Strengths
Khan
Photo by Alexis Cuarezma/Getty Images
As many will acknowledge, Amir Khan’s athleticism sets him apart from other fighters in the game. In addition to the strong heart he has, Khan is exceptionally quick. Thanks to his current trainer, Virgil Hunter, Khan is learning some new tricks of the trade, but mostly how to capitalize off his natural strengths in the ring.
One of these strengths is his speed, which helps him throw quick combinations. The Pacquiao-esque flurries were more reminiscent of the old Khan, but he still stays busy in the ring by regularly throwing combinations and being busier than his opponent. In the end, his ability to get ahead on the scorecards by points alone is great insurance against his glass jaw that makes him susceptible to knockdowns.
Khan has been down about nine times in his career, but to his credit he has great bounce-back, which is critical for a fighter lacking a great chin. He demonstrated this the last time he was knocked down by Julio Diaz, showing that he could not only get back up and keep fighting, but also win the fight. This is part of what makes Khan exciting to watch.
One of Khan’s most important strengths will be his corner work. Hunter is helpful to Khan not only in the gym but also during the actual fight. People usually don’t pay attention to what goes on in the corner in between rounds, but upon close observation you will notice that Hunter plays a central role in keeping Khan grounded during the fight, especially when the going gets tough. This is important for a guy like Khan who listens to his trainer but has a tendency in heated moments to default to old, bad habits.
Alexander
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Ever since Devon Alexander’s less-than-stellar performance against Shawn Porter, he’s improved dramatically. Sometimes in boxing it’s about going back to the basics, and this is exactly what Alexander’s trainer Kevin Cunningham emphasized during the training camp for Soto Karass. They focused less on strengthening and conditioning and more on Alexander’s speed, sharpness and combinations. The results were beautiful, as Alexander returned to the ring looking much more polished and sure of what he was doing.
Also worth noting from Alexander’s last performance was the strategic use of all three main ranges. He was able to work on the outside and in mid-range when he wanted by using his much quicker jab, and found his way to the inside to land sharp, crisp punches.
This is quite important, seeing that Khan’s comfort zone is working on the outside, keeping his opponent at bay. Khan believes he can exchange on the inside, and from an athletic perspective he can. However, mid-range exchanges are a danger zone for Khan because this is where he tends to become the most reckless and inattentive. At mid to close-range, he’s not near his opponent enough to disable those inside punches and not far enough to exchange and escape without paying for it. If Devon can open and close his distance with Khan as he pleases, he can effectively control the exchanges in the ring.
The patient, but largely inactive Alexander that was in the ring with Porter would not have great success against Khan, but the new and improved Alexander is focusing on the right things for this match. Speed and the use of combinations, tailored to Alexander’s style of course, are critical to this fight. Alexander is patient and has pretty effective timing, but he must couple this with meaningful activity to keep Khan on his toes and prevent him from leading on the scorecards.
