Khan strikes it rich — but only victory will do
AMIR KHAN is collecting a seven-figure pay cheque from Floyd Mayweather this weekend instead of taking punches from boxing’s pound-for-pound king.
Khan’s compensation for being displaced as challenger for Mayweather’s WBC world welterweight crown in Las Vegas is a $1.5million purse to appear in the chief supporting bout on probably the most starstudded card ever assembled.
Nice work if you can get it, but the irony remains that Khan has gone from being Mayweather’s opponent to his employee for a night.
True to his moniker of Money Mayweather, the five-division world champion is financing this fight night to the tune of more than $ 8m (£4.75m). And even though he must wait for his shot at Mayweather, Khan is getting the same financial reward as Marcos Maidana, the Argentine WBA welterweight champion who has supplanted the Bolton man in the main event.
Mayweather is building a business empire as, at 37, he nears the end of his so-far undefeated career. The investment in this bill gives a strong indication that he intends to fight Khan before he quits the ring. That $1.5m is enough to keep Britain’s two-time world champion on hold, probably until this time next year.
Maidana leapfrogged Khan, who has already beaten him, by virtue of a thunderous victory over Mayweather protege Adrien Broner and there is no denying that he is a huge puncher.
Even so, Khan looks to be facing the more difficult fight as he steps up from light-welterweight for the first time.
His opponent, Luis Collazo — an American fighter of Puerto Rican descent — is a big welterweight and an established force in that division.
Ricky Hatton, Britain’s former world welterweight champion who was extended to the limit in his title fight with Collazo, believes this is a tougher test for Khan than Mayweather would be. But Khan says: ‘I believe that with my speed I have the tools to give Floyd a whole heap of problems.’
Those opinions are not shared by Floyd Snr, trainer and father of Mayweather. He says: ‘Amir would have more chance of knocking out King Kong than he would my son.’
Khan replies: ‘ Odd, that. When Floyd Snr was training me he told me he could instruct me on how to beat his boy because I have the speed to do it.’
The Moment, as this event is being billed, is a watershed in the resurrection of Khan’s career after two defeats and it comes after a year spent out of the ring waiting, in vain, for Mayweather to confirm him as this week’s opponent.
Khan admits: ‘I can’t afford to lose. If I do, I can kiss the Mayweather fight goodbye. I’d have to start all over again.’
The Briton knows he needs not only to win but to look good doing so. Khan says: ‘I intend to show everyone around the world what an exciting boxer Amir Khan is. This is a huge event and I believe I can steal the show because Floyd will beat Maidana comfortably.’
Khan insists he is stronger at the new weight of 147lb, not least because ‘ I no longer have to kill myself dieting to get down to light-welter’.
He reminds us, also, that he has spent eight of the 12 months since his last fight working hard in the San Francisco gym of his trainer Virgil Hunter. ‘I’ve not eaten myself bigger,’ he says. ‘I’ve trained myself bigger.’
Even so, he must adjust to the heavier punching he can expect from bigger rivals. He seems aware of this when he says: ‘This is a chance to get my feet wet at welterweight before I get into the ring with Mayweather.’
Khan has a tendency to react to taking a big shot by going to war but it is an instinct he must curb. He has the skills and the speed to outclass Collazo and can still dazzle the sell-out crowd if the fight goes the distance.
‘That’s right,’ he says. ‘I have been KO’d a couple of times but I’ve never been outboxed and I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who can do that, not even Floyd. I must be patient and not go looking for that knockout, just take it if the chance comes.’
Mayweather-Maidana and Khan-Collazo will be televised live on Box-Nation in the early hours of tomorrow morning.