Amir Khan (Photo : Getty Images for Rolling Stone)
Amir Khan finally got his elusive "big fight" but most critics think he bit off more than he can chew.
It was a tough decision to make, to climb up two weight classes to take on middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. But it was a decision endorsed by no less than the Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya.
De La Hoya coaxed Khan to take on the Mexican superstar as he believes the British boxer really has a solid chance to win. He claims that history is on the side of Khan as he stated in The Daily Mail.
"This is a classic clash of styles - Canelo's power versus Khan's speed," de la Hoya stated. "And Amir remembers that little Manny Pacquiao beat big ol' me and Sugar Ray Leonard moved up to beat Marvin Hagler. In truth, speed usually does beat power."
The fight will be at a catchweight of 155 lbs, as Canelo prefers. That catchweight has been controversial being a point of contention in negotiations between Alvarez and the other middleweight champion, Gennady "GGG" Golovkin.
Alvarez is known to use his rehydrating skills to his advantage. While other true middleweight boxers would struggle to make the weight, Canelo plans to make a living in reaching 155 lbs and rehydrating as much as 17 lbs by the time he steps into the ring.
This is not a problem for Amir Khan who will move up in weight from 147 lbs. But the rehydration may pose a problem as he could be at a disadvantage in size. This was pointed out by former boxing champ Naseem Hamed on Boxing News 24 where Hamed says taking on Canelo was a big mistake.
"Amir might know something that I don't, but I don't think that's the right fight to take," Hamed said to IFL TV. "Obviously, if it's a catch-weight contest, which it is, he [Canelo] might boil down to make the weight, then It maybe hard for him. If he's [Khan] trying to beat him that way, then all well and great. I prefer him to fight Kell Brook. Everybody wants to see him fight Kell Brook."
It probably won't be hard for Canelo as he is the one who dictated the weight. In truth, Khan could have lobbied to have a secondary weigh in to limit the weight gain to 10 lbs, but as Khan mentioned in The Daily Mail:
"Everyone's saying I should have insisted on that,' says Khan. 'But it's not a problem for me. I've always been big at light-welter and welter and I feel more comfortable and stronger in training now."
Khan will have to face his bravado in the ring. He got the big fight that he wanted but the question is whether he will live up to his own hype.
