Meng's world-title shot KO'd by travel difficulties

Meng Fanlong's big payday has been thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The unbeaten brawler from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, and the mandatory challenger for IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev was slated to fight the Russian for his two world titles on Sept 25 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

On Friday, however, promoter Top Rank announced that due to pandemic-related travel difficulties, Meng (16-0, 10 KOs) will not be able to make the trip, and Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) will instead fight Adam Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs), who was born in Russia but lives in Germany. The 29-year-old Deines' lone loss was a lopsided decision to Meng in Macao last year.

"Meng could get a visa to get into Russia but if he did, he couldn't go back to the United States or return to China… so he'd be stuck in Russia," Carl Moretti, vice-president of boxing operations for Las Vegas-based Top Rank, told ESPN.

Meng's adviser, Terry Lane, said the 32-year-old southpaw has been training in Bloomfield, New Jersey, since January.

"We're being told by the IBF that our No 1 ranking and mandatory status will not change, and we should be next in line for a title fight," said Lane. "But they have not given us official word."

Beterbiev and Meng, who represented China at the 2012 London Olympics, were originally scheduled to fight on March 28 in Quebec City, and Meng was guaranteed the largest purse of his career after Beijing-based Longjoy Sports won the initial purse bid, offering $1.9 million to eclipse Top Rank's offer of $1.315 million.

After Longjoy defaulted on its bid, Top Rank took over the promotion and guaranteed Beterbiev 65 percent ($854,750) while Meng was guaranteed 35 percent ($460,250).

The hard-hitting Beterbiev has not fought since he stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 10 rounds last October in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, Britain's Amir Khan wants to be Oscar De La Hoya's first opponent when the 47-year-old former six-division world champion launches his ring comeback next year.

Coming out of a 12-year-old retirement, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) says he wants to take on a top 154-or 160-pounder. Khan (34-5, 21 KOs), a former IBF/WBA junior welterweight (140-pound) champ, has the speed and talent to potentially provide a stiff preliminary test.

"Oscar says he wants to make a comeback, that he misses boxing and wants to be back in it," Khan told Fighthype last week. "He decided that he wants to fight one of the top guys. I'm here, and I would love that fight.

"Oscar is a legend in the sport, and what a huge fight it would be. Maybe this is the time and the opportunity that was always meant to be. Oscar says he wants a dance partner, and I'm ready to dance, man."

Khan said De La Hoya shouldn't have any problem rediscovering his form.

"He's always going to have it in him. He's won many world titles during his career, and I'm sure it's going to come back to him like normal. Muscle memory, winning a gold medal in the Olympics and winning numerous world championships.

"If Oscar feels he still has got it in him, then let's make it happen. I think it would start out like a chess match and then from there it would go on.

"How much punishment can he take? Is he still going to have the same engine?"