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With Floyd Mayweather going out to fight his last battle coming September there has been a lot of talk about who he is going to fight? Lot of names have been thrown into the mix with names like Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Gennady Golovkin, Kell Brook, Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao and many more being talked about, but one person has been getting more heat than ever on this subject and that is Amir Khan.
Khan vs Mayweather is being talked as the most realistic thing that could happen as far as Mayweather’s last fight is concerned. In this article we analyse why Khan vs Mayweather is the fight that should happen.
The run
Khan was on the downside of his career in 2012 after having back to back losses and some even thought that he would never be the same again but a new and improved Khan has been on a good run ever since. With victories against good opponents like Chris Algieri and Devon Alexander, Khan has propelled up the ladder and has certainly made a claim for having Mayweather as his next opponent. Mayweather, on the other hand, has been “red hot” his entire career, clearing out opponents with ease and coming into this fight won’t be a big issue form wise.
Pay Per View material :
Even though Khan Vs Mayweather won’t do much business as Mayweather vs Pacquiao, it will still get a significant amount of PPV buys in Europe and the USA. Mayweather who we all know generates massive audience whenever he fights, is guaranteed a PPV base.
Khan, on the other hand, isn’t lagging either. Khan has a good amount of fans in his home country U.K and to add to that his Pakistani roots will help him draw a good Asian audience as well. The fact that it will be Mayweather’s last fight will certainly draw a lot of attention not only from the sporting world but also from a global scenario as well.
Other Contenders :
Other than Khan the people who have been talked about are either in the twilight of their careers or have other commitments and those remaining are not as much of a PPV draw as Khan. Marquez is 41 and talks about retirement has been going on, Pacquiao is set to undergo a shoulder surgery and a rematch looks unlikely since Floyd has come out and said that he doesn’t want to. Cotto is fighting Daniel Geale on June 6th and it would be a race against time to get fit for September.
Golovkin is in a higher weight class and though there has been rumours of a fight at 154lbs it looks highly unlikely, Timothy Bradley is also fighting in June and it would be the same case as Miguel Cotto. So who else better than Khan who has ample time to train, is young and has the skill set as well.
Difference in Styles:
Khan vs Mayweather would be an interesting fight style wise as well with both having two entirely different approaches while in the ring. Khans’ hand speed is probably better than Mayweather’s and has good in ring intelligence and footwork. Mayweather, on the other hand, is more accurate at picking shots and excellent at counter punching.
Mayweather certainly has the defensive edge but Khan’s excellent hand speed can give Mayweather all sorts of problems. Khan has certainly improved his ability to take shots as is evident from his last three fights where he hasn’t gone down once and coupled with Mayweather’s inactivity in the Knock-out scene since 2011 makes this very interesting indeed.
The Credentials:
Khan vs Mayweather would never be touted as the ‘pound for pound king’ against a nobody! Mayweather as we all know is the current welterweight champion of the world and holds all recognised title belts in the welterweight scenario. Khan is no push-over; he has all the credentials both as an amateur as well as on a pro level to match up against Mayweather. Khan won the Silver medal at the 2004 Olympics when he was just 17 and aged 22 became the youngest British world champion ever when he defeated Andreas Kotelnik to become the WBA Light Welterweight champion.
He has since gone on to capture the IBF Light welterweight title and is the current WBC Silver Welterweight title holder as well. Khan has beaten world class opponents like Marco Antonio Barrera, Marcos Maidana, Zab Judah, Paulie Malignaggi, Devon Alexander. A fight between these two accomplished fighters will always look top notch on paper as well as inside the ring.
