Amir Khan vs. Marco Antonio Barrera
Prospect Khan Faces Mexican Legend
Amir Khan is a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, and when he turned professional on July 16, 2005, he was thought to be a prospect of the highest caliber. He was so good as an amateur, boxing observers wondered how well his style would fare when he stepped into the ring as a pro.
He won his first 18 fights, and though his ability to take a hard punch was questioned – even against opponents that were relatively light-fisted – Khan’s career was on the right track. Until, that is, a right hand from the undefeated (but much less-heralded) Breidis Prescott sidetracked Khan’s career. After Prescott hurt Khan with that right to the jaw in their Sept. 6, 2008 fight, he landed twice more to knock down the Englishman. Khan rose to his feet, but he was knocked down again and counted out just 54 seconds into the fight.
“Things happen for a reason,” Khan said five months later. “I’m a better fighter. I’ve tasted defeat, and I’m not scared about anything else. We’ve sat down and watched the fight over and over again. We saw all the mistakes I made and they’re mistakes I’ll never make again. I made one stupid mistake, and I can’t make those mistakes again.”
Khan overcoming first loss
After an easy win in his first match since the loss, Khan next will take on a legend when he faces Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KO) on March 14 in Manchester, UK. Yes, Barrera has lost his last two major fights – a pair of unanimous decision defeats to Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao – and yes, he’s a relatively ancient 35-years-old. But Barrera is still a future Hall of Famer, and he’s going to be tough for Khan to beat.
Just ask the last Englishman to face him – Naseem Hamed, whose career was destroyed by Barrera in 2001.
“He’s one of the best fighters I’ve seen fight,” Khan said. “I saw him beat Hamed. I watched a lot of the (Erik) Morales fights. I’ve seen all his fights. Every time I used to watch his fights, I always thought about the things I would do if I fought him. I didn’t think I’d ever get to fight him. I know exactly what he does and what he’s good at doing.”
Trainer Freddie Roach helping
Trainer Freddie Roach is helping him tune up for Barrera. It has, Khan said, been a good fit.
“I think Freddie is the best trainer in the world,” Khan said. “He’s a guy that can take me to becoming a great fighter and a world champion. I’m enjoying every minute.”
Frank Warren confident in Khan
Frank Warren, Khan’s promoter, also believes Khan will enjoy his time in the ring with Barrera. Although Warren later admitted it was a mistake to match Khan with a hard puncher like Prescott, he has no qualms with seeing Khan face a legend like Barrera.
“It’s a big, big, big step up in class for Amir Khan,” Warren said. “He’s fighting an absolute quality fighter. If Amir Khan wins this fight, he gets into a situation where he’ll fight for a world championship. We all know Barrera was a tremendous warrior. He ended Naseem Hamed’s career as a fighter. We have a new kid on the block, and people think there’s some vulnerability there. Me, I have the absolute faith in my warrior. Amir Khan has all the tools to become, not just a world champion but a legend in boxing.”
What do you think about this article?
Comments
Latest Articles