Amir Khan “I’ve never ducked any fighter, I would fight with Thurman if he wins.”

4
1056

Amir KhanAmir Khan(31-3, 19KO’s) has been quoted on Boxingnewsonline.net as saying that he will be willing to face the power-punching WBA World welterweight champion Keith Thurman(25-0, 21KO’s) if he makes a successful defence against a common opponent in the veteran Luis Collazo.

Thurman will welcome Collazo to his home state this Saturday at the USF Sundome in Tampa, Florida to defend his belt for the second time. He is heavily favored for the win.

The southpaw Collazo has been in the midst of a career resurgence after he KO’d Victor Ortiz in January 2014 and has since gone the distance with Khan though he was clearly outclassed on the night. This will be his first title shot in over six years, and he’ll be looking to make every second count even if he is perceived to be little more than cannon fodder.

If Thurman can replicate the comprehensive job he accomplished against Collazo, Khan says he is willing to to entertain a fight with the champion.

“I would definitely be interested in a fight with Thurman if he wins.”

“I’ve never ducked any fighter and a fight with Thurman is one I would certainly be open to. He’s undefeated, and we have two explosive styles so it would be a cracking fight and one not to miss.”

Khan has certainly faced his fair share of dangerous opponents and even managed to get through twelve rounds when he beat the iron-fisted Argentine Marcos Maidana in 2010. But his two stoppage losses to Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia provide evidence that is difficult to ignore when examining the sturdiness of his chin.

When that fissured jaw takes a clean strike from a pair of sledgehammers like Thurman takes into the ring with him, the cracks will begin to show sooner or later. There is a reason Khan has circumnavigated notable punchers since he moved up into the 147.lb. division.

His lack of durability is something that not only dictates his own actions and strategy but those of prospective opponents too. His last victory came over the game but light-handed Chris Algieri in May, who stalked Khan and launched right hands like he was the second coming of Bob Foster because he believed he could hurt him.

Thurman is the gorilla to Algieri’s howler monkey on the power scale. He hits people and expects them to disappear regardless of who they are or what their record suggests. He does not need an invitation to start sitting down on his punches; it is in his nature to hurt whoever is in the ring with him. He will be salivating at the chance to see what his innate force can do to Khan if their meeting begins to get talked of seriously.