“HE has to beat one of these A-level guys,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya when asked what Amir Khan could do to bring thousands of Brits to the UK. “If he does that then he’s there.”
The weigh-in for Khan-Devin Alexander was comparatively muted by comparison to some of the huge Vegas events of recent years. And in the city itself, the huge rodeo event in town seems to have everything else vying for second fiddle.
Outside the ring, De La Hoya said Khan can do no more.
“Keep being himself,” advised the Hall of Famer. “He’s young, he’s 28-years-old. He just hitting his peak. He’s a head of the game. He has a long way to go. I believe Amir Khan has to beat a marquee name and a Mayweather or Pacquiao can be the one.”
He believes that Khan has superior speed to Pacquaio, specifically, too.
“At this stage of their careers Amir Khan, by far I believe,” he said. “I believe Amir Khan is just hitting his peak as a fighter and this Saturday he’s going to look impressive. He’s fighting a guy who’s also fast in Devon Alexander but one thing about Amir that is different is he has fast footwork, and that can be the difference on Saturday night.”
When asked about the £20,000 shorts Khan will wear that has caused controversy and numerous headlines, De La Hoya said: “I love them. I love them because of what he’s going to do with them [donating them to chairty]. But £50,000 wow.”
