Phil Lo Greco heading to UK [to sign for Amir Khan fight?]

Boxingnews24.com

By Tim Royner: Phil Lo Greco (28-3, 17 KOs) posted Tweet on Sunday showing a boarding pass for a flight from Toronto to London, England for could be a meeting between him Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn to sign for a fight with Amir Khan on April 21.

Lo Greco, 33, let the cat out of the bag this past week in letting the boxing fans know that he had been offered the fight with Khan for April. Lo Greco said he was accepting the offer, even though he wasn’t entirely pleased with the purse or the fact that he would need to drop down in weight from 154 to 147, a weight class that he hasn’t fought at since 2010.

Wheels up. pic.twitter.com/rbOoTZM4F8

— Phil Lo Greco (@Phil_Lo_Greco) January 29, 2018

Khan taking on a bigger guy from the junior middleweight division in Lo Greco is a clear signal that he’s ramping up to fight Kell Brook, who is now fighting at 154. Hearn wants to make the Khan-Brook fight for later this year in December possibly.

Lo Greco can ruin Khan’s parade if he beats him and upsets his plans for a big money fight with Brook this year. Instead of Khan fighting Brook, he’d likely need to face Lo Greco in a rematch, because the loss would be too damaging to his career for him not to try and avenge it.

Lo Greco doesn’t have fast hands, and he’s been beaten several times in the last 5 years of his career in losses to Joseph Elegele, Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter. The Spence fight was a disaster for Lo Greco in getting stopped in the 3rd round. Lo Greco finished on his feet in losing to Porter and Elegele.

Lo Greco is the perfect guy for Khan. Lo Greco isn’t a knockout puncher despite being a stocky guy. His last knockout was in November 2012 in stopping journeyman Daniel Sostre (11-7-1) in the 7th round. Lo Greco I the ultimate safe opponent for Khan, who was knocked out in the 6th round in his last fight 2 years ago by Saul Canelo Alvarez in May 2016. That was Khan’s third knockout loss of his career, and by far the worst. Khan has never been clean out before until getting dropped by Canelo. Khan’s other knockout losses were To Danny Garcia [TKO 4] and Briedis Precott [KO 1]. Those losses took place a long time ago.

Khan’s April 21st comeback fight will be at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Hearn wants to build Khan back up in England to help make the Khan-Brook fight bigger. Khan hasn’t fought in the UK since his 12 round decision win over Julio Diaz in April 2013. That was in Sheffield, England. Khan was knocked down in round 4 of that fight, staggered a couple of times. The win for Khan was considered a hometown decision at the time by a lot of boxing fans, because he looked like he lost to Diaz.