Amir Khan made a perfect start in the welterweight division as he convincingly defeated Luis Collazo in Las Vegas on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP
The 27-year-old Khan, who was fighting for the first time after a 12-month layoff, knocked Collazo down three times in the non-title fight.
Khan looked impressive in the 147-pound division debut, winning on all three judges’ scorecards. Two judges scored it 119-104 while the other had it 117-106.
He knocked Collazo down for the first time in the fourth round and then twice in the 10th round in front of a sold-out crowd of around 16,000.
“Collazo was very awkward,” said Khan, adding he was pleased with the way he made mid-bout adjustments.
“I think it was great to have that layoff. I needed a break from boxing but at the same time I needed to work on some things.”
Khan, a former light welterweight world champion, weighed 161 pounds when he stepped into the ring on Saturday, 14 pounds over his weight at Friday’s weigh-in.
“I am much more comfortable at this weight. It is perfect for me,” said Khan of his move up to the welterweight division.
He hopes that this win puts him in line to fight Saturday’s headliner, Floyd Mayweather, next.
Meanwhile, Khan’s win has injected a new enthusiasm in the local boxers of the Pakistan national camp.
Camp commander Ali Akber Shah Qadri said that the 36 pugilists in the camp feel a special connection with Khan
“Although he is British but he is very much like one of the kids,” Qadri told The Express Tribune.
“He is an inspiration to our local boxers. We are proud of him because this was his first welter-weight fight and he proved his mettle.”
Mayweather defeats Maidana in thriller
Mayweather won a 12-round majority decision over Marcos Maidana to run his perfect record to 46-0 in a welterweight world title unification bout.
The 27-yeawr-old American Mayweather retained his World Boxing Council world title and took Maidana’s World Boxing Association belt, winning the fight on two of the three judges’ scorecards with the third scoring it a draw.
“It was a tough competitive fight tonight,” said Mayweather. “I stayed in there. I wanted to stand and fight.”
Mayweather received scores of 117-111 and 116-112. The third judge scored it 114-114.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2014.
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"weighed 161 pounds when he stepped into the ring on Saturday, 14 pounds over his weight at Friday’s weigh-in." ET are you sure about it? How can someone gain 14 pounds in 1 day without getting sick??