Amir Khan planning route to glory

Bolton’s WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan will be an observant ringside spectator at this weekend’s rematch in Las Vegas between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, as he could be facing the winner come December.

Their first bout last February ended when Mexican Marquez stopped Texas based Diaz in the ninth round during a classic voted fight of 2009. Marquez, who defends his WBO lightweight title which he won against Diaz, is coming off a one sided welterweight point’s defeat to Floyd Mayweather last September, while Diaz has twice fought Khan victim Paulie Malignaggi since the Marquez loss.

The 36 year-old Marquez credentials include being a three weight world champion and holding Khan’s stable mate Manny Pacquiao to a draw then losing a split points decision in a rematch.

And Marquez who also beat another Khan opponent Marco Antonio Barrera in 2007 is still highly ranked on many observers pound for pound list. Marquez starts as the favourite and should still have the power-tools to see off Diaz once again.

The only chance I see for Diaz is if the Mayweather fight has aged him, although I would be highly surprised if Marquez doesn’t triumph. A future match with Khan though could prove tougher having spent the majority of his 56 fight career at featherweight.

He could be an ideal opponent for Amir who wants to raise his American profile with bouts against house-hold names as he would step up to light-welterweight, giving Khan the advantage in weight.

Despite Marquez being the vastly more experienced, I envisage the lightning speed of the younger Khan and the extra poundage being the keys to an Amir victory.

Marquez was both out boxed and out classed against Mayweather who is naturally smaller than Khan having campaigned most of his career between super-featherweight and welterweight.

Khan’s manager Asif Vali who will also be ringside thinks Marquez beats Diaz, but added he is only one of the names who could face Amir next. “In this game nothing is certain until it’s signed,” he said.

“The money has to be right, where the fight will be, the broadcaster, the date and time, are all important.”

Asif also rejected suggestions on boxing forums that Amir needs tougher matches and says the priority is about building long-term success.

“It is unfair. You can end someone’s career by throwing them into the lion's den. You don’t run before you walk. It’s taking the right fights at the right time, and making as much money as you can as quickly as you can. The (Breidis) Prescott fight (Khan was stopped in the first round) could have ended Amir’s career.”

While Amir is willing to fight anybody inside the ring the knockout blows often occur outside the ropes because potential opponents want unrealistic purses as Asif revealed.

“(John) Murray (European lightweight Champion) wanted three times the amount he usually gets for a fight, and John Thaxton (before-hand) done the same.”

Despite this Vali said Amir is keen to unify the division by fighting both WBO champion Timothy Bradley and IBF/ WBC boss Devon Alexander before moving up to welterweight and battling Floyd Mayweather.

In two years time Amir could actually be the undisputed ‘King Khan.’

Some fans may disagree but I bet Khan's trainer Freddie Roach wouldn't.