Alvarez vs Khan: Brit vows to 'shock the world' and bring world title belt home

Weighty issue: Amir Khan on his way to defeating Chris Algieri in a welterweight bout last year but the Briton is stepping up two divisions tomorrow
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Amir Khan has heard the doubters before. They were there at the beginning when he was selected as a 17-year-old as Britain’s sole boxer at the 2004 Olympics, and they are there again in abundance ahead of tomorrow’s fight against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

In Athens, he was deemed too inexperienced for the Olympic arena but came away with a surprise silver medal. In 2016, the great and good of boxing have been lining up to explain how and why Khan will come unstuck in Las Vegas.

Oscar de la Hoya believes “sometimes Khan is a little too brave for his own good”. And when the bout was first mooted, Khan’s trainer Virgil Hunter admitted: “I really didn’t like the fight at all.”

Khan takes De la Hoya’s observation as a compliment but in moving up two weight divisions to face the 25-year-old Mexican, who has lost just once in 48 fights — to Floyd Mayweather, the Bolton boxer is well aware of the gamble he is taking.

“Every fight is a risk but that’s what makes me tick,” says Khan on the eve of a payday that looks set to earn him £4million. “I love the fact I’m going in there against a fighter that many think will beat me. It just gives me a chance to prove the doubters wrong.”

There are parallels between then and now, and Khan has cast his mind back to the build-up to the 2004 Games as he prepares to face Canelo.

Comparing the two events 12 years apart, he says: “It’s the same feeling I’m getting against Canelo. I’m regarded as the underdog in this fight, like I was when I went into the Olympics at 17. No one gave me a chance, some didn’t even want me to be entered, but I took my chances and that came off for me.

“I believed in myself and backed my abilities — and that’s what I’m doing against Canelo. I know it won’t be easy but I’m ready to gather the same spirit and shock the world tomorrow night.”

Bookmakers have Khan at 7-2 to win — Canelo is odds-on — and it is easy to see why.

The Mexican is the younger of the two men by four years and has impressed in his four fights since that defeat to Mayweather.

Then there is the fact Canelo can punch more heavily than his opponent and is more accustomed to fighting at the 155-pound weight set for the WBC world middleweight title bout. Khan has only fought over 140lbs four times in his career and never above 147.

It is for that reason that Khan deems it tougher than facing Mayweather, who twice he had been lined up to fight only for the American to opt to step into the ring against Marcos Maidana instead.

“It is certainly a tougher fight because I’m moving up two weight divisions to face a guy that is younger and fresher and regarded by most as one of the very best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” says Khan.

“Canelo is a much bigger puncher, too. Mayweather was around my weight but I’m jumping up two divisions to face Canelo, which won’t be easy, but I’m confident in my abilities.

“This is a huge fight for me and the toughest one of my career. I love challenges like this and am thriving on that to test myself against such a formidable opponent.”

For all his bravado, the consensus is that Khan will end the night flat on his back on the canvas for the third time in his career.

Whatever the outcome, he has earned respect in taking on such a challenge, having consciously made a decision to “take control of my own life” after his last defeat to Danny Garcia four years ago.

Tomorrow is make or break for Khan: on one side it is potential career suicide, on the other it would catapult him to new high.

“This

is a chance to be great and I’m ready to seize that chance,” says Khan, who has not fought since defeating Chris Algieri on a unanimous decision almost a year ago. “I want to try and be great and that’s why I have taken this fight.”

To achieve such greatness, Khan has talked about relying on his speed, praising Hunter’s stewardship for helping him to learn more in the ring but also understand better what he has learned and translating it come fight night.

But he knows he cannot afford the slip-ups of past encounters.

“I know I have the skills to outbox him,” he says. “It’s all about sticking to the game plan and being smart in the ring, using my hand and foot speed, and not forcing the fight. Tomorrow you’re going to see something special — I’m going to bring the world title belts back to Britain.”

In the past, Khan admits to having looked beyond fights to the next obstacle. This time, he is adamant it has only been about Canelo, a mantra drummed into his head for weeks.

“It’s Canelo, Canelo, Canelo,” he says, while hoping it is his name rather than his opponent’s which is read out in Las Vegas come the end of 12 rounds on Saturday night.

Khan v Canelo is exclusively live on BoxNation (Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/online & app) tomorrow night. Go to boxnation.com to subscribe

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