Khan: I'm too fast for rivals

13 April 2012

Amir Khan insists he will be ready to take on the world's best once he deals with Martin Kristjansen on Saturday night. Bolton's unbeaten Commonwealth lightweight champion can earn a world title shot by beating Dane Kristjansen in an eliminator for the WBO lightweight belt in his home town.

The 2004 Olympic silver medallist is already talking up his chances against the best two lightweights in the business.

Khan: Hand speed

Khan, 21, claims he is good enough to overcome Cuban Joel Casamayor, who knocked out Australian Michael Katsidis last month, and world No 1 Nate Campbell.

American Campbell, 35, is the new WBO, WBA and IBF champion after recently outpointing Juan Diaz — but confident Khan believes his speed will be too much for the top two.

On tonight's clash, he said: 'This is an exciting fight for me because I always want to fight people ahead of me in the rankings and Kristjansen's at No 2.

'It's just the fight I need to help me achieve my goals. This is going to be a big year for me and I'm going to become world champion.

'The lightweight division is up for grabs because two of the top lightweights, Diaz and Katsidis, have both just lost.

'If I can deliver a good performance against Kristjansen, it will prove I'm ready for the very top fighters. I want to fight both Campbell and Casamayour.

'They are both over 35 and my hand speed will be too much for them.

'Casamayor picks his shots but I have the speed to go in and out. The same with Campbell. If I catch someone clean, they will go. I want to face these two in the near future.'

Khan's last fight, a points win over Australia's former world champion Gairy St Clair, attracted five million viewers on ITV.

But this is the penultimate fight of a current deal to screen Khan's fights with ITV and Setanta are waiting to pounce.

Kristjansen, 30, has fought only once in 17 months and should not pose too many problems for Khan's global glory quest.

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