There are many who believe middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is simply too big and strong for Amir Khan, who is moving up in weight to challenge him at a catch weight of 155 pounds on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in one of the year’s biggest fights.
After all, Khan was a unified titleholder at junior welterweight (140 pounds) and has had only three fights as a full-fledged welterweight (147) since moving up in 2014, scoring convincing decision wins against former welterweight titleholders Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander and struggling a bit in a decision win against former junior welterweight titlist Chris Algieri in his most recent fight last May.
Also, two of Khan’s losses, one at lightweight and one at junior welterweight, were by brutal knockouts. So the question remains how Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) will respond when a strong puncher such as Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs), 25, of Mexico, connects, which is bound to happen at some point.
Khan, 29, of England, will, of course, look to rely on his speed advantage and movement, but he said he has also built his body into the new weight class with a lot of hard work.
“I think I do feel stronger. I feel strong,” Khan said. “I’m sparring with some very tough guys in the gym, and I do see that by holding on to the weight, it’s given me a lot of ability and a lot of strength and a lot of power, as well.”
Khan also said that because he is bulking up he is not as drained as he would be from the struggle of making the welterweight limit.
“I think my skills in this fight will win me the fight, and I don’t know if the speed I have is something that Canelo’s experienced with combinations and speed with power. I would say I will definitely shock the world come (Saturday).” Amir Khan
“Normally, we have to be losing a lot of weight, and going down in weight and stuff like that weakens me,” he said. “So this time I won’t be doing that. I’ll just be focusing on my game plan for the fight and improving my boxing skills.
“This camp has to be one of the hardest training camps I’ve had. Strength conditioning, the boxing and sparring have been different. I’m being pushed to the limit every time. I’ve trained very hard this time, and I’m going to go into the fight very strong. This is probably my fifth fight under [trainer] Virgil [Hunter]. We’re getting to know each other even better. He knows what to improve on. He knows how to work me. We are bonding better now than ever. Amir Khan feels very comfortable with trainer Virgil Hunter ahead of the fight with Canelo Alvarez on Saturday. Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images
“We are going to have to use the right game plan towards what Canelo will bring in the ring that day. We will have to be very focused in this fight. What beats Canelo in my eyes is speed and movement, skill and boxing IQ, so that’s what we are going to be using.”
Hunter, who got a big win with Andre Berto over Victor Ortiz in their rematch on Saturday, said he has Khan on point defensively for the assignment against Alvarez.
“He’s going to have an IQ that night in order to be successful,” Hunter said. “And the IQ he uses should be simple: Don’t get hit and hit back. That calls for focus, and if he’s in tune, he should be OK. His defense has to come in ways that is going to work for him. He needs to be defensive for the right thing at the right time. That’s what we are focusing on: where to be, where not to be.
“He’s already exceeded the expectations for his career. He’s competitive. Mentally, he has come a long way to understand the game where he doesn’t just rely on his physical gifts.”
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya’s view of the fight is like that of most, that the fight will come down to whether Khan’s speed can trump Alvarez’s power. In an entertaining fight, Amir Khan outpointed Marcos Maidana in 2010 to retain his junior welterweight title. Ethan Miller/Getty Images
“We will see if speed can overcome power to be victorious,” De La Hoya said. “Amir is a very talented fighter. I think he has matured, grown in his knowledge and ring IQ, and that will impact how he fights on [Saturday]. I think the fans can count on Amir giving it everything he has in the ring, which will make for an exciting and explosive fight with Canelo.”
If there is one fight that might give Khan’s supporters some confidence, it would be his epic battle with Marcos Maidana in December 2010. In a fight of the year contender, he knocked Maidana down in the first round and then fended off a huge comeback and nearly got knocked out late. But Khan stood up to Maidana’s superb power and won the junior welterweight title bout on a close unanimous decision. The victory showed that Khan’s chin is probably better than many have given him credit for.
“This takes me back to Maidana, who had Amir [hurt], and Amir fought until the end,” De La Hoya said. “Canelo will have to be careful and watch out.
“An old saying tells us, ‘Styles make fights.’ These fighters have the chance to make this fight not just for them but also for the fans. This is speed vs. power. Khan has amazing footwork, but Canelo has power and strength. Size does not matter in this fight. What does is skill, speed, power, intelligence and experience.”
Khan is not fooling himself, however. He freely admits that he is not going to be the heavier hitter in the ring Saturday night and has no plans to stand and slug with Alvarez. It will be his skills that pay the bills.
“I mean, look, my skills are what’s going to win me this fight,” Khan said. “I know I’m not going to be stronger than Canelo in any way. I’m not going to be thinking I’m stronger than Canelo.
“I think my skills in this fight will win me the fight, and I don’t know if the speed I have is something that Canelo’s experienced with combinations and speed with power. I would say I will definitely shock the world come [Saturday].”
