Khan will have to fight over his head to beat Floyd, says Hunter

    0
    1473

    Amir KhanVirgil Hunter has always been very blunt and very honest whenever he speaks, a reason the trainer is well-respected in the boxing world.

    Although his fighter Amir Khan was ahead on points against Chris Algieri, Hunter was not happy with his fighter’s performance in the middle rounds, asking his pupil sternly in the corner, “Why are you losing focus!?”

    Khan, 28, survived a couple of scary moments as New York native Chris Algieri came out of the gates strong, stunning the Bolton fighter in the very first round.

    Although the former WBO light-welterweight champion gave Khan plenty of problems, ultimately the WBC Silver welterweight titleholder’s fiery combinations were enough to seal the deal, leaving his opponent bruised and swollen.

    While Khan was awarded a unanimous points decision with two scores of 117-111 and one score of 115-113, it hasn’t settled well with fans, who thought the fight was much closer. Some say Algieri even won the fight.

    Khan was hoping to make a statement to land a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in what is supposed to be his final fight in September, but hardly anyone is convinced he would give Mayweather any trouble if the fight were to come to fruition.

    Sadly, his trainer is in the same boat.

    “I have been honest when it comes to Floyd Mayweather. He will have to be diligent and fight like a young pup does and fight over his head, like Buster Douglas did against Tyson – you need to take it to another level.

    “His IQ will never match Floyd. The years of repetition of doing the same thing – his body and mind just know what to do.

    “He has the attributes to take it to that level. If he can handle the pressure for a fight of that magnitude, I am confident he will give a good account of himself,” Hunter said.

    That’s not exactly what you want to hear from the man who is training you. Earlier leading up to last Friday’s fight, Hunter said Khan had the ingredients to reach the Hall of Fame.

    “Amir is already very close to being a Hall of Fame boxer,” stated Hunter. “He has the right hand speed; he’s at the right age; he has the family, the support – all the ingredients he needs.”

    The right ingredients make one amazing dish, but adding an ingredient that another individual is allergic to, could throw the whole scenario out the window.

    Algieri was only a taste of what Mayweather will bring to the table in a fight. If Khan is sneezing from Algieri’s right hand, Mayweather will make him get the epi pen.

    Immediately following the fight, Khan called out Mayweather. The fight would undoubtedly be the toughest of his career and Khan knows this is his last shot.

    Tyson Fury, former British heavyweight champion, knows how he feels.

    Fury has been chasing heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko for years. Klitschko (64-3, 53 KOs) is not going to be fighting much longer and has offered a chance for Fury to fight him.

    Meanwhile, another challenger has been lurking in the shadows.

    Dillian Whyte (14-0, 11 KOs) has been pursuing a fight with Fury.. Whyte has knocked out his last 10 opponents, and his last five following a two-year doping ban. Does Fury fight the big money fight first or fight Whyte? If he loses to Whyte, the chance to fight Klitschko would be gone.

    Also, Amir Khan’s chance to fight Floyd Mayweather will be gone if he takes a fight against IBF World welterweight champion Kell Brook or WBA World welterweight champion Keith Thurman and loses to either guy.

    Khan is understandably nervous about a potential fight with Brook, whom he may accused of using steroids the other day in a tweet.

    “One down…Another to go, cheats always get caught out, just a matter of time,” Khan wrote.

    If Mayweather fights Khan and is victorious, he wouldn’t have another to go, but he’d have another check worth at least $100 million coming his way, and a pretty comfortable retirement if he keeps his money intact.

    Although the odds are stacked against him, you can’t discredit Khan for trying.

    “I have been chasing Floyd for a long time and it is hard to focus on who is in front of you.

    “I am happy I didn’t take Algieri lightly. If I had done so, the dream match against Floyd would have been gone.

    “I will let my advisor Al Haymon decide what is next. I would love that fight, and he has the style which will suit me. My team will be onto it.

    “Where else is there for him to go?

    “The last three fights are at 147 – that’s what he wanted to see. He wanted me to prove myself at that weight.

    “We have answered the questions. Pacquiao didn’t show what he can do in that fight. He is technical and skillful, but a style like that will suit me.”

    Algieri was knocked down six times by Manny Pacquiao in November, but under the tutelage of new trainer John David Jackson, looked like a completely different fighter, and Khan took notice.

    “I have a lot of respect for him. He kept coming forward, was giving me back a lot of shots.
    “The crowd was amazing and I am happy with the way it has gone. It was a tough fight, but that’s the way I want it. There is still room for improvement.

    “I am getting better and wiser. We didn’t expect him to attack like he did. He showed a lot of heart, took some good shots, and kept coming back. I want to chill now, get away from it for a while, and then get back into training.”

    Algieri was vexed and visibly upset with the decision.

    “I feel I won the fight and was in control. I buzzed him several times and landed the cleaner shots.”