Khan: I have the speed to beat Mayweather

By Boxing News - 05/05/2013 - Comments

11(Photo credit: Sakio Fakuda) By Scott Gilfoid: Amir Khan (28-3, 19 KO’s) is another fighter in the same league as Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in terms of wanting a big payday fight against WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather (44-0, 26 KO’s).

Khan has been talking about wanting a fight against Mayweather for at least two years now, and it looks like he’s about to get his way with the help of Golden Boy Promotions. Khan sees himself getting the fight with Mayweather in early 2014, and he thinks he’ll beat him.

Khan said to BoxNation: “To beat Floyd you have to beat him at his home game — box him the way he fights. I have got the speed and ability that can cope with him.”

After the way that Khan was beaten by Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson, it’s hard to take him seriously when he talks about his skills allowing him to compete against Mayweather.

To be sure, Khan has the hand speed to match Mayweather, but he’s so far below him in the skills department that it won’t matter how fast Khan is. As soon as Mayweather lands one of his hard left hooks or fight hands on the button it’ll be all over for Khan.

I suppose this fight is as good as any of the other mismatches that Mayweather will have with what’s left of his 6-fight contract with Showtime/CBS. His fight last night with Guerrero was as awful as you can get.

Guerrero didn’t have the speed, talent or the skills to be in the ring with Mayweather and the outcome was obvious from the 1st round. Guerrero literally didn’t stand a chance and ending up being a punching bag for Mayweather.

Khan’s recent performance in beating Julio Diaz wasn’t the idea situation that you want in setting him up for a fight with Mayweather. Khan barely won the fight by the scores 114-113, 115-113 and 115-112, and this was against a guy that is considered over-the-hill by a lot of boxing fans.

For Khan to get the Mayweather fight, he has one big hurdle that he’ll have to get over and that’s a fight against IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander later on this year. That’s the fight that Golden Boy wants for Khan to give him a chance to win the IBF 147 lb. strap to make him a legitimate opponent for Mayweather.

If Khan losses that fight then Golden Boy will need to think seriously about ending their promotional contract with Khan because there’s not a whole lot you can do with him if he’s losing to Garcia, Peterson, Breidis Prescott and Alexander. Also, Khan almost lost to Marcos Maidana, and you can consider his win over Julio Diaz as being highly questionable.



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