“This could be the last fight here for me and Canelo if Donald Trump becomes President! He may come in as the underdog, but he also comes in as a huge favorite to those who know the sport and to many of those who have seen him fight”.
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Losing to Alvarez would do little to damage Khan’s reputation, but he wants his domestic rival to build their potential fight further by growing his own profile. “He has the tools to do it and I hope he does it, but it’s a massive, massive ask to keep out of trouble for 12 rounds against Alvarez who has improved so much since the Mayweather fight”, Hatton told Reuters. “Even though I have no experience of MMA, I could have stepped in and done the business”. Well I got a big right hand and big left hook, so I’m going to give you something to run from!
The 2004 Olympic silver medalist has been knocked out in fights at 135 and 140 pounds by Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia, respectively.
“I’ve got a massive fight with Canelo in front of me and by winning this fight it would definitely take me on to the biggest fight of my career and a bigger one than the one I’m going to be facing on Saturday”. Everywhere you go people are talking about this fight, there are posters on taxis, buses and even on the room cards.
Hatton’s concern is that by putting on some extra pounds to move up, Khan may have slowed down for what will be his first fight in a year since beating American Chris Algieri. Not only eyeing, but also practicing MMA as he mentions, “I’ve already done MMA training”.
Five years had passed since Khan won the lightweight silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and there were serious doubts about whether he had the ability to bounce back from a stunning 2008 first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott.
“I mean, look, my skills are what’s going to win me this fight”, Khan said.
“I felt that an opportunity would present itself and that always kept me going and moving forward”.
The boxing star is, none the less, certain of his abilities, confident in his chances if he was to fight the champion around 147lb.
“He has probably seen the big poster at the MGM, and now it is me and Canelo”. Khan, who captured Kotelnik’s 140-pound title, relied on his speed – using his power only when it mattered most – to claim a wide decision.
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The loss to Garcia was Khan’s second in succession, strengthened the long-term view he has a weak chin, and was followed shortly after by his career stalling in his unsuccessful pursuit of a fight with Floyd Mayweather.
