by James Slater – Reigning WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan, now recovering from a short illness originally thought (incorrectly) to be malaria, is out of hospital and feeling much better. The 23-year-old, who fell ill upon returning home from a trip to South Africa to watch some of The World Cup, is again fully focused on his next fight, and it has been reported by various sources that Khan hopes this will be against the winner of the July 31st rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz.
Khan’s father, Shah, spoke to The Guardian this week, and he said his son’s dream is to face the Marquez-Diaz II winner in the U.K – at either The London O2 Arena or at Manchester’s MEN Arena.
“Ramadam starts on 11 August so by mid September Amir will be back in training,” Shah said. “He is going to Las Vegas to watch the Marquez-Diaz [rematch] fight. The winner of this should be Amir’s next fight. To be honest, he’d like Marquez [to win] as he’s the big name. He’s been in with the best.
“Amir would love to have it at The Bolton Wanderers Stadium in the open air. But obviously the weather’s an issue. So somewhere like the O2 or the MEN. But if not there then Madison Square Garden or Las Vegas. Vegas is another dream of his..”
Khan made his U.S debut back on May 15th, when he scored a late-rounds stoppage over former champ Paulie Malignaggi, and the fight did good T.V ratings. A fight in Vegas, against the Marquez-Diaz winner, would likely prove to be a hit too.
Most fans and experts seem to feel Mexican legend Marquez, despite being well into his mid-thirties, will prevail on July 31st. “Dinamita” beat Diaz when they met in last year’s Fight of The Year, and he is odds on to repeat his victory. How, then, would Marquez – who has only ever been mastered by the naturally bigger Floyd Mayweather Junior – cope with the vastly younger Khan?
Mayweather’s speed, along with his superior size and strength, served to dominate Marquez, and maybe Khan feels his own blurring speed will do something similar. An interesting fight to be sure, we also have to wonder how Khan’s chin would hold up if it were tagged by a Marquez shot.
Wherever the fight is held – be it New York, Las Vegas, London or Manchester – Marquez-Khan could well be one of the more interesting fights to come in the last few weeks of 2010.