Schaefer: Khan may move up to 147 for his next fight in December

By Boxing News - 05/01/2013 - Comments

khan1010By Scott Gilfoid: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer says there’s a chance that Amir Khan (28-3, 19 KO’s) may move up to welterweight starting with his next fight on December 7th in Las Vegas, Nevada. They’re tryig to decide whether it would be best for Khan to fight the winner of the Lucas Matthysse – Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia fights or if Khan should just move up to 147 straightaway and take on IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander.

Khan’s last fight against former IBF lightweight champion Julio Diaz last Saturday night took place at a catch-weight of 143 pounds.

Schaefer said to RingTV “It’s going to be either the winner between Danny Garcia and the Lucas Matthysse-Lamont Peterson winner…we’re going on December 7th…either Khan against the winner of those or to have him move up to welterweight.”

The thing with Khan fighting the winner of the Matthysse, Peterson and Garcia fights is that the final fight between those guys is scheduled for September 7th, which means the winner will only have 3 months to get ready to fight Khan on December 7th instead of four months. I mean, it probably won’t matter but if there’s a cut involved in the September fight, then Khan won’t be fighting the winner of that.

Schaefer is interested in having Khan fight the Golden Boy promoted Alexander if he moved up in weight in December. Alexander isn’t a huge puncher and he mostly pecks away at his opponents to out-box them. It’s perhaps safest fight of the bunch for Khan at 147 because WBA champion Paulie Malignaggi has a fight scheduled for June against Adrien Broner, and he’s probably going to lose that fight. Golden Boy won’t want to put Khan in with Broner because he’s got a great left hook and Khan is a sucker for that punch. Broner would effectively put Khan out of his misery if Golden Boy were to make that fight.

It’s likely that Khan has fought his last fight at 140. I don’t see him fighting the winner of the Matthysse, Peterson and Garcia tourney because the guy that emerges as the winner of those fights is going to be a brute like Matthysse or Garcia, and they simply have too much power for the likes of Khan. We saw how the light hitting Julio Diaz had Khan ready to go last Saturday night after knocking him down in the 4th and hurting him in the 9th, 10th and 11th rounds. Khan won the fight but he was very close to being stopped.

If it was my job to protect a fighter with a fragile chin like Khan, I’d keep him away from Garcia, Peterson and Matthysse on a permanent basis. I’d move him up to 147 and put him in with Alexander. If Khan lost that fight, I’d cut my losses and let him go because there really wouldn’t be any place to take him unless he can somehow squeeze down to lightweight. I don’t think he has a future at 147, but if he can somehow beat Alexander then he can be maneuvered around the dangerous guys to get some easy paydays against the bottom feeders in the division before a big cash out fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.



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