By Dan Ambrose: Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn thinks Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) made a mistake in agreeing to fight WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) without a rehydration clause in the contract to limit how much weight the 25-year-old Canelo can gain back for their May 7 fight on HBO pay-per-view.
Without a rehydration clause, Hearn sees Canelo rehydrating up to at least 175lbs for the fight. Hearn notes that the highest that Khan has ever fought at was at 160 for his fight against Devon Alexander in 2014. If Khan stays at that weight, he’d be giving away 15 pounds to Canelo, and it could be even more than that if Canelo rehydrates into the 180s.
“I don’t think it’s a great move for Khan in having the fight at 155,” said Hearn to IFL TV. “Canelo is probably going to be 175 on the night. I think Amir once weighed 160 coming into the arena for the Devon Alexander fight. Khan is not a big welterweight, and Canelo is a big light middleweight. Actually, I think he’s a middleweight now. He’s boxed for a number of years at light middleweight, but I think he’s now a middleweight. I think at 155, he [Canelo] must be loving life, and there’s no rehydration clause, which is mad. That’s the biggest thing. Amir might cause him some problems early on, but I can’t see him winning the fight. I hope he does. I genuinely hope he does win. If he does, the fight with [Kell] Brook is still a super fight. It’ll be even more difficult to negotiate that split. If he loses…he made some comments to Sky Sports News saying ‘That fight is still there for me after this fight,’ and he’s probably right. That’s why it’s quite a smart move. I think it’s a no-lose fight against Alvarez,” said Hearn.
I have to agree with Hearn about Khan making a big, big mistake by electing not to try and force a rehydration clause. At least if Khan had gotten a rehydration clause in the contract, he could have kept Canelo from going beyond 170. I don’t think for a second that Canelo would agree to a rehydration limit in the 160 range, but it would have been fair for Khan to limit Canelo from going above 170. But without a rehydration clause, Canelo can rehydrate up to 175 and higher into the 180s. Khan won’t be able to do a thing about it.
When you’re dealing with a fighter that is basically a light heavyweight in size like Canelo, you’ve got to at least try and make it an even playing field by keeping him from going all the way to the maximum light heavyweight limit or beyond into the cruiserweight division. 175 is the maximum li8mit for light heavyweight, and Canelo will almost surely be at that weight when he steps inside the ring against Khan on May 7.
I personally think that Canelo will be in the cruiserweight division when he fights Khan by coming in over 175 and I think he’ll be in the 180s. As good as Khan is as a fighter, he won’t last long against Canelo with him weighing in the 180s. I don’t think even Floyd Mayweather Jr. would last against a 180+ pound Canelo.
Mayweather was fortunate to fight Canelo in 2013, when he was younger, and he only rehydrated to 167 for that fight. If Mayweather had to fight the 2016 version of Canelo with him weighing as much as 185, I wouldn’t give Mayweather any chance of beating him. Canelo is bigger and stronger now than he ever was before, and I think he would eventually get to Mayweather and hurt him with one of his big power shots.
It’s too late for Khan to try and go back and work out a deal with Canelo’s promoters at Golden Boy Promotions to insert a rehydration clause in the contract. That should have done when they worked out the contract, but Khan made a blunder by not insisting on the limit. Khan reportedly was working hard to try and get Canelo to agree to fight at 154. He didn’t want to do that though because he wanted to defend his WBC middleweight title with the fight. It wouldn’t have made a difference though. Canelo would have been just as strong after making 154 than he would at 155. As I already mentioned,what Khan should have done is insist on a rehydration clause to keep Canelo from ballooning past 170 to the 180s.
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