Floyd Mayweather Jr. does not have an opponent for his next fight, nor does he have a date set, but Amir Khan appears to be his most likely opponent provided he gets past Devon Alexander on Dec 13.
Since 2013 Khan has pined for a chance to face Mayweather, claiming his hand speed is the answer to Mayweather's vaunted defense, not size or power. His former trainer Freddie Roach also believes Khan has the ability to hand Mayweather his first loss.
"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," Roach said. "He's fast, he's athletic. He's a pretty good puncher, not a great puncher. He has all the abilities in the world."
Roach, however, is concerned about the direction Khan is heading in with new trainer Virgil Hunter. Since suffering a knockout loss to Danny Garcia, followed by a close decision vs. Lamont Peterson in which he was hit flush many times, Hunter has implemented a more cautious style for Khan. While he's won three straight fights with it, Roach believes he's less entertaining.
"I like him in-and-out a little more, I like that speed," said Roach. "He was getting in the habit of staying in the pocket a little too long. If you stay in the pocket for more than 3-4 punches you're gonna get hit back and that's what happened with Amir and that's why he suffered a couple knockouts.
"Virgil Hunter, his new trainer has him holding instead of getting out of the pocket, throwing combinations and hold. He's becoming a little bit of a boring fighter. I don't like this style for him but that's out of my hands at this point."
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