Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has lined up a big fight for May 7 to make his first WBC middleweight title defense, but unfortunately for boxing fans it’s not against Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. Instead, Alvarez will face Amir “King” Khan at a catch weight of 155 pounds, a bout that caught many off guard.
Khan has never fought above 147 pounds, and only has three career fights at welterweight. He has spent most of his career as a junior welterweight, but developed a reputation for a questionable chin by getting knocked out twice against Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia. Khan is 33-3 (19 KO) and has won five straight fights after going on a two-fight losing skid.
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“As the middleweight champion of the world, I will take on the best fighters in the sport and on Cinco De Mayo weekend, I look forward to making the first defense of my titles,” Alvarez said in a press release. “Amir was a decorated amateur, a two-time world champion and is in the prime of his career. Fans are in for a great fight on May 7.”
Khan has a large British fan base, so the fight has blockbuster potential on pay-per-view, but it also presents some issues moving forward. It will be the second straight time the WBC middleweight title will be defended at a catch weight five pounds below the middleweight limit. Second, it could derail a potential Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin unification fight in the fall.
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Weight has been an issue between Alvarez and Golovkin, with Alvarez hinting publicly he’d want a catch weight, while Golovkin has insisted the titles be contested at 160 pounds, the division limit. By fighting at 155 pounds, Alvarez doesn’t look like he’s trying to gradually build toward feeling comfortable at 160 pounds, and he could use his stature to take another fight before facing Golovkin, much like Miguel Cotto did before him.
Lastly, while Khan is a respected pound-for-pound fighter, he has not scored a knockout victory since 2011 vs. Zab Judah. Khan fights aggressively, but he’s not known for his power; Cotto was a known power puncher and had little effect on Alvarez in their WBC title scrap.
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