Amir Khan Prepares With Roach And Pacquiao
Bolton Boxer Khan Takes On Mexican Great Marco Barrera in London
In what might be an inspired, or tragic, piece of match-making Frank Warren has called upon Marco Antonio Barrera (64-6, 43 KO’s) to provide Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KO’s) with the next step on his rehabilitation trail. The two will meet at Manchester’s MEN Arena on the 14th March.
Khan Knocked Out
Khan was badly knocked out in the first round by unknown Colombian Breidis Prescott, when the two young fighters met in Manchester, England, last September. Warren, together with the team behind Khan, were roundly criticized for their matchmaking that night – Prescott came to the ring 19 fights unbeaten, with 18 knockout victories, and looked to have the kind of punching power that could trouble the British Olympic silver-medallist, who had demonstrated in a couple of previous contests that his chin might be a little suspect. As it turned out Khan’s whiskers proved to be as fragile as a chandelier when Prescott stunned him with his first jab of the contest, and went on to blast Khan to the canvas twice before the referee stepped in. It was an emphatic and debilitating defeat.
So the Prescott fight was clearly a miscalculation on behalf of Frank Warren, and in the aftermath and to his credit, he took full responsibility. Many remained concerned however by the noises coming out of the camp, which suggested that Khan’s loss to Prescott was a tactical mishap, rather than a physical one. Of course, no fighter is going to come out and say “Look at me, I’m chinny!”, but at the very least it was expected that Khan’s future opposition, at least until the mental scars have healed, would be feathery punchers. His backers have made one very good move in bringing in Freddie Roach to school him, and Khan will have benefited hugely from sparring with the likes of Manny Pacquiao. His first comeback fight was respectable enough - a 2nd round KO of Oisin Fagin, a tough but outclassed Irishman - which was on pay-per-view in the UK only by virtue of riding on the coat-tails of the De La Hoya-Pacquiao affair which was aired on the same night.
Khan's Susceptible Chin
Barrera clearly fits the bill. Still remembered in the UK for dismantling Naseem Hamed back in 2001, the Mexican remains a force on the world stage. He is a three weight world champion with 26 world title contests behind him (6 more than Khan has had fights), and will have encountered just about every style and shape of opponent possible. One thing is certain – Barrera will have noted Khan’s susceptible chin and will see in it a clear route to victory.
Warren will hope that Khan can get to Barrera before the Mexican can land a telling blow, and Roach will doubtless devise a game plan whereby the British boy’s whiskers are kept under wraps – the question is: can Khan keep his world-class opponent at bay for 12 rounds?
Khan himself believes he can, and refuses to believe the Prescott loss was anything but an aberration – a loss of concentration brought about by over-eagerness and a desire to please. Frank Warren, beleaguered by a TV deal demanding that Amir brings in the numbers, knows that there is a more deep-seated flaw in the Khan make-up and will have fingers and toes crossed on the night hoping that Barrera doesn’t expose it.
It could well be a night that Khan will look back on, and reflect that he should have been more careful what he wished for.
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