Amir Khan was hoping to steamroll Chris Algieri last Friday on Friday Night Lights Out on Spike TV, and then walk into a matchup vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. on pay-per-view. Khan's night didn't go as planned. He was able to defeat Algieri-by a wide margin on two scorecards-but he was far from impressive, and brought his ability to defeat Mayweather into question.
"I was flat in that ring and the first half of the fight was tougher for me than it should have been. I will ask Virgil his opinion as to why I did not have my usual speed, power, strength and snap," Khan said.
Khan believes he overtrained for the fight, and he also believes his natural talents are being inhibited by fighting in a technically sound style. His fights have also become less exciting as he moves more, holds more, and brawls less.
"'I need to go back to being the old Amir Khan. All my career I've trusted my trainers and I've done everything the way they ask. But it's time to remember that it was my free flowing ability which got me to two world titles and now to the brink of a super-fight with Mayweather," Khan said.
Algieri surprised Khan from the get-go, first by entering the ring looking much larger than him, and then by pushing the pace and fighting aggressively. Algieri spent the whole fight getting inside and winging hard right hooks. He even hurt Khan on multiple occasions, which has been Khan's biggest Achilles heel in his mostly stellar career.
He was knocked out badly by Breidis Prescott early in his career, and in 2012 was knocked out by Danny Garcia in a fight he was winning comfortably on the scorecards. He's been down and hurt badly in subsequent fights that he won against lesser competition than Algieri, let alone Mayweather.
On the other hand Khan's fights have become less entertaining as he holds more and risks less, and yet he is still vulnerable to being hit. Khan thinks integrating more of his old fearlessness is what will be necessary to take down Mayweather.
"I know that with our respective styles I can give Floyd problems - but it has to be by me fighting the way that comes naturally." While it wasn't the coming-out party he expected, Khan did outbox Algieri and show the blistering hand speed he feels is the solution to Mayweather's defense.
It was not an overly impressive performance, but Khan did emerge with a win and is still the frontrunner for a September fight vs. Mayweather. There are no clear candidates ready to jump him.
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