Amir Khan will fight for a championship belt for an 11th time in America when he faces WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford on Saturday in Madison Square Garden.
The 32-year-old may not have many more title fights left in him, so he’ll be eager to grab this opportunity with both hands.
Crawford is unbeaten in his career, and this will be his 35th career bout when he steps into the ring – he is one of the most respected boxers in the sport right now, and is a big challenge for Khan.
Our boxing expert gives you his predictions for the fight.
Can Khan become King again?
Amir ‘King’ Khan has had a glittering career, and the Bolton-born brawler has said he can walk away from boxing with his head held high should he win against the American this weekend.
Khan has had only two fights since his sixth-round defeat to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in 2016, and he will thrive off the chance to win another title to round off his career nicely.
For the Canelo fight, Khan had to jump up two divisions, but he’ll be glad to compete again in his more familiar welterweight surroundings.
Despite easily defeating Phil Lo Greco last April, he was knocked down against Samuel Vargas on the way to winning on points. His notorious speed is likely to dictate this fight, but Crawford is no slouch and for many, this is a step too far for Khan.
He’s the underdog for this one with Grosvenorsport.com at 8/1.
Hunter ready to stalk Khan
Terence ‘Hunter’ Crawford has been called the second-best pound-for-pound fighter by The Ring, and he has earned that reputation with some big wins in recent times.
The American won the WBO welterweight title when he defeated Jeff Horn in the ninth round in June 2018, and this will be his second title defence since winning the championship.
The champ is unique in that he is able to switch seamlessly from an orthodox stance to southpaw, and that could cause problems for Khan.
The last time he faced a Brit, he defeated Scotsman Ricky Burns by unanimous decision to win the WBO lightweight title in 2014, so he’ll relish the prospect of defeating Khan in his own back yard.
The undefeated 31-year-old has held titles at lightweight, light welterweight and welterweight and is overwhelming favourite going into this fight.
He can be backed at 1/16.
Champ to reign supreme
It’s admirable than Amir Khan has taken on this fight, and what can be taken from his career is that he doesn’t back down from a challenge – and this is certainly one. Khan is unbeaten in this weight division – but there’s a first time for everything.
Crawford certainly isn’t taking this one lightly, and he holds Khan in high esteem. I think he will work his way into this fight and let Khan make the big decisions, before growing into the fight.
Crawford is meticulous and clever about the way he fights. I don’t see a knockout, but there is likely to be a point in the seventh or eighth round where the referee calls it.
I’m backing the American in his own patch for this one – I think Crawford in rounds seven to nine at 3/1 is a good price, which I’ll be backing.
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