by Rick Reeno
Virgil Hunter, the trainer of Amir Khan and Andre Ward, cleared up the conflicting information regarding his two fighters being involved in a sparring session.
Khan, a former champion at 140-pounds, claimed on his official Facebook page that he previously sparred with Ward, the WBA champion at super middleweight.
"Angulo and Ward have hit me with big shots and I've stood in front and not gone down. They carry 25 lbs over me and are big punchers. This is because I'm at my natural weight [of 147]. It's in the fans' hands who they want to see me fight. If it's not me [against Mayweather] then good luck to whoever it is."
Ward, in response to several inquiries regarding the sparring session - denied it ever took place.
"Me and Khan never sparred. Yea, didn't read what he said, but we've never been in the ring together," Ward stated.
The entire situation was a misunderstanding, Hunter told BoxingScene.com.
Hunter confirms that Khan and Ward had never sparred with each other. However, Hunter explains that Khan did spar with Ward's sparring partner, undefeated middleweight Antoine Douglas (12-0, 7KOs).
Regarding hard punching junior middleweight Alfredo Angulo, Hunter says Khan held his own in several sparring sessions between the two fighters.
Khan's chin, indicates Hunter, withstood the incoming shots of both Douglas and Angulo.
"Amir never sparred with Andre. What he meant is that he sparred with Andre's sparring partner, Antoine Douglas, and the two of them went at it. That's who he sparred with. He sparred with Douglas, who was Andre's sparring partner. He helped Andre prepare for Edwin Rodriguez. Antoine Douglas is a strong middleweight and he hit Amir with some hard punches. Amir also sparred with Alfredo. He sparred at least 50 rounds with Alfredo and he also hit Amir with some hard shots," Hunter told BoxingScene.com.
Khan is the frontrunner to face WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 3rd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.