3 Keys to Victory for Amir Khan

Photo by Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

Oh Amir Khan, why did you take this fight? You’ve made my job more difficult to come up with three keys to victory, and now I have to give you a compliment sandwich. You’re a really talented fighter, but we both know you have a tendency to overestimate your abilities, and you have a glass chin.

However, anything can happen so there’s still hope for you.

I’m almost certain Khan took this fight with Canelo Alvarez as a path to Floyd Mayweather (a path which until recently, none of us thought still existed). But in a typical, Khan-like gesture of grandiose self-importance and impossible narcissism, he took this fight to prove what, I’m not entirely sure.

However, Khan does have some assets on his side that could pull off an upset against Canelo.

But if Khan can go at Canelo as hard as his clapback to Donald Trump, we might be in for an exciting fight.

Here are three things Khan must do to beat Canelo tomorrow night.

1. Outbox Canelo

Photo by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing

The inside game is not one Amir Khan wants to play. Khan’s best bet is to outbox Canelo Alvarez and stay on the outside. This means Khan needs to use a lot of jabs and put them in different places. It’s important that Khan not overestimate his abilities and make the fight harder on himself than it has to be.

Canelo really has one approach in the ring: to cut off his opponent and close in.

Khan shouldn’t look to fight Canelo. Fighting is the most dangerous option for him, as Khan tends to get in trouble on the inside and at midrange. I actually think midrange is the most dangerous because an opponent can fully extend their punches, and there’s no use in Khan taking such risks.

He can win by moving his head and feet to make Canelo miss (which will deplete his energy) and causing him to become mentally frustrated, which can make him desperate and prone to making mistakes.

2. Punch and Then Move

Photo by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing

Amir Khan should anticipate that Canelo Alvarez will fight flat-footed, meaning that he should never give him the chance to stay in place for too long. Khan can still throw combinations–he just needs to move after and “take a walk” when he’s not in punching range.

A lot of times power punchers need to sit on their punches, bending their knees to throw hard shots. Take away those opportunities and you have yourself a boxer puncher scrambling to reconfigure how they can land power punches.

This doesn’t mean that Khan has to “run” from Canelo. He just needs to use his angles before and after throwing combinations to protect himself from unnecessary blows. As long as Khan keeps moving, Canelo keeps moving.

Every time Canelo moves, he’ll have to reset and work his way back in. Each “reset” delays another opportunity he has to land power blows on Khan.

3. Virgil Hunter

Photo by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing

I probably list Virgil Hunter as a key to victory every time Amir Khan fights, namely because he will always be a factor in his success. As talented as Khan is, he needs to have someone in his ear (especially in between rounds) to keep him focused and not let the old Khan come out–the Khan that took unnecessary risks and put himself in comprising situations.

Virgil not only has Khan’s ear, but also has a great perspective from outside the ring.

He balances objectivity with motivation to keep things 100 with his fighters and still give them the boost they need.

Of course, a trainer can only do but so much for his or her fighter. However, Khan has the best chance of beating Canelo if he stays disciplined and listens to his corner.