What Next For Amir "King" Khan?

By Damien McKinley, @TheBoxingFreak.

Amir Khan is in the final furlong of his dream clash with Pound for Pound superstar Floyd “Money” Mayweather. But as the fight is mentioned for May, Amir cannot risk going over the next half a year without a bout only to see the fight fall through as it did earlier this year. Khan was originally set up to fight then IBF Welterweight Champion Devon Alexander, but those plans where put to one side as it seemed as if his aim of landing the mega fight with Mayweather was in place.

Enter into the equation Marcos Maidana who caused one of the upsets of many a year when he completely humiliated the self confessed Mayweather clone, Adrien “The Problem” Broner.

The victory over Broner had many casual fans thinking that if Maidana could beat a fighter with a supposed style similar to Mayweather, then what would happen if the Argentinian got his hands on Floyd.

As the story unfolded, a poll was created as to who Mayweather should fight next....Khan or Maidana. Khan won the poll but Maidana got the gig. All of this drama leaving Amir in limbo and without a fight for the best part of a year.

So now we are back to the same place but different year and this time Amir Khan surely cannot develop any further rust. He must carry on fighting and his opponent must be significant enough if he is going to be anywhere near prepared to face the best in boxing.

With Khan's “vulnerabilities” it is a tough ask of who to put him in with. When he fought on the undercard of the Mayweather vs Maidana event he looked fantastic when taking on and putting on a clinic against the tough Luiz Collazo.

So who next for Khan?

Well the first name that springs to my mind would be Robert Guerrero. Considering my second choice of Andre Berto will be featuring on the August card with Adrien Broner etc so that would effectively rule him out.

Another few names would be Victor Ortiz who is in desperate need of a big win to put him back on the top table of boxing after he was crumbled by Khan foe, Luiz Collazo. The final name I will throw out would be Robert Guerrero victim Yoshihiro Kamegai who showed against Guerrero that he is certainly no pushover and would no doubt make Khan work incredibly hard for a win.

There are probably a few more that you can probably think of, but for me the opponents mentioned above would be the perfect wins and would surely put Khan in the position of a Mayweather fight come May.

As for who will win? Well Khan for me is a conundrum. He has great performances and then he doesn't so its hard to predict what will happen in his next fight (if he decides to have one). Plus the whole Mayweather “struggle” against Maidana in the first, so lets see how these fights go before making a prediction.

At this point I would take Mayweather, no question. But father time has slowly been creeping up on Mayweather and come next year....who knows??


http://www.v2boxing.com/1/post/2014/08/what-next-for-amir-khan.html

Khan has become a little desperate for a big fight. He should have fought Brook in a huge all English clash, then worked toward Floyd via a Porter type. He thought he had Floyd, but didn't. He could take on Brook v Porter winner, I suppose. Prob his best way to a Floyd fight.

Why should he have fought Brook?

The guy has been fighting M Hatton, Carson Jones and Senchenko whilst Khan has been headlining stateside and fighting Collazo, Judah, Garcia etc.

Different levels at the time so you can see why its never happened....yet.

If Broik wins a world title....against porter for example....then I'd hazard a guess that Khan vs Brook will almost certainly be made as it WILL generate a super fight reaction like Groves and Froch.

Khan is one of my favourite boxers because his fights are usually fantastic to watch. He can look absolutely world class or very ordinary. His superb offence and speed coupled with his defensive vulnerabilities and love of a tear up make for great entertainment. I personally want to see Manny vs Khan. I think Manny would win a close UD but it would be some treat for the fans. As for Floyd, if Khan can avoid being tagged cleanly too often I expect him to UD or even stop Mayweather late as I do think he is on the slide, though maybe he will prove me wrong in the Maidana rematch.

theanimal316 wrote:Khan is one of my favourite boxers because his fights are usually fantastic to watch.  He can look absolutely world class or very ordinary.  His superb offence and speed coupled with his defensive vulnerabilities and love of a tear up make for great entertainment.  I personally want to see Manny vs Khan.  I think Manny would win a close UD but it would be some treat for the fans.  As for Floyd, if Khan can avoid being tagged cleanly too often I expect him to UD or even stop Mayweather late as I do think he is on the slide, though maybe he will prove me wrong in the Maidana rematch.

Wow, jumping straight in there with the 'Khan would beat Mayweather' prediction, I respect your bravery. As to who Khan should fight, it really depends whether he is looking for a serious opponent or just biding his time and keeping in form for Mayeather in May. I have no idea how much of a sure thing that fight is, so Khan may want to get in a serious opponent to keep his name out there, in which case Guerrero looks a good bet. He could also potentially fight Abregu and keep the WBC happy by taking his 'silver title' bauble. If he's just looking for a keep busy with a decent ranking then I wouldn't be surprised to see his team go after the NABA champion Ion or the untested Thai fighter Teerachai Kratingdaenggym as both are pretty well ranked and would likely give him rounds without posing a serious threat.

If he really could land Mayweather next year then from a fans perspective his next choice of opponent is likely to be something of a let down. I like khan but he hasn't fought in a big fight for a couple of years and his last few fights have been against guys he really should be beating anyway. Although I thought he looked good against Collazo but I wondered how far Collazo might have slipped, although that is just speculation.

I know I would love to see him in with Garcia again, he won't do that if Floyd is in the pipeline and I don't blame him, but if Floyd falls through then he really should target Danny as he can beat him but it's a real 50/50 for me. If Khan boxes to plan he wins but if he switches off Danny can knock him out as we saw.

The trouble with Floyd is that he not only hasn't fought Pac in what would have been a brilliant fight and great for the sport ( not laying full blame at Floyd here ) but he seems to disrupt and hold back the careers of other boxers as well. When a possible fight against Floyd is muted other fighters pull out of good matchups only to be let down when the supposed Floyd fight fails to materialise. Brook v Alexander springs to mind.

If I were Khan and I truly believed that the Floyd fight was going to happen next year then I would probably pick Guerrero. He's good enough to test Khan but doesn't hit too hard. Guerrero would be a half way house as it would still be a good win for Khan if the Floyd fight falls through.

DuransHorse wrote:If he really could land Mayweather next year then from a fans perspective his next choice of opponent is likely to be something of a let down.  I like khan but he hasn't fought in a big fight for a couple of years and his last few fights have been against guys he really should be beating anyway.  Although I thought he looked good against Collazo but I wondered how far Collazo might have slipped, although that is just speculation.

I know I would love to see him in with Garcia again, he won't do that if Floyd is in the pipeline and I don't blame him, but if Floyd falls through then he really should target Danny as he can beat him but it's a real 50/50 for me.  If Khan boxes to plan he wins but if he switches off Danny can knock him out as we saw.

The trouble with Floyd is that he not only hasn't fought Pac in what would have been a brilliant fight and great for the sport ( not laying full blame at Floyd here ) but he seems to disrupt and hold back the careers of other boxers as well.  When a possible fight against Floyd is muted other fighters pull out of good matchups only to be let down when the supposed Floyd fight fails to materialise.  Brook v Alexander springs to mind.

If I were Khan and I truly believed that the Floyd fight was going to happen next year then I would probably pick Guerrero.  He's good enough to test Khan but doesn't hit too hard.  Guerrero would be a half way house as it would still be a good win for Khan if the Floyd fight falls through.

Guerrero would be right up there with the best Khan has fought. I think if I was Khan and thought the Floyd fight was on, I'd probably just look to get some rounds in against a ranked fighter on an under card. I agree that Guerrero would be a good standalone win, but it's a fairly big risk.

The Mayweather fight reminds me of Carl The truth vs Tyson......You know he has the speed and jab to win but you know once he's caught he's probably screwed..

Will he get caught ??? Who knows..........

Khan by decision If he doesn't .........

Posters on here often forget Mayweather is 37 and has no right like Manny to be so succesful...........Remember the famous Haz article that "Maidana shows Mayweather doesn't belong in a top 10".... forgetting that all his top 10 were getting squashed at that age or retired after beatings.....But that is another story.......

Khan has the tools to win.......Has the chin to lose.........

Gut say's he gets caught.............But who knows Maidana may spring an upset......All great fighters become mortal in the end as history shows..

As for what next............The kid shouldn't fight anyone too difficult...........He's allowed an easy match to keep it ticking..

Wouldn't count on it happening though..............If Alvarez becomes a two weight champion...........He'll be next !!

sittingringside wrote:

DuransHorse wrote:If he really could land Mayweather next year then from a fans perspective his next choice of opponent is likely to be something of a let down.  I like khan but he hasn't fought in a big fight for a couple of years and his last few fights have been against guys he really should be beating anyway.  Although I thought he looked good against Collazo but I wondered how far Collazo might have slipped, although that is just speculation.

I know I would love to see him in with Garcia again, he won't do that if Floyd is in the pipeline and I don't blame him, but if Floyd falls through then he really should target Danny as he can beat him but it's a real 50/50 for me.  If Khan boxes to plan he wins but if he switches off Danny can knock him out as we saw.

The trouble with Floyd is that he not only hasn't fought Pac in what would have been a brilliant fight and great for the sport ( not laying full blame at Floyd here ) but he seems to disrupt and hold back the careers of other boxers as well.  When a possible fight against Floyd is muted other fighters pull out of good matchups only to be let down when the supposed Floyd fight fails to materialise.  Brook v Alexander springs to mind.

If I were Khan and I truly believed that the Floyd fight was going to happen next year then I would probably pick Guerrero.  He's good enough to test Khan but doesn't hit too hard.  Guerrero would be a half way house as it would still be a good win for Khan if the Floyd fight falls through.

Guerrero would be right up there with the best Khan has fought. I think if I was Khan and thought the Floyd fight was on, I'd probably just look to get some rounds in against a ranked fighter on an under card. I agree that Guerrero would be a good standalone win, but it's a fairly big risk.

I agree that Guerrero would be up there as one of the best names on his CV but I'm confident Khan wins that one and I think Khan would be too. The problem Khan has is he should be at the peak of his career now and making sure that he is getting decent opponents. I'd guess that Khan would be the bookies clear favourite against Guerrero, we all know Khan's biggest danger is punchers so I don't really see Guerrero as that big a threat. I may be wrong but I that's why I would pick Guerrero, the name and style fit Khan's requirements quite well IMO. Guerrero's good but I think Khan beats him easily enough, gets a name of recognition and tested to the right degree. If Khan puts all his eggs in the Mayweather basket I have a feeling that he will be disappointed. Beating Guerrero in the interim could soften the blow a little... or he could lose and blow the fight he most desires. I don't think so though.

DuransHorse wrote:

sittingringside wrote:

DuransHorse wrote:If he really could land Mayweather next year then from a fans perspective his next choice of opponent is likely to be something of a let down.  I like khan but he hasn't fought in a big fight for a couple of years and his last few fights have been against guys he really should be beating anyway.  Although I thought he looked good against Collazo but I wondered how far Collazo might have slipped, although that is just speculation.

I know I would love to see him in with Garcia again, he won't do that if Floyd is in the pipeline and I don't blame him, but if Floyd falls through then he really should target Danny as he can beat him but it's a real 50/50 for me.  If Khan boxes to plan he wins but if he switches off Danny can knock him out as we saw.

The trouble with Floyd is that he not only hasn't fought Pac in what would have been a brilliant fight and great for the sport ( not laying full blame at Floyd here ) but he seems to disrupt and hold back the careers of other boxers as well.  When a possible fight against Floyd is muted other fighters pull out of good matchups only to be let down when the supposed Floyd fight fails to materialise.  Brook v Alexander springs to mind.

If I were Khan and I truly believed that the Floyd fight was going to happen next year then I would probably pick Guerrero.  He's good enough to test Khan but doesn't hit too hard.  Guerrero would be a half way house as it would still be a good win for Khan if the Floyd fight falls through.

Guerrero would be right up there with the best Khan has fought. I think if I was Khan and thought the Floyd fight was on, I'd probably just look to get some rounds in against a ranked fighter on an under card. I agree that Guerrero would be a good standalone win, but it's a fairly big risk.

I agree that Guerrero would be up there as one of the best names on his CV but I'm confident Khan wins that one and I think Khan would be too. The problem Khan has is he should be at the peak of his career now and making sure that he is getting decent opponents.  I'd guess that Khan would be the bookies clear favourite against Guerrero, we all know Khan's biggest danger is punchers so I don't really see Guerrero as that big a threat.  I may be wrong but I that's why I would pick Guerrero, the name and style fit Khan's requirements quite well IMO.  Guerrero's good but I think Khan beats him easily enough, gets a name of recognition and tested to the right degree.  If Khan puts all his eggs in the Mayweather basket I have a feeling that he will be disappointed.  Beating Guerrero in the interim could soften the blow a little... or he could lose and blow the fight he most desires.  I don't think so though.

I should point out that I probably struggle with “fans-eye syndrome” a little. Looking through my boxing business glasses, if Khan knows that he has a Mayweather fight in the bag then I can see fighting completely safe as the obvious option. The thing is though Khan can’t know that for sure and I still think he could do with staking his claim on a Mayweather fight a little more strongly. Another no name will keep him I the running but it won’t enhance his stake either, hence more likely to fall through if someone takes a risk and makes a name for themselves in the interim.

DuransHorse wrote:

DuransHorse wrote:

sittingringside wrote:

DuransHorse wrote:If he really could land Mayweather next year then from a fans perspective his next choice of opponent is likely to be something of a let down.  I like khan but he hasn't fought in a big fight for a couple of years and his last few fights have been against guys he really should be beating anyway.  Although I thought he looked good against Collazo but I wondered how far Collazo might have slipped, although that is just speculation.

I know I would love to see him in with Garcia again, he won't do that if Floyd is in the pipeline and I don't blame him, but if Floyd falls through then he really should target Danny as he can beat him but it's a real 50/50 for me.  If Khan boxes to plan he wins but if he switches off Danny can knock him out as we saw.

The trouble with Floyd is that he not only hasn't fought Pac in what would have been a brilliant fight and great for the sport ( not laying full blame at Floyd here ) but he seems to disrupt and hold back the careers of other boxers as well.  When a possible fight against Floyd is muted other fighters pull out of good matchups only to be let down when the supposed Floyd fight fails to materialise.  Brook v Alexander springs to mind.

If I were Khan and I truly believed that the Floyd fight was going to happen next year then I would probably pick Guerrero.  He's good enough to test Khan but doesn't hit too hard.  Guerrero would be a half way house as it would still be a good win for Khan if the Floyd fight falls through.

Guerrero would be right up there with the best Khan has fought. I think if I was Khan and thought the Floyd fight was on, I'd probably just look to get some rounds in against a ranked fighter on an under card. I agree that Guerrero would be a good standalone win, but it's a fairly big risk.

I agree that Guerrero would be up there as one of the best names on his CV but I'm confident Khan wins that one and I think Khan would be too. The problem Khan has is he should be at the peak of his career now and making sure that he is getting decent opponents.  I'd guess that Khan would be the bookies clear favourite against Guerrero, we all know Khan's biggest danger is punchers so I don't really see Guerrero as that big a threat.  I may be wrong but I that's why I would pick Guerrero, the name and style fit Khan's requirements quite well IMO.  Guerrero's good but I think Khan beats him easily enough, gets a name of recognition and tested to the right degree.  If Khan puts all his eggs in the Mayweather basket I have a feeling that he will be disappointed.  Beating Guerrero in the interim could soften the blow a little... or he could lose and blow the fight he most desires.  I don't think so though.

I should point out that I probably struggle with “fans-eye syndrome” a little.  Looking through my boxing business glasses, if Khan knows that he has a Mayweather fight in the bag then I can see fighting completely safe as the obvious option.  The thing is though Khan can’t know that for sure and I still think he could do with staking his claim on a Mayweather fight a little more strongly.  Another no name will keep him I the running but it won’t enhance his stake either, hence more likely to fall through if someone takes a risk and makes a name for themselves in the interim.

If you look at my first post on this thread, I think we actually agree with each other to a large extent regarding Khan's potential choices of opponent. I think Guerrero is a good opponent if Khan needs an extra boost to get him the Mayweather fight and I would favour him to win, though I wouldn't have it as quite such a sure thing as perhaps you do. However, with the shadowy Al Haymon on the scene it's hard to know whether this fight has already been put together to an extent behind closed doors. It may be the case that Khan knows nothing at this point, or maybe it's nearly a dead cert.

He could try another poll

Some big fights out there for Khan, feel his next one will be a gimme matchup. The following is what we can look forward too:

Garcia
Peterson
Guerrero
Maidana
Mayweather
Broner
Brook/ Porter...

There's just so many options hence why he's fast becoming one of the most talked about boxer in today's era behind the likes of Pacquiao, Mayweather and Cotto.

glad there has been the reaction of what I wrote but the fact is WHO is the next fight for Khan even though we all know its not going to be Mayweather. Collazo was a good'un because of the job he did on Ortiz. He needs a commercial and a reliable win that will teach him something.

Fact is, there is nobody out there really with the defence that can prepare him for Floyd. But a fighter with a good inside game that Khan can explloit is the neccessity. even though Khan is not an inside fighter. He has until May to learn this. Maidana showed in the last that Floyd (against ropes) can be exploited. Now Im not Khans biggest fan but still, only Thurman for me is the one that can rip that 0 away. Even as hard and as hard as it may soud. Khan may be chinny, but someone with the limited arsenal of power in Floyd will not be the one who will go that way. Its a Floyd win do not get me wrong. But if anyone has the ticket or speed to be set up in a way (or game plan) to win rounds. Then Khan is the only one. As me and Paul have discussed. Thurman is the man to beat FLoyd and I stick by that right now. But give me a Khan fight over a Floyd one right now if the opponent is decent and if I was to watch Khan vs Guerrero or Flyod vs Maidana 2 and forced to pay. I know which I would fork out for.

Hi, by the way!!!

Khan will sit on his hands again between now and may. Worried he might spoil his chances of a mayweather fight (again). By the time may comes khan will be left out in the cold. He needs to stay active and relevant, build on the collazo momentum. If brook v porter is a barnburner he needs to chase the winner of it. He needs to be talked about as the fighter that mayweather must fight, he's not that by any stretch at the moment. And I don't expect him to become that by May.

Khan has stated he wants Alexander or Guerrero for his December fight. Also states he wants to fight in England. 

I highly doubt GBP/Al Haymon, whoever those two boxers are signed with, will send them overseas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/28766909

i like the way he refers to alexander and guerrero as ticking over fights, already looking past them to a mayweather fight. no guarantee he beats either and if he looks past them he will do in my opinion. both are much better opponents than he has faced since his lost to garcia

compelling and rich wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/28766909

i like the way he refers to alexander and guerrero as ticking over fights, already looking past them to a mayweather fight. no guarantee he beats either and if he looks past them he will do in my opinion. both are much better opponents than he has faced since his lost to garcia

Spot on, Alexander can blow hot and cold but he does have some seriously quick hands and dealt with Maidana a lot easier than both Khan and Floyd so shouldn't be looked past. Guerrero I think would be a favourite against Khan for me. Very good all rounder who has the smarts and experience to find a way through Khans lightening quick hands and make his shots count the way Garcia did, I don't think he quite carries the same power Garcia does but you don't need to be a concussive puncher to hurt Khan.

I agree they're both dangerous fights for a warm up! Khan deals with boxers better than pressure fighters, so although I quite rate Alexander I think he's made for khan. Guerrero a harder fight to call as he can mix it up a bit, but I'd err to khan.

Both make for good opponents for him and a notch up on anything he's fought for a while. Anything can happen in a khan fight and certainly neither of these two are guys you'd look past.

Kid seems to be doing some good charity work for under privileged kids...Good lad...

Never bought into the RG hype (especially the inflated stuff following the PBF announcement). At 147 I don't see Khan having any problems with him whatsoever.

At 135 (RG's natural division) I would back him to dismantle Khan, but that's not all that relevant anymore.

Guerrero is a tricky southpaw and quality technician..

Undersold on here like "ordinary" Saul because he had the audacity to lose to the greatest fighter of his era..

Khan v Rob is a good fight

Tricky southpaw and quality technician............with a great record at 135 (only).

The only thing that allows him to tread water at c.147 is his chin.

Given Guerrero's chin, stamina and inside game I wouldn't be at all surprised if he beat Khan down the stretch. It'd be exciting either way.

Alexander being a boxer you'd think Khan should deal with him, but whoever wins will most likely just nick a large portion of the rounds in a technical stinker.

I think Guerrero is a tougher ask than Alexander who has always seemed easily dissuaded to me. I believe he would be at a speed disadvantage which he's not normally used to, having pretty quick hands himself. Guerrero is a more persistent and versatile opponent I feel, who can play role of both stalker and boxer and present Khan with different problems.

Agree with the general feeling here, that Guerrero would be a genuinely risky assignment for Khan.

Alexander the more skilled operator but doesn't have the style to exploit the flaws in Khan's game, and as sittingringside has alluded to, I just feel that even if it did come down to brawn rather than brain, Khan would just want it more than Alexander and do enough to take it.

I don't think it takes a super-bright mind to see why Guerrero could upset the apple cart. Better conditioning than Khan, very good chin, doesn't get discouraged and loves to go to work on the inside. If the war against Kamegai is anything to go by, he's also not happy to retire and get fat off that big Mayweather pay day. Khan would be favourite in that one in any case, and even more so now that he's stopped the rot with a good showing against Collazo....But he'd need to be on his game to be sure of getting the win there.

The Guerrero fight is the one I'd like to see if it's between either him or Alexander.

Guerrero has no record at welterweight?

What's does Khan have at welterweight? A victory over a long faded Collazo, whom most had forgotten until he KO'd the mentally weak Victor Ortiz. 

Khan gets taken apart by Guerrero.

I don't really know how I see it going between Khan and Guerrero. On the one hand, Guerrero is a competent stalker and a good allrounder, I could see him pressuring Khan and counter punching. On the other hand, Khan's USP has always been his blinding hand speed which is normally the quickest his opponent will have faced, with opponents often looking a bit shell shocked early on. I think it could be a case of how good Khan's conditioning is and how disciplined his planning and execution is. I see him having to move a lot and throw short bursts, if he can do that then I think his physical advantages will see him through. He's struggled with concentration in the past though, as we saw when he copped that big left from Garcia.

Guerrero bringing the heat like he did against Berto could cause a heck of a lot of problems for Amir.

He beats Alexander with something to spare.

He should face the winner of Brook Vs. Porter and pray it's Brook, if Brook wins the fight over here is massive and would give him a belt if he wins and show that he's a huge earner on this side of the pond and it may give him a Mayweather fight.

He boxed lovely last time out, more performances like that an he'll be silencing plenty more critics. Pleased too for Virgil Hunter who I like as a trainer. Gives his boxers full attention unlike Floyd Sr who was a joke for Ricky Hatton. Trainers are as much psychologists as tutors of technique and Virgil Hunter is good at the mental side. Azumah touched on it the other day that not many trainers today know much about the art of defence and you have to wonder why so few trainers are able to become specialists in this art and pass it on to their pupils. Why can't fighters like Floyd Mayweather be churned out as in a production line? Why can't the old school skills of say a Mike McCallum be scientifically studied, emulated and passed on, on an almost daily basis?

Guerrero and Alexander are two fights which would be excellent tests for Khan. Why bother with a treading water fight at this stage? If he was able to do to either of those two what he did to Collazo then Floyd is going to get interested to fight him sharpish.

If Brook wins at the weekend, there's no way he fights Khan next unless Eddie has a complete brain fart. He'll showcase Kell in the UK with a couple of high profile (but very beatable) names whilst loudly stating that Khan needs to "earn a shot at Brook" which is all nonsense but the smart way to play it.

Khan/Brook is a massive Summer 2015 fight if they both keep winning

How good a trainer is Virgil hunter? Open question, I don't think I know the answer. He built his rep with ward... Most of his other guys have a had a tough time of late.... Angulo, berto, Gonzales. Khan boxed well against collazo but has he really shown much improvement?

Did hunter just get lucky with ward, or just had an unlucky run with the rest of his stable?

He taught ward how to fight as a kid, so whatever talent ward has, hunter clearly knows his onions. Does that mean you can take guys in their mid-late 20's and improve them?

Khan was certainly dirtier in his last fight than I've ever seen him before.

I was a critic of Hunter, Enzo Calzaghe being the obvious comparision, trainers of the year etc. But I think there was real improvement in Khan's last fight, his defense tightened, his speed retained, 3/4 shot combos rather than 6/7. The biggest difference being that he didn't look like he was thinking his way through the fight.

It was only one fight, so I'll hold back from giving Hunter praise, but also hold back on renaming him enzo hunter.