Amir Khan displayed his new fighting style under trainer Virgil Hunter and it led to a 10th round stoppage against Carlos Molina in Los Angeles. With the victory Khan puts his name back into the championship conversation. The question now becomes which championship he decides to pursue…
Khan has said that he would love a November rematch with Danny Garcia, Garcia beat Khan last year to capture the WBC & WBA Junior Welterweight titles. Garcia has a February 9th fight against Zab Judah to worry about before he thinks about a rematch with Khan.
Even if Khan did land a chance at recapturing his titles in November it may not be the best move for his career. He showed the ability to avoid counter punches later in his fight against Molina and the added
emphasis towards defense could allow him to take a shot at the 147 lb Welterweight division.
That division offers him the ability to take a title from multiple quality champions such as, Robert Guerrero, Devon Alexander, or Paul Malignaggi. Those three would be better punchers than Molina but Khan would carry a speed advantage in all three fights. The added bulk may also add some power to the combinations that he so often landed against Molina.
The ultimate payoff of capturing a belt in the Welterweight division would come next Spring with a possible fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd could be on the down end of his undefeated career and looking for the biggest payout possible, which Khan would most definitely prove to be. His ability to draw the international market, as well as his showmanship gives Floyd the opponent he has craved for his farewell tour.
Khan must now choose between revenge or legacy, pride or fortune. At only 25 years old he has plenty of time to repair his boxing legacy and prove that last year was an anomaly. A fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the future may require a bit more urgency.
Robert Littal
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