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29 March 2024

Amir Khan talks up skills, future ahead of Judah clash

Published
By Reuters

WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan declared himself Britain's most exciting fighter ahead of his unification bout with Zab Judah on Saturday and said victory in Las Vegas would allow him to look ahead to bigger and better fights.

Khan's assessment of his talents comes after his value appeared to be questioned by television broadcaster Sky, who wanted to downgrade his April bout with Northern Ireland's Paul McCloskey from pay-per-view, considerably cutting the champion's purse, leading to a last-minute switch of television company.

Khan, who retained his title after McCloskey was stopped in the sixth round after sustaining a cut to his head, returns to the Mandalay Bay Resort where he claimed a thrilling unanimous points decision win over Argentine Marcos Maidana in December.

"I've always said I'm the most exciting fighter in Britain," the fast-talking Khan told reporters on Thursday.

"If you look at my performances, they've been very exciting to watch. I'm one of those guys, I could make fights look boring, but I choose not to. I get stuck in there, and make the fans very happy."

Khan, however, was not getting complacent and warned that the versatile Judah, a skillful southpaw, would be a more challenging opponent than the hard-hitting, but relatively one-dimensional, Maidana.

"This is going to be a tough fight," said Khan, 25-1 (17 KOs). "He's going to come forward, and he's going to back up a little bit. There are going to be times when he's going to be technical. We just have to stay a step ahead of him.

"I just need to stick to the game plan and instructions from the corner. I can make it either an easy night or a hard night."

While Khan talked up his opponent's skills, the Briton's trainer Freddie Roach was more dismissive of Judah's chances.

"He can fight or he can run," Roach told reporters. "If he runs, he lasts a little bit longer."

 

Full on

Victory for Khan, favourite to add Judah's IBF title to his WBA belt, sets up the prospect of a possible blockbuster clash with undefeated welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, which Khan has called for.

"If I win this fight, I can go on to bigger and better things," he said. "I need to win this fight. I cannot afford to get beaten."

The possibility of facing Mayweather or competing in title unification fights appeared a distant dream three years ago when Khan was knocked out in the first minute of his lightweight bout with unheralded Colombian Breidis Prescott.

That loss led to Khan recruiting the highly regarded Roach, who also trains the sport's pound-for-pound best fighter Manny Pacquiao.

"You can't ask for anything better," Khan said.

"I've spent four camps with Manny, I've been sparring with him, I've done about 50 rounds with him in total. And when we spar it's full on. We don't take it easy on each other.

"We respect each other -- and I respect Manny for being the best in the world. But we know that if I take it easy and Manny takes it easy, we're not going to learn anything."

While Khan will hope his speed will prove too much for the 33-year-old Judah, he conceded the American has the advantage when it comes to experience.

Judah, 41-6 (28 KOs), has won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and who now holds the IBF light-welterweight title he first won in 2000, when Khan was just 13-years-old.

"I'm very relaxed, I've been here before," Judah told reporters. "I've been the co-main event with (former heavyweight champion) Mike Tyson, I've had my name and my picture on the side of buses, I've been on the big stage before. Amir, this is all new for him."