I fear for Amir Khan

By Bashar Khaddage - 02/05/2016 - Comments

khan56By Bashar Khaddage: With the recent announcement of WBC Middleweight Champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez fighting the welterweight Amir Khan, I must say I’m not too sure how I feel about this. It sure as heck will sell and we can expect the PPV numbers to be impressive as the casual boxing fan will probably purchase this fight. However, this fight has mismatch written all over it.

First and foremost, lets quickly analyze Khans profile: Here’s a decorated Olympian that started of his pro career fighting in the lightweight division of 135 lbs and only till very recently has fought at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs. He’s beaten 3 fighters at welterweight, but did not look too impressive, especially with Chris Algeiri – A feather fisted fighter. Khan still possessed that blinding hand speed, but none of Khans wins came by way of KO / TKO, suggesting that his KO power, which was never too much to begin with, did not carry through with him into the welterweight division.

Now looking briefly at the catch-weight king, Canelo Alvarez: The so-called WBC ‘Middleweight’ champion forces all his challengers to drain down to 155 lbs (when in reality the Middleweight title can be fought at up to 160 lbs) or he picks on someone from the welterweight / junior middleweight division and forces them to move up in weight at 155 lbs.

That alone is a disgrace if you ask me. Most notably, Canelo has an incredible genetic gift of dehydrating down to 155 lbs, and come fight night, rehydrating like a sponge in 24 hrs well into the 170’s and most recently into the 180’s. Just watch Canelo’s last fight and see how Miguel Cotto’s punches had no impact on him – and that’s a fighter who packs a punch. Now just imagine for second with me what would happen if Canelo were put in with someone technically his own weight/size (which is actually two weight classes above the Middleweight division) like Sergey Kovalev or Adonis Stevenson. Sweet lord, a guaranteed massacre would take place and you’d see Canelo escort the ring with paramedics straight into the emergency room.

Whilst Khan has the hand speed, is technically more solid, and can definitely move around the ring much better than the flat-footed Canelo, I just don’t think he can pull it off for 12 full rounds by boxing him and I certainly don’t think he has a chance of KO’ing Canelo. Canelo has some good boxing skills and will surely connect with some of his punches on Khan. Amir Khan is not a defensive genius like Floyd Mayweather and will be tasting Canelo’s punches for sure. When that happens, I just can’t see Khan being able to withstand the firepower coming his way and will hit the canvas. If Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia were able to KO Khan, just imagine what Canelo can do.

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I can see a potential devastating James-Kirkland-type of knockout happening on fight night, and maybe worse, if Khan gets caught flush by Canelo.

I would love to see Canelo take on the Gennady Golovkin and watch him get destroyed by the legitimate Middleweight king, but I have a feeling that Canelo and his promoters will keep avoiding him like the black plague.

Amir Khan has plenty of guts for taking on this fight and a potential huge financial upside if he wins this fight – I respect him for that. But realistically speaking, I fear that Khan is in a world of hurt. I wish him well.



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