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By
Jeff Powell
Boxing’s high chieftains have smiled upon Amir Khan by transforming a one-belt challenge into a cornucopia of world titles and with them the chance to launch himself towards the stratospheric riches of the full welterweight division.
Floyd Mayweather and the moguls of pay-per-view television will be beckoning as Khan enters the arena at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Saturday night.
To fulfil his part of the future bargain, the young man from Bolton has to elude the dynamite left hook of a rival world champion and deliver a stellar victory.
Raring to go: Amir Khan (left) and Danny Garcia weigh in for their fight
Floyd Mayweather and the moguls of pay-per-view television will be beckoning as Khan enters the arena at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Saturday night.
To fulfil his part of the future bargain, the young man from Bolton has to elude the dynamite left hook of a rival world champion and deliver a stellar victory.
Raring to go: Amir Khan (left) and Danny Garcia weigh in for their fight
If he can make good on ‘the first ever promise I have made to knock out an opponent’, Khan will silence rival world light-welterweight champion Danny Garcia and his insulting father.
Both men scaled 139lbs at Friday's weigh-in, one pound under the 10 stone light-welterweight limit.
More importantly for Khan, he will take a long stride along the road which leads to Mayweather and a megabucks fight which could even take place in England.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy, who promote both King Khan and Money Mayweather, intensified the anticipation when he said:
‘Amir’s fights are usually exciting and if he wins this one in that style he will be getting close to a super-fight with Floyd.’
Mayweather is due out of prison next month and Schaefer does not rule out a showdown with Khan as early as this December. ‘It could be the next fight for both of them,’ he said, ‘although it may be better for Amir to have one fight at welterweight before taking on the man who is currently the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
‘Next May may be more likely but whenever it comes I don’t rule out it being in London.
‘Floyd always says he would love to fight in England and this could be his best opportunity to do that. But be it here or over there, this is a fight which looks to be in the making now.’
First, Khan must get the win against unbeaten Philadelphia man Garcia.
'This is my chance to prove once and for all that I'm the best in the division,' Khan said. 'I can win the WBC title tomorrow and will have held three of the four belts in the light-welterweight division, so it's time to move up to 147lbs.
'I just think there are more challenges out there for me in that division. I want to be in big world title fights and in big fights with the likes of Mayweather. To do that, I need to be up in that division.'
He added: 'Watching Mayweather's last fight (a points win against Miguel Cotto), coupled with the way I've been training, I think I'm ready.
'Styles make fights. I know Mayweather's fought other styles and has looked so good against them, but he's never fought anyone with my style, someone young, hungry, fit and strong who can punch.
Both men scaled 139lbs at Friday's weigh-in, one pound under the 10 stone light-welterweight limit.
More importantly for Khan, he will take a long stride along the road which leads to Mayweather and a megabucks fight which could even take place in England.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy, who promote both King Khan and Money Mayweather, intensified the anticipation when he said:
‘Amir’s fights are usually exciting and if he wins this one in that style he will be getting close to a super-fight with Floyd.’
Mayweather is due out of prison next month and Schaefer does not rule out a showdown with Khan as early as this December. ‘It could be the next fight for both of them,’ he said, ‘although it may be better for Amir to have one fight at welterweight before taking on the man who is currently the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
‘Next May may be more likely but whenever it comes I don’t rule out it being in London.
‘Floyd always says he would love to fight in England and this could be his best opportunity to do that. But be it here or over there, this is a fight which looks to be in the making now.’
First, Khan must get the win against unbeaten Philadelphia man Garcia.
'This is my chance to prove once and for all that I'm the best in the division,' Khan said. 'I can win the WBC title tomorrow and will have held three of the four belts in the light-welterweight division, so it's time to move up to 147lbs.
'I just think there are more challenges out there for me in that division. I want to be in big world title fights and in big fights with the likes of Mayweather. To do that, I need to be up in that division.'
He added: 'Watching Mayweather's last fight (a points win against Miguel Cotto), coupled with the way I've been training, I think I'm ready.
'Styles make fights. I know Mayweather's fought other styles and has looked so good against them, but he's never fought anyone with my style, someone young, hungry, fit and strong who can punch.
Heated: Khan and Garcia are kept apart during a press conference
'I know I will cause Mayweather problems. He's getting older and slower now. It's the best time to catch him. I really believe I do have the style to beat him.
'One of the reasons I want to move up to 147lbs is to fight Mayweather and it's not about the money, it's about me knowing I can beat the guy and be the next guy at the top, the next pound-for-pound champion.'
Mayweather is currently serving a prison sentence for domestic violence and Khan plans to be waiting when he is released in a few weeks' time.
'I hope he comes out of prison unscathed and he's in shape because I really believe I have his number,' said Khan.
For starters, however, he knows he must take care of Garcia. The incentive to do so has become all the greater with him being reinstated as WBA champion.
Suddenly, in addition to Garcia’s WBC belt, the WBA and The Ring magazine titles are also up for grabs as boxing in America finally takes punitive action in the wake of Lamont Peterson’s failed drugs test and admission that he was on steroids on the controversial night he beat Khan.
Only the IBF, of whose title Khan was also robbed in Washington, are dragging their feet.
Khan deserves to enter the ring as a champion but so, too, does Garcia, despite his father Angel’s rantings.
Garcia Snr denies being racist when he says that he has ‘never seen a Pakistani who can fight’ and that ‘Khan will be flying home on one of their magic carpets’.
'I know I will cause Mayweather problems. He's getting older and slower now. It's the best time to catch him. I really believe I do have the style to beat him.
'One of the reasons I want to move up to 147lbs is to fight Mayweather and it's not about the money, it's about me knowing I can beat the guy and be the next guy at the top, the next pound-for-pound champion.'
Mayweather is currently serving a prison sentence for domestic violence and Khan plans to be waiting when he is released in a few weeks' time.
'I hope he comes out of prison unscathed and he's in shape because I really believe I have his number,' said Khan.
For starters, however, he knows he must take care of Garcia. The incentive to do so has become all the greater with him being reinstated as WBA champion.
Suddenly, in addition to Garcia’s WBC belt, the WBA and The Ring magazine titles are also up for grabs as boxing in America finally takes punitive action in the wake of Lamont Peterson’s failed drugs test and admission that he was on steroids on the controversial night he beat Khan.
Only the IBF, of whose title Khan was also robbed in Washington, are dragging their feet.
Khan deserves to enter the ring as a champion but so, too, does Garcia, despite his father Angel’s rantings.
Garcia Snr denies being racist when he says that he has ‘never seen a Pakistani who can fight’ and that ‘Khan will be flying home on one of their magic carpets’.
Focused: Khan (above) wants to unify the belts but the unbeaten Garcia (below) stands in his way
Khan responded by telling him: ‘You’re about to see a Pakistani-Englishman who cannot only fight but who is going to knock out your son.’
‘A Pakistani-Englishman?’ shouted Garcia. ‘Your DNA is all messed up.’
Khan shrugged that one off as ‘the ignorance of a man who doesn’t understand what he’s saying’.
Garcia Snr’s ignorant remarks notwithstanding, it is refreshing to see two world title-holders in the prime of youth coming to take on each other in a championship unification fight.
Garcia, at 24, is the first professional opponent the 25-year-old Khan has faced who is younger than himself. The Philadelphia-born son of Puerto Rican immigrants arrives here by virtue of defeating veteran Mexico legend Erik Morales to win the WBC title.
He clinched that points victory by knocking down a tiring Morales in the 11th round and says: ‘I caught him with several big shots before that and if I land one on Khan it will be interesting to see if his chin can take it.’
The Garcia family have bought into the old theory that Khan has a suspect jaw, overlooking how he has recently stood up to the best that big punchers such as Marcos Maidana have to offer.
Garcia does have a potent left hook but — in contradiction of his nickname ‘Swift’ — is not the fastest at firing that weapon. Nor has he shown any sign thus far in his 23-win career of pressurising opponents the way a juiced-up Peterson forced Khan on to the ropes at times.
‘A Pakistani-Englishman?’ shouted Garcia. ‘Your DNA is all messed up.’
Khan shrugged that one off as ‘the ignorance of a man who doesn’t understand what he’s saying’.
Garcia Snr’s ignorant remarks notwithstanding, it is refreshing to see two world title-holders in the prime of youth coming to take on each other in a championship unification fight.
Garcia, at 24, is the first professional opponent the 25-year-old Khan has faced who is younger than himself. The Philadelphia-born son of Puerto Rican immigrants arrives here by virtue of defeating veteran Mexico legend Erik Morales to win the WBC title.
He clinched that points victory by knocking down a tiring Morales in the 11th round and says: ‘I caught him with several big shots before that and if I land one on Khan it will be interesting to see if his chin can take it.’
The Garcia family have bought into the old theory that Khan has a suspect jaw, overlooking how he has recently stood up to the best that big punchers such as Marcos Maidana have to offer.
Garcia does have a potent left hook but — in contradiction of his nickname ‘Swift’ — is not the fastest at firing that weapon. Nor has he shown any sign thus far in his 23-win career of pressurising opponents the way a juiced-up Peterson forced Khan on to the ropes at times.
Next up? Khan could face Floyd Mayweather in a mouthwatering showdown
Garcia will start buoyed by the confidence which attends all unbeaten fighters, but if he boxes true to his form of standing and waiting to throw big counter-punches then Khan should be too fast for him.
The casino odds-makers here certainly think so. They are offering Garcia at 5-1, the longest price against a defending champion in recent memory.
Presumably the bookies are factoring in Khan’s own realisation that he cannot afford to lose this one — and not only because a Mayweather bonanza is in the offing.
That defeat by Peterson can be excused by all the scandal which surrounded the home-town decision but Khan’s career, just as much as the promise of a mega pay day, is on the line.
A second successive upset would send him back to England, not to await Mr Mayweather’s pleasure but to the drawing board.
Khan has been told by his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach to avoid any risk of another in the recent spate of dodgy decisions by taking the verdict out of the judges’ hands.
Our boy has been paying attention and I expect him to make good on that knockout promise in or around the 10th round.
TV: Khan v Garcia is live on Sky Sports 1 from 2am on Sunday morning.
Garcia will start buoyed by the confidence which attends all unbeaten fighters, but if he boxes true to his form of standing and waiting to throw big counter-punches then Khan should be too fast for him.
The casino odds-makers here certainly think so. They are offering Garcia at 5-1, the longest price against a defending champion in recent memory.
Presumably the bookies are factoring in Khan’s own realisation that he cannot afford to lose this one — and not only because a Mayweather bonanza is in the offing.
That defeat by Peterson can be excused by all the scandal which surrounded the home-town decision but Khan’s career, just as much as the promise of a mega pay day, is on the line.
A second successive upset would send him back to England, not to await Mr Mayweather’s pleasure but to the drawing board.
Khan has been told by his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach to avoid any risk of another in the recent spate of dodgy decisions by taking the verdict out of the judges’ hands.
Our boy has been paying attention and I expect him to make good on that knockout promise in or around the 10th round.
TV: Khan v Garcia is live on Sky Sports 1 from 2am on Sunday morning.
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