By Carlos Boogs
British star Amir Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) is picking his old rival, Danny Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs), to win the upcoming WBA/WBC welterweight unification against Keith Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs).
The big showdown is scheduled to happen on March 4th from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. CBS will televise the fight.
Khan is the mandatory challenger to the WBC title and stands first in line to fight the Thurman-Garcia.
Khan fought Garcia back in 2012, when they collided in a junior welterweight unification at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Khan was dominating the fight in the early going, but then he was countered and dropped hard by a huge hook in the third round. He never fully recovered and was dropped two more times before the fight was waved off in the fourth.
Garcia moved up to the welterweight division in 2015, and captured the WBC title last January by beating former world champion Robert Guerrero.
Khan is backing Garcia to win the fight - which is going to set up a potential rematch between them in the second half of the year.
The Bolton boxer believes Thurman's defense is flawed and Garcia is a very accurate power puncher. He also feels Garcia has fought a high caliber of opposition over the last few years.
"I think Garcia [is going to win]. I know a lot of people are saying Thurman, because he looks more effective in the ring - but I just think Garcia has the timing. His timing is so precise. Thurman gets caught quite a lot. Thurman might get caught with some big shots," Khan said.
"Thurman has never really been tested at that high stage level, where Garcia has. Garcia has fought some big, big names. I think Garcia wins the fight and I really hope he wins the fight, because it gives me a chance to fight against him and get the rematch against him. That fight is interesting as well."
