It seems George Foreman is still a little shook up after all these years of getting knocked out in the ring since that famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight; or can he see something that no one else can?
Amir Khan is all set to challenge Canelo Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 7th but the boxing world has Canelo as clear favorite to win this fight. It’s not going to be easy for The British Boxer and former-welterweight champion to make an 8 pound jump to 155 pound limit that has been set for this fight.
But perhaps nobody understands the pressure of a favorite more than George Foreman. In his famous bout with Muhammad Ali in 1974, he was tipped to win by knockout because of his excellent power punching ability, which is coincidently a similar attribute that Canelo Alvarez is known for.
“The thing about power is you can become overconfident when you start seeing people drop,” Foreman told The Times in a recent telephone interview. “With Ali, I lost my fear. You come out not worrying about protecting yourself.”
Similarly Canelo is a pretty high percentage puncher, which means that eventually he will land a few solid shots.
Enter Khan’s ability to take a punch. He has a reputation of not being able to take a hit. His jaw has been tested many a time, case in point: Chris Algieri vs Amir Khan. And on the other hand Canelo has added to his defensive armory with a newly found ability to avoid punches. A great jaw, new found defensive ability and spine rattling punching power could spell a quick end for Amir Khan.
Yet, George Foreman is of the opinion that Canelo will present opportunity to Khan at some point in the fight and that’s where Khan can capitalize with his speed.
“You come out of that dressing room thinking, ‘I’ll knock this guy out … if not in the first, then the fifth,’” Foreman said. “But with just 12 rounds now, it’s over quick, so Khan can pull it off with his speed.”
“Khan is so fast and he has a knack for landing body punches, which could assure him he’ll get a 12-round decision. He’s a good body puncher, it’s just part of his repertoire,” Foreman said. “The one who lands the most will pull it out”.
“Canelo has been in there with the most elusive of all fighters, Floyd Mayweather, so he’s not going to see anything he hasn’t seen before. But if he comes in overconfident, Khan, with that speed, will overtake that power and there’ll be a new outlook in boxing.”
“I realized after thinking that the most powerful fighters are the best fighters, that speed can overtake you,” Foreman said. “I realized I better fashion a defense too. And I never would’ve done that without that loss to Ali.”
“If Canelo has that inch of overconfidence, that could be the key to Khan pulling it off with the speed,” Foreman said. “Canelo should go into his dressing room scared. That fear protects you.”
May 7th is hands down the biggest day in Khan’s career. Canelo on the other hand will be looking at Khan as just another stepping stone to further build his legacy in the ring and have a crack at current boxing phenomenon Gennady Golovkin.
