You’d have had to be living in outer space for the past couple of years not to have heard of Amir Khan.
The Olympic silver medallist has firmly established himself as ITV’s ‘Golden Boy’ after a string of imperious displays since turning pro and on July 14 he goes for his first professional title when he challenges Willie Limond for the Commonwealth lightweight title.
There can be little debate that Khan has the potential to go all the way and he is rightly regarded as one of the hottest prospects in world boxing right now.
But what of his competition?
Who are the other young pugs out there? The other blue chip prospects destined for greatness?
This week’s column looks at five of the finest young fighters in the world game and the men set to step in when Mayweather, De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and co finally hang ’em up.
Andre Dirrell: The 24-year-old from Flint in Michigan has looked superb since turning pro in 2005. He landed bronze at middleweight in the 2004 Olympics and is 11-0 since discarding the vest and headguard.
Dirrell doesn’t hit that hard but has a wonderful boxing brain and a fluent, snappy style that has had US boxing scribes drooling into their notepads. Looks the natural heir to Joe Calzaghe and Mikkell Kessler at super-middleweight.
Andre Berto: Disqualified during the 2004 Olympic trials, Berto aims to make amends in the pro game and has not put a foot wrong in 17 outings to date. He’s a big hitter and looks a welcome addition to a welterweight
division already cram packed with talent. It may be a little too soon to let
him off the leash against an Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto but the way he is going it won’t be long before he’s knocking on the door of the elite. Berto is a vicious puncher but shows good versatility in the ring and as sure as Monday follows Sunday it won’t be long before we are hearing a whole lot more about the man who can count Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent among his friends.
Abner Mares: The latest ‘world champ in waiting’ off the Mexican production line, bantam starlet Mares looks the complete package. Went 112-8 as an amateur and won a host of international titles but was jobbed at the 2004 Olympics after losing a stinker of a decision to Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak. Oscar De La Hoya promptly signed him soon after and the Jalisco native has streaked to 12-0 since turning over. He looked outstanding in dissecting Angel Antonio Priolo last time out and the 21-year-old’s skills are now being honed by legendary trainer Ignacio Beristain, the man who has already guided Ricardo Lopez, Juan Manuel and Rafael Marquez to greatness.
Rey Bautista: Over in the Philippines they are building ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista up as the next Manny Pacquiao, and it’s easy to see why. He is young, gifted and has power in either hand. A showdown with WBO super-bantamweight power puncher Daniel Ponce De Leon has already been mooted but at just 20 there really isn’t any great need to rush him along. On the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight recently Bautista took Argentine (and fellow unbeaten) Sergio Manuel Medina to school and looked mightily impressive doing do. He is being trained by Freddie Roach and can only improve for regularly sparring the likes of Pacquiao and others at Roach’s famed Wildcard Gym. He’s unbeaten in 23 (stopped 17 early) and Rey looks like a young man in a hurry.
Juan Manuel Lopez Puerto Rico produces at least one fistic diamond per generation and ‘Juanma’ looks like being the island’s latest. Born in the same town that spawned Miguel Cotto, the 23-year-old southpaw looks to have all the tools to make a name for himself at featherweight. Sharp and classy, Lopez is already 17-0 and with 15 stoppage wins to his name it’s clear he can dig. He has a lot to live up to if he is to join the likes of Wilfred Benitez, Felix Trinidad and Wilfredo Gomez in Puerto Rican boxing legend but he’s going the right way about it and if he keeps his feet on the ground and keeps improving he could be absolutely anything.
