By Rick Reeno
Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, views Amir Khan vs. Luis Collazo as a 50-50 proposition. Khan-Collazo will be the co-featured attraction to the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana welterweight unification on May 3rd from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Showtime Pay-Per-View will showcase both fights.
Khan (28-3, 19KOs), inactive since last April's tough decision win over Julio Diaz, will make the full move to welterweight against Collazo (35-5, 18KOs), a former champion at 147. Collazo is coming off the biggest win of his career, a January first round knockout of Victor Ortiz.
"I think that's a 50-50 fight. I can give you ten reasons why Collazo will win and I can give you ten reasons on why Khan will win. I think it's an evenly matched fight for Amir to move up in weight, against a natural welterweight, a big welterweight and has been at the welterweight limit for his entire career. Collazo is coming into this fight with a lot of momentum, having fought a few months ago against Victor Ortiz. He has been active and is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career. Now he is going into the fight with Amir with a lot of momentum. I have to give credit to Amir and his team for fighting someone as dangerous as Luis Collazo," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
Khan has a lot to prove in May. The British star has been chasing a Mayweather fight for at least two years. Last month, Mayweather said he might consider fighting Khan "next" - if Khan does something to impress him. Mayweather is expected to fight again on September 13th.
Mayweather is giving Khan a very big stage to prove his worth, by positioning the fight with Collazo in the co-featured slot of his upcoming pay-per-view. For Khan, simply winning may not be enough to secure a Mayweather fight in September. Khan will have to win impressively. If he struggles badly to the finish line, as he did with Diaz last April, Mayweather will likely take a pass on fighting him.
"Obviously with Amir Khan there is a lot of pressure. And it could be the kind of pressure where it's going to be a plus or a minus, because fighting on a card like a Mayweather card there is added pressure to perform - because Amir wants a Mayweather fight. He is going to go into that fight with a lot of pressure on his shoulders to perform and look sensational and that might be a benefit to Luis Collazo. Luis Collazo wants a Mayweather fight as well......who doesn't? So he is going to bring his A-game. He knows what a win over Amir Khan can do for him and that's why it's such an exciting fight," Schaefer said.
