By John F. McKenna (McJack): Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KO’s) who faces WBA/IBF light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KO’s) on December 10 is no pushover. Peterson and Khan will square off at the D.C. Convention Center in a HBO televised event.

“King” Khan has made no secret that his fight with Peterson will be his last at light welterweight. Khan’s intention is to move up to the welterweight division, have one or two fights there and then challenge WBC welterweight champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO’s) for his title. Floyd won the WBC championship belt when he KO’d the overmatched former WBC champ Victor Ortiz in the 4th round on September 17.

Amir has expressed the desire to fight Mayweather on several occasions and went so far as to accuse Floyd of “ducking” his stable mate WBO champion Manny Pacquiao and questioned whether he would duck him as well.

Khan has been a rising star since he took on trainer Freddie Roach after his disastrous one round KO loss to Breidis Prescott back in 2008 when he was 21 years old. Since losing to Prescott, Khan has been bedeviled by those who accuse him of having a glass jaw. Many of those demons were laid to rest when Khan defeated Marcos Maidana in a thrilling fight in December 2010. Amir has gone on to far surpass his 2008 conqueror winning two tile belts along the way.

Amir needs to guard against looking so far into the future that he neglects his immediate challenge, that being his December 10 match with 27 year old mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson. Peterson earned his title shot at Khan when he knocked out Victor Cayo in July in an IBF elimination fight.

Peterson is a legitimate challenger and not a fighter to be taken lightly. In addition Lamont will enjoy home field advantage. He looks at his fight with Khan as the chance of a lifetime and has said that he will work harder than Kahn to assure victory.

Many champions in the past have found out the hard way that a motivated challenger can upset the best of plans. Peterson is a very motivated fighter who intends to take Amir Khan’s belts on December 10.