The fight between Amir Khan and Saul Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at the brand-spanking new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the latter’s WBC title was always going to be a case of speed versus power. Khan was betting the house on his hand speed and jumping up two weight divisions to take on the younger and stronger champion. For five rounds, it was going swimmingly for the Englishman, as he was using his footwork and lightning-fast hands to score and then get out of the danger zone. However, in the sixth, Canelo finally touched Khan with a devastating overhand right.
It takes a tremendous set of balls to step in the ring against a much bigger and stronger opponent. Especially when you consider Khan had a suspect chin when he fought in the 140- and 147-pound divisions and suffered brutal KOs earlier in his career. While he failed in this daring endeavor, Khan must be applauded for his willingness to take the chance.
After the fight, both Khan and his trainer, Virgil Hunter, encouraged Canelo to show similar cojones and step up to face Gennady Golovkin, who is recognized as the best fighter in the middleweight division. Alvarez told HBO’s Max Kellerman that he would be willing to face “Triple G.”
If it happens, it will be one hell of a fight. Golovkin is 35-0 with an incredible 32 knockouts on his resume. Here is a taste of what Canelo has to look forward to:
