BY: CARL HEWITT
WBA and IBF 140 lb. champion Amir Khan may not have a boatload of fans on this side of the pond, but one thing is certain – and that’s that any rational fan of boxing must admit the fact that he’s been the most active and willing high-profile junior-welterweight over the last twelve months. Within that span, Amir will have faced Marcos Maidana, Paul McCloskey, Zab Judah and Washington D.C.’s Lamont Peterson. Saturday night’s title defense against Peterson figures to be a highly-competitive affair that could further cement the Bolton, England native’s standing as the division’s clear-cut standard-bearer, if he wins.
Peterson earned his shot by scoring a 12th Round KO of Victor Cayo in an IBF 140 lb. eliminator. Khan could have gone in several different directions in selecting his 140 lb. “farewell” opponent, but deserves credit for opting to take on such a tough assignment. Peterson’s only defeat to date was a points loss to WBO 140 lb. king, Tim Bradley, holder of the WBC belt at the time. Khan-Bradley was a bout being discussed over the Summer, but one that ultimately fell apart due to Bradley’s pending litigation regarding contractual issues with his former promoter, Gary Shaw. With the Shaw legal wrangling resolved, there still appears be little willingness on the part of Bradley to settle junior-welterweight supremacy with Khan, but that’s a story for another day.
In an era where champions are loathe to fight big fights in hostile environments, Khan’s willingness to defend his titles in the nation’s capitol speaks volumes to his growing confidence and competitive nature. Trainer Freddie Roach has done an admirable job in resurrecting the champion’s career after a disastrous Round 1 KO loss at the hands of Breidis Prescott, when both campaigned as lightweights. Since moving up in weight to the junior-welterweight division, Khan’s performances have improved with each outing – he appears physically stronger, and exhibits better command of the ring. A steady string of impressive victories over world-class opposition has left Khan on the verge of pursuing bigger things in the welterweight division.
Though Peterson is a prohibitive underdog entering this fight, he’s perceived by many as a “live” dark horse, mainly due to his size, physical strength and endurance, qualities that were on display in his victory this Summer over Victor Cayo, and to a lesser extent, in his draw against Victor Ortiz, a verdict widely-panned by boxing fans and media. The Ortiz fight may have revealed a lot more about Peterson than his stunning knockout of Cayo – he had to twice climb off the canvas early in the fight to rally and catch up on the scorecards. It’s this character and tenacity that give Peterson a genuine shot at upsetting the “apple cart” Golden Boy Promotions has set up for Khan.
To win the biggest fight of his career to date, Peterson will have to start faster than usual. If not, Amir’s body-punching and superior jab will create too large of a deficit on the scorecards to overcome late. Against Khan, being steady can prove to be a detriment. In a pure boxing match, Peterson is likely to be a bit over-matched – after all, he lost a lopsided unanimous decision to the much smaller Bradley two years ago. Combine that with his usual slow starts, and Peterson figures to trail by several rounds at the mid-point mark of the bout.
So, how will things play out on Saturday night? Well, that depends upon how far ahead Khan is looking and whether Peterson can find a way to “unsettle” the champion very early in the fight. Marcos Maidana had quite a bit of success in that regard last year while challenging for Khan’s crown. In that fight, Amir had to weather several storms in the latter rounds after building a hefty points lead over the first half of the fight. Early body-punching paid major dividends for Khan down the stretch. But Peterson’s never displayed early aggression in his major fights, so it remains to be seen whether he can reverse that troubling trend. And if Peterson couldn’t effectively neutralize the 5’6” Bradley, how does he hope to cope with the 5’10” Khan’s superior reach and long jab?
If resumes were the basis for gauging an underdog’s chances of pulling of the improbable, Peterson would probably have as much chance of winning Khan’s title Saturday night as the San Diego Chargers have of making the NFL Playoffs! But boxing is unlike any other sport – it’s often a contest involving will and perseverance as much as skill. And if his recent track record is an accurate indicator, Peterson has an abundance of the afrormentioned attributes. The question is whether he can offset Khan’s edge in skill.
While I believe Khan should and will win this fight, I strongly believe that it will be a competitive one that in all likelihood will go the distance. The champion will use his steady jab and superior ring generalship to jump out to a substantial early lead, only to see Peterson shave most of that edge on the scorecards late. If Khan isn’t properly focused and wary of Peterson’s late power, he could revisit some of the rocky moments he endured against Maidana. I don’t see a stoppage or knockout here, due largely to Peterson’s durability and Khan’s improved technical proficiency under the tutelage of Roach. In a highly-competitive scrap, I like Khan’s experience from that Maidana fight to carry him past his toughest challenge to date. Khan by UD.
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