hero, team mate and even friend, Manny Pacquiao. Khan has dismissed that will ever happen but the post-fight reaction from the McCloskey bout has indicated a potential fight could yet materialise.

If it does then it would be a multi-million pound fight that would see Sky grovelling after their 'mistake', switching Khan's previous bout from pay-per-view to Sky Sports 3. Primetime TV, the benefactors, have been told that Sky's loss is their gain, by De La Hoya.

Despite bridges being burned with Sky, it is yet to be seen if fights such as the ones that are being lined up will be too big for a channel like Primetime to handle. Sky should start rebuilding those bridges and fast.

Despite the dreams and ambitions Khan has, it could all come crashing back down to earth if he puts a foot wrong against Bradley. The experience of it happening before with Breidis Prescott should stand him in good stead. But he will need to be on top of his game to prevent lightening striking twice. Bradley is a good fighter and his surprisingly easy win against Devon Alexander has led him to holding both WBC and WBO titles.

A win against Bradley is not a formality in Khan's quest to unify the division and move up a weight. It is a career defining fight for both fighters, both have the same ambitions, the winner will progress and never look back. The talk of Khan V Pacquiao could be just that.

Would Roach be willing to pit his two star students together in the ring next year? His tried and trusted or his golden boy, one will have a defeat on their record as a result. Whether that fight will subsidise or whether that is just a reaction to Khan's 25th win as a professional, it's a mouth-watering prospect.

Though if it wasn't the case, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley or even hot prospect Victor Ortiz all operate in the 147lb division. Khan versus any of those would also provide a must-watch fight.

Greg Grimes