In the early hours of Sunday morning (UK time), Amir Khan will make his debut at welterweight.
Having been deprived of a clash with the undisputed best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Floyd Mayweather Junior, Khan will be stepping into the ring, in Las Vegas, to face Luis Collazo.
In moving up a weight division, Khan is emulating Ricky Hatton and, by chance, Hatton in stepping up to welterweight faced the very man Khan will be trying to dismantle in Vegas, Luis Collazo.
When Hatton made the move up in weight back in 2006, it was for the WBA title.
Ahead of Khan?s welterweight debut, Hatton has provided a few words of caution for the Bolton fighter, remarking,
?It was a horrendous shock to my system when I first got caught by Collazo.
?The step up a division is really noticeable.?
?And the moment Khan stands there and begins to think he can start trading is the moment he will come second in the fight.?
?Khan is a much better fighter than Collazo. But we have seen before he dominates early rounds but then starts to think it?s easy and gets dragged into things.?
Yes, that has been a Khan trait in his recent fights, some of which have been virtual wars but, under his trainer Virgil Hunter, the insinuation is that Khan has been kind of remodelled into a fighter who can now pick his moments to launch attacks.
ut, as they?ve often said, a plan can go out of the window the first time that somebody is caught clean on the chin.
Here at Vital Boxing we?re hoping that Khan showcases his superior skills before, possibly, stopping his man late on and, like Ricky Hatton says, avoids trading toe-to-toe with Collazo.
Hatton Fear!
