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MANILA, Philippines – Amir Kahn (26-2, 18 KO) is one of boxing’s brightest young stars.
He comes from a long line of popular English fighters to come out of that side of the world, fighters including Ricky “Hitman” Hatton and Prince Naseem Hamed.
Khan, of Pakistani descent, has a huge following in his native Pakistan. The former world light welterweight champion is fast and quick with power in both hands.
Until he met Breidis Prescott back in 2008, a fight which saw an abrupt and shocking end with Khan on the floor scrambling to regain his senses, Amir Khan was an undefeated and highly touted prospect. His style though, was raw and unpolished.
So when he came to Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California in search of his soul, Khan entered the gym doors with an open mind – keen to reinvent himself.
With the help of 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao as a regular training and sparring partner, Khan has transformed into a stylishly fast slickster with well-refined techniques.
Roach gave Khan the knowledge of pugilism and a method to his madness.
Setbacks
It appeared that he was on the comeback trail with prospective showdowns and opportunities to fight the best the sport has to offer right at his doorstep – even being considered a possible future challenger to Floyd Mayweather Jr, and also friend and gym-mate Pacquiao.
Appearances could be deceiving though, as we know all too well in this sport.
Khan once again found himself in disappointment, suffering another setback with a loss to Lamont Peterson just last year.
The first fight between Khan and Peterson ended in controversy. The fight was held in Peterson’s hometown of Washington DC and despite a very close fight which could have gone either way, a split decision was reached with Khan on the losing end.
The decision was indeed razor thin and many pundits actually had Khan winning the fight. The two have a rematch scheduled to determine the better man.
In an interview with RingTV.com, Khan vowed to bring his “A” game this time around.
“I’m going to train like a challenger, like I always train. I have to train a little bit harder because I know things can go wrong,” he said. “The first time the tallies (for pushing) were taken from me. I believe I won the fight but I didn’t get it. The fight’s not gonna be in DC… I mean, I’m not taking nothing away from Lamont, he’s a good fighter but I just think you didn’t see the best of Amir Khan on that night.”
Critics agree that while Peterson did everything he was supposed to do which in turn got him the victory, Khan could have been busier. The failure to do so, they think, resulted in Peterson outworking Khan in almost every round.
Khan in the tropics
Khan is in the Philippines training for his rematch with Peterson which is scheduled for May 19 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in sin city – though he may be without the services of Pacquiao for this one, who is also deep in training for his fight against American Tim Bradley.
Rumor has it that Khan and Pacquiao are prohibited to spar due to the fact that one day they may face each other, a rumor that Khan is quick to debunk.
Khan has said he thinks of Pacquiao like a brother, and refuses to fight him. His mere presence in the Philippines goes against a possible Khan-Pacquiao fight in the future.
With regards to training in the Philippines, Amir Khan appears to be enjoying himself.
In his official blog, Khan wrote his praise for the country.
“The Philippines is a beautiful country and I’ve been staying in Baguio City, I didn’t know what to expect when I came but I can honestly say it’s a great place and I’m definitely going to come back here with my family next time,” he wrote. “I’m surprised because I even found a mosque to pray the Friday prayer in!”
The future is bright for the 25-year-old Khan. His combination of blindingly fast speed — faster than Pacquiao’s, according to Roach — and awesome power with pinpoint technique, will only bode well for him in future bouts.
A possible showdown with Mayweather also looms on the horizon.
But before that, Khan has a score to settle with Lamont Peterson. Expect the fight to be as explosive as the last one, with more action and maybe this time around, a clear winner. – Rappler.com
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