Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Amir Khan: For years Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KO) has been trying to get a mega fight with Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. While those fights never materialized Khan will get a mega fight, one against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KO). The fight will be the main event of Saturday's HBO pay-per-view card and it is scheduled to go 12 rounds. While the fight is a middleweight bout it is actually a catchweight fight at 155 pounds but Alvarez's WBC middleweight title will be on the line as will his status as the lineal middleweight champion. While many casual fans think Alvarez is a Mexican brawler he is actually more of a boxer-puncher and he is a very good counter puncher. Alvarez fights out of the orthodox stance and everything comes behind his stiff jab. The young fighter has good power in both hands but his left hook is his most dangerous punch. Alvarez loves banging the body with that punch but he also has a dangerous right hand that he can throw straight or over the top. While Alvarez doesn't have great footwork on defense he does have a great chin. Stamina has been a question mark in the past but he looked sharp late in his last fight against Miguel Cotto. One thing Alvarez isn't is a volume puncher. Typically Alvarez likes to pick his spots to throw powerful counter punches and doesn't look to lead the dance. Khan on the other hand has very fast hands, perhaps the fastest in the sport. He will be moving up for this fight from welterweight where he only fought three times. One thing Khan needs to be given credit for is his guts. Alvarez will be much bigger than him come fight night and in the past Khan has shown a very weak chin. Also, Khan hasn't fought since his win in May of 2015 over Chris Algieri and in that fight Khan didn't look great and was buzzed by the light hitting Algieri. Khan is an orthodox fighter with a good jab and strong left hook. He also possesses a strong right hand but he doesn't let it go that often because he keeps it at home to protect his chin. In this fight Khan will need to utilize his speed above all else. If Khan stands in the pocket with Alvarez he could end up on the canvas, Khan will need to get in, land combinations, and get out quickly before Alvarez can return fire. For his part Alvarez should look to be a bit busier but for him the fight is really about cutting off the ring to trap Khan and land his power punches. Khan has the speed and boxing ability to win this fight but Alvarez is going to be way too big for him and he will eventually catch Khan with one of his counter punches and send him to the canvas. It may be a good fight early but Alvarez will win it by the way of sixth round knockout.
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