Amir Khan still in good shape for Mayweather clash despite lackluster showing

Courtesy: Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions
Courtesy: Lucas Noonan/Premier Boxing Champions

With welterweight Amir Khan campaigning for his shot at the Floyd Mayweather Jr. sweepstakes for more than a year now, it seems his best shot to impress the 48-0 champ and the public he deserves to fight on the sports’ grandest scale came and went without that “wow” factor.

Khan fought former junior welterweight titlist Chris Algieri Friday night, as part of the PBC on Spike fight series, and was figured to be an easy out by the majority of fans and media.

The former kick boxing world champ had other ideas and garnered much respect for his performance, albeit a losing one, against Khan.

Acting as the aggressor the majority of the fight, Algieri’s length bothered Khan in the first half of the bout, as the Huntington, New York resident timed out a few big overhand rights that stunned Khan, and his notoriously questionable jaw.

Khan was dazed at times, but was never knocked down in the bout, showing his perseverance to over come the quick start by Algieri.

Taking a page out of Mayweather’s book, Khan adjusted to Algieri’s fight plan and awkward style midway through the 12-round affair, and was able to defeat the New York native in front of the Brooklyn, New York crowd via split decision, with scores of 115-112, 117-111, and 117-111.

Despite losing the bout, Algieri seemed to get more positive attention afterward, as he looked like a totally different fighter than that was in the ring in Macau, China against Manny Pacquiao last year.

In that bout, Algieri was knocked down a total of six times, but managed to make it the full 12 rounds. He was more known for his former trainer, Tim Lane, saying they were going to “let Algieri” out of the cage as he got pummeled, than his performance.

His rejuvenated showing against Khan can be attributed to switching trainers, hiring John David Jackson, who also trains light heavyweight titlist Sergey Kovalev, who’s underrated work seemed to pay off in the bout.

Khan is a big name, with a healthy following overseas, so mix that in with the hype machine that is Mayweather, there is still a lucrative fight to made with the 28-year-old British fighter.

With Mayweather fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Pacquiao in the much anticipated bout, a Khan fight won’t go anywhere near the record breaking pay-per-view numbers that Mayweather-Pacquiao did. It should draw at least a million buys, which is deemed a successful event anytime “Money May” eclipses the seven-figure buy mark.

So, despite Khan providing the boxing world with an underwhelming performance this past weekend, he’s still in great shape to land in the ring opposite of Mayweather come September because he found a way to win. Like it or not.

Mick Akers is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector. Follow him on Twitter at: