By Sean McDaniel: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer thinks that lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO’s) will be signing a contract to fight World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) within the next 48 hours, according to the Telegraph. Schaefer, who promotes both Khan and Marquez, said to the Telegraph “It’s a dangerous fight, but it’s a high risk-high reward strategy. If you want to capture the American market this is the way to do it, by beating the best current, active No 1 Mexican fighter there. Win, and Amir makes his mark in the United States.”
Khan, 23, has taken a lot of heat from boxing fans for not fighting WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana, a pressure fighter with big power who would be a very dangerous fight for Khan. Khan’s management and trainer Freddie Roach want to build up a Khan-Maidana fight for the future after both Maidana and Khan are better known. However, some people see it as a case of Khan being steered around Maidana, a dangerous puncher.
Maidana is a real threat to Khan and could basically wipe out his career if he starches Khan like he did against Victor Ortiz last year in a 6th round stoppage.
Khan’s trainer, Freddie Roach, says “This [Khan-Marquez] is the fight at the right time for Amir. Yes, Marquez is dangerous, but Amir will do to him what he did to Marco Antonio Barrera in Manchester last year. He’ll [Khan] break him up.” Khan didn’t exactly break the 35-year-old Barrera up with his gloves. He opened up a huge cut on the forehead of Barrera in the opening round after clashing heads with him. For the remaining four rounds of the fight, Barrera was basically handicapped with blood from his deep cut dripping into both eyes, making it hard to see.
Still, Barrera did succeed in staggering Khan with a hard right hand in the 2nd round. But Khan was dominating the fight after the 2nd round with his superior size and speed. Barrera and Marquez, 36, have spent much of their career fighting in the featherweight division, which is why some people aren’t pleased that Khan is looking to fight another small and old fighter like Marquez rather than someone nearer to his own age and in his own weight class like Maidana. It makes some people think that Khan is cherry picking opponents. Marquez looked bad in losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year, and seemed too small in a fight that took place at welterweight.
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