When the announcement was made in early February that Amir Khan would be fighting Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the WBC world middleweight title the immediate and general reaction was astonishment.
Why would Khan, whose vulnerabilities have twice been exposed in crushing knockout defeats, move up two weight divisions to challenge the powerful, ultra-aggressive Mexican who is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world? A suicide mission.
But there had to be admiration, too, for Khan’s bravery in agreeing to such a daunting, apparently reckless, assignment. As well as being brilliant and occasionally fragile, Khan has frequently displayed courage, sometimes excessive courage.
Perhaps his agreement was borne of desperation. For too long he has been big-time boxing’s bridesmaid, waiting for Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao to lob a $10m bouquet his way.
He appeared to have arrived at an impasse, with the only way forward a domestic showdown with Kell Brook, the undefeated world welterweight champion from Sheffield. But with one bound and signature, Khan burst free.
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As he trained, adding muscle to his frame, the match-up began to make sense. A growing number of experts, but not a majority, expressed the view that Khan could win. Some have even gone go as far as to declare it an inspired gamble that will catapult Khan from the status of a former world champion vainly trying to reignite his career, to a major player.
Danny Garcia, one of the two opponents who clipped Khan’s chin and scrambled his senses, favours the man he knocked out. “Khan has the perfect style to beat Canelo,” he said. “He has more talent.”
The contrary view was expressed by Freddie Roach, the trainer who has worked with Khan and Alvarez: “Amir turned down Kell Brook for this? He has to box a perfect 12 rounds. I think Canelo will break him down somewhere along the way.”
Brook, who still hopes to meet Khan, agrees. “He’s got two of the fastest hands in boxing and can move around,” he said. “It’s all about defence and speed with him. But when he throws a one-two, he stays around for shots three and four, and that’s when he gets caught. He is too brave for his own good. If he loses, as long as he’s not badly beaten, he can say the guy was too big for him and come back down to welterweight.”
All agree that the fight epitomises the age-old argument between speed and power. Khan has fast reflexes and quick feet. His punches are thrown with such speed that they can barely be anticipated. Alvarez, whose nickname, “Canelo”, is Spanish for cinnamon, denoting a redhead, is an entirely different type.
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He bulls forward incessantly, throwing malevolent punches, mostly hooks, with both hands. He is rugged but not crude, for his assaults are applied with speed and accuracy. In 48 professional fights, only Mayweather has beaten him and that was by a split decision. The bookmakers have Alvarez a firm favourite.
The idea of Khan moving up in weight to challenge Alvarez was the brainchild of Oscar de la Hoya, who won world titles at six weights, culminating at middleweight. De la Hoya’s company, Golden Boy Promotions, is staging the contest at a new venue, the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. “It’s speed against power,” De la Hoya said. “It reminds me of the classic fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. Nobody gave Leonard a chance and he shocked the world. Amir knows this is his one chance to become a world superstar.”
Leonard’s victory on points in that Las Vegas contest in 1987 remains controversial to this day. Hagler, who had always campaigned as a middleweight, was expected to be too strong for Leonard, who had mostly fought at welterweight and had only had one contest in the previous five years. Hagler was expected to knock out Leonard.
But Leonard used his speed to build a points lead and kept Hagler at bay until the end. To compare that fight with the one at hand is tempting but not entirely valid. Khan is no Leonard. And Alvarez, who has moved up the weight classes himself during his 10-year career, is not a natural middleweight like Hagler; nor is he as good.
As he finished his training in San Francisco, Khan made no secret of the only approach that might bring him victory. “I can’t make any mistakes,” he said. “I can’t give him free shots. It’s a matter of sticking to the game-plan. I have to win it with my brains.”
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It is to Khan’s advantage that the fight has not been made at the full middleweight limit of 160lb, but at 155lb, one pound above the light-middleweight limit. Alvarez has had to watch his weight while Khan has merely had to train hard. “I’m the strongest I’ve ever been,” Khan said. “I have extra weight and power but the speed is still there.”