Amir Khan takes on Saul ‘Caneloa’ Alvarez for WBC middleweight title Stakes high at Las Vegas showdown Khan stps up two weight divisions to challenge champion Gareth A Davies: Khan has to use his movement and speed
12:46AM Bernard Hopkins warns Khan that Alvarez will pose his greatest threat in the second half of the fight
Bernard Hopkins has sent Amir Khan an ominous warning of the risks involved in challenging a bigger fighter, suggesting Alvarez will eventually catch him even if he makes a promising start to Saturday’s fight.
The accepted wisdom is that Khan, as both naturally smaller and faster than Alvarez, can only secure an unlikely victory by keeping the fight at range, landing scoring punches on the WBC champion and then using his feet to elude Alvarez’s superior strength.
America’s Hopkins is among the greatest middleweights in history and is widely respected for his achievements in that division, when he defeated decorated challengers like Oscar De La Hoya, before later succeeding as the often-smaller man at light-heavyweight.
It is his 2004 fight with De La Hoya that Hopkins considers most similar to Saturday’s between Khan and Alvarez at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena – he stopped De La Hoya with a body shot in the ninth round.
In the same way De La Hoya could not recover from the punch from the bigger fighter, he had also built an early lead through using his superior speed, and Hopkins believes Alvarez will pose his greatest threat in the second half of the fight, when Khan’s efforts may lead to him tiring.
?If you dare to be great, you do what Khan is doing!? – Bernard Hopkins:https://t.co/BU14op6Lx0 #CaneloKhan pic.twitter.com/ukphCmM7uX ? BoxNation(@boxnationtv) May 7, 2016
“Oscar was leading slightly on the scorecards because of speed,” said Hopkins, 51.
“I knew, from my trainer, to get close, and to let my hands go when I get close. Not get close and not do anything: get close and throw punches.
“Eventually, I believe the seventh, eighth, ninth round, I started getting close to Oscar, but until I closed the distance, and let that size of mine play a factor more than it would have done (on the) outside – to try and box him and try to outpoint him or outspeed him – it wasn’t going to happen.” 12:28AM Khan fans confident
Looks like a fair few Brits have flown to Vegas to support Khan – and spirits are high:
12:02AM Joshua ignores Khan’s advice
Amir Khan’s comments on everybody’s favourite heavyweight, Anthony Joshua, caught some people by surprise, with the Bolton-born fighter claiming that AJ should gain some more experience before taking on either Tyson Fury or David Haye. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Joshua didn’t agree with his remarks. Joshua isn’t interested in Khan’s advice Credit: PA
?I respect Khan?s opinion because of what he has achieved but I have my coach, the people who have been with me,” Joshua said earlier today.
?He only sees what is out there on fight night but when I have my coaches with me day in, day out at the gym, they know the real me and that?s the opinion I listen to.? 11:38PM This is going to be a late one… 11:17PM Amir Khan is confident…
The Brit had this to say earlier on this evening.
And he’s not without his celebrity backers, such as the Pakistani cricket Shoaib Malik: 10:57PM Big fight preview What time is the fight?
Amir Khan’s showdown with Canelo Alvarez will start at around 2am UK time on Sunday May 8 – so make sure you set your alarms really early, or just don’t go to bed – it’s really up to you. What TV channel is it on?
So BoxNation TV will be your hosts. Alternatively, you could just follow what is sure to be our superb live blog on their very page with key insight from our boxing correspondent Gareth A Davies who is on the ground in Las Vegas. Amir Khan hopes to defeat Canelo Alvarez Credit: Rex Where is it taking place?
The massive World Boxing Council middleweight title fight will be held at at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. So what’s the deal with this fight?
It’s a pretty big deal – especially for Khan with Gareth A Davies saying the fight is boom or bust for Khan, who steps up two weight divisions to challenge the Mexican star Saul ‘Canelo? Alvarez. What’s the latest?
Khan unveiled his new middleweight physique by topping the scales at 155lbs. Mexican Alvarez – who did not show the expected size advantage over Khan – also weighed in at 155lbs.
By the time the two fighters have rehydrated ahead of Saturday’s fight at Las Vegas’ new T-Mobile Arena, Alvarez is expected to be around a stone heavier than Khan – who is likely to remain light to maximise his superior mobility and speed.
However, the 29-year-old Khan did appear convincing two divisions above his natural weight, and not the uncomfortably-small figure some had feared he would be.
