By Chris Robinson
Everything is set for Amir Khan to finish with a big 2011, as the junior welterweight champion will be facing off with worthy challenger Lamont Peterson this coming December 10th. Khan is coming off of an impressive 5th round stoppage over Zab Judah in July and his latest HBO appearance will see him putting his WBA and IBF titles on the line against Peterson in his opponent’s native Washington, DC.
The matchup undoubtedly features two of the division’s top fighters going up against each other and it will likely be Khan’s last contest at 140 pounds before going after glory and riches in the welterweight class next year. And while the fight may pan out to be an interesting technical battle, you can expect little in terms of pre-fight fireworks given the modest nature of Peterson.
Khan had gotten into a serious war of words with Judah this summer but admits things will be different as this particular fight inches closer.
“We never get two nice guys in a fight,” Khan said while speaking to the media during Thursday’s press stop. “We’ve got two nice guys fighting here, but I’m sure once we put the gloves on for the fight, it will be a different story. It’s going to be a big fight. It’s going to be an explosive fight. I hope we see you guys there and hope you can get some tickets before they all sell out.”
Khan is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and the company’s CEO Richard Schaefer has never tried to hide how much star potential he sees in the British fighter. Khan has bounced back tremendously following his single loss, a disastrous first round knockout to Breidis Prescott three years ago, and Schaefer made a bold statement by predicting that the 24-year old will eventually stand alone as the sport’s premier talent.
“Watch and see, this young man [Khan] will become, pound for pound, the best fighter in the world, no question about it. I really have zero question about that because he has the skills, tremendous power in his punch. He has the heart of a lion, and in the Maidana fight, he showed that he might have the best chin in the sport of boxing. He really is an all-around athlete and a first-class human being," Schaefer stated.
Lofty proclamations but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Peterson is a worthy challenger and he should give Khan plenty to think about come December.
[Reader's note: Anyone looking for an inside look at Amir Khan's life, including his battles with Judah, Maidana, and Malignaggi, please check out Behind the scenes with Amir Khan ]
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. An archive of his work can be found here , and he can be reached at Trimond@aol.com
