Floyd Mayweather Jr. Can Be Toppled By Amir Khan, Freddie Roach Declares
With Canelo Alvarez keen on taking back the Cinco de Mayo date to his Mexcican fans, reigning pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. is weighing his options to put out a better product that will outnumber the receipts of the Miguel Cotto and Canelo pairing. Most fans and analysts are clamouring for a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight but with the way things are going that bout will never happen in this lifetime.
Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has someone in mind and actually positive enough that this kid would give Money trouble in the ring - Amir Khan. During an interview with RingTV, Roach, who trained Khan from 2008 to 2012, has the tools and skillset to beat Mayweather. He points out that Briton's speed and athleticism will give much trouble to the American boxer and would be a great counter to Mayweather's defensive tactics.
"I always thought Amir had the talent to maybe beat someone like Mayweather. I think it's a very good fight for Amir, I give him a very good chance to win that fight," said Roach, who is currently focused on priming up his prized fighter Pacquiao for the upcoming No. 22 fight with Chris Algieri at Macau.
Despite Roach's declaration, he feels that the British boxer should re-think his strategy specially the one he is currently employing since he switched allegiance to trainer Virgil Hunter. Roach said that Khan has abandoned his reckless and unpredictable approach which relied on speed and combination attacks. Instead, Roach said that Khan is holding back and staying too long in the pockets, transforming into a boring boxer.
While the British boxer (29-3) has been successful in his last three fights after letting go of Roach, he is doing the damage against lesser opponents. The 27-year-old fighter will again enter the ring Dec. 13 against Devon Alexander as a sort of audition match to prove that he can tussle with Mayweather. Khan will be looking to add the silver welterweight title to his list of accolades in the upcoming fight in Las Vegas. And if he wins, he hopes he does not stay as an under card in a Mayweather fight much like he did last time, but rather the man who finally puts a dent on the immaculate record of the boxing king.