Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Amir Khan The Next Opponent, Or Is PacMan Waiting On Mike Alvarado Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez Winner?

Manny Pacquiao is looking for his next opponent following his win over Timothy Bradley in April. After Saturday’s lineup of fights, another boxer may have emerged as a possible challenger to PacMan.

In addition to Floyd Mayweather’s win over Marcos Maidana, Amir Khan was also victorious in Las Vegas. The Brit had the most decisive victory on the card, beating Luis Collazo in 12 rounds. Did Khan’s fight put himself in line to be Pacquiao’s next opponent?

Khan was very impressive against Collazo, knocking him down three times, en route to a unanimous decision. Before Khan’s fight, he was all but guaranteed that a win would give him the next shot at Mayweather. Considering the fashion in which he defeated Collazo, it would be hard to imagine that Khan won’t get his chance against the undefeated boxer. However, the 27-year-old might have to wait until 2015 to step inside the ring with Mayweather.

Like he did a year ago, Mayweather is looking to fight in May and September in 2014. Having just four months in between fights won’t work out for Khan. He is a devout Muslim and will observe Ramadan in July. Since Khan will fast during the holy month, it won’t give him enough time to prepare for the bout. Mayweather isn’t likely to adjust his schedule for Khan, which could leave him looking for another opponent.

Without much of a chance at Mayweather this year, it’s possible that Khan will look to fight Pacquiao. PacMan is the only big name that could compare to a bout against Mayweather, and his win over Collazo has him ready for marquee fight. The two boxers are friends, having trained under Freddie Roach. Still, Khan says he would have no qualms taking on Pacquiao.

"I mean, we are friends, but like I've said, sometimes friends have to fight each other,” Khan told reporters on the week of his fight with Collazo.

Having defeated Bradley for the WBO welterweight title on April 12, Khan would seem like a logical challenger. A fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather won’t happen this year, and Pacquiao-Khan could sell a lot of pay-per-views.

The scheduled fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado, though, could be standing in the way of a potential Pacquiao-Khan matchup. Before Pacquiao and Bradley had their rematch, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum announced that the winner would go on to face whoever comes out on top in the Marquez-Alvarado bout.

Despite Arum’s claims, a lot can change in the coming weeks. Alvarado and Marquez will do battle on May 17. A possible draw could change future plans, and Khan’s availability could intrigue PacMan, who’s looking to prove that he’s still at the top of the sport. Still, Marquez is favored to beat Alvarado. He knocked out PacMan in 2012, and Pacquiao could be looking for redemption.

There’s a good chance Khan won’t be able to fight either of the Pacquiao or Mayweather in 2014. Pacquiao is likely to fight Marquez for a fifth time, and Mayweather could schedule a rematch with Maidana in September.