Luis Collazo vs. Amir Khan: Fight Time, Date, Preview, TV Info and More
The end could come suddenly when Amir "King" Khan (28-3, 19 KO) takes on Luis Collazo on May 3 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Collazo has one-punch knockout power, and Khan's chin has been suspect throughout his career.
Khan is also an excellent offensive fighter. His combination of speed and power has befuddled the likes of Marcos Rene Maidana, Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi.
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The mixture is a formula for excitement. The bout will be part of the undercard for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos Maidana main event.
Here's how you can watch the action.
When: Saturday, May 3 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: Showtime PPV (Call your local cable provider for ordering information.)
The Book on Khan
Physical talent has never been a matter of concern when it comes to Khan.
There are few fighters in the world with a better combination of hand speed and power. His heart is almost as big as his punches are fast and hard.
In Khan's battle with Maidana, he was stung pretty good by the slugging Argentine.
HBO's Jim Lampley famously asked during his brilliant call of that fight, "Will he [Khan] hold?!"
Seconds later, Lampley answered his own question when Khan refused to tie up Maidana. He chose to keep banging and weather the storm.
Lampley said, "No, he will not. Too much heart for Khan."
It was awesome. Check out the highlights, especially the spectacular 10th round.
Khan's choice not to hold in that bout worked out, as he earned the unanimous decision in a bruising affair. He hasn't been so lucky in some of his other bouts.
The first time Khan's suspect chin was put on front street was in Sept. 2008. Hard-punching perennial contender Breidis Prescott knocked out Khan in the first round of their bout.
He didn't have much of a chance to hold in that one.
Against Danny "Swift" Garcia in July 2012, Khan was winning handily through two-plus rounds. At the end of the third frame, Garcia landed a bit of a blind left hook that knocked Khan into next week.
He got up, but he was clearly out on his feet. The bell saved him, and he wobbled to his corner. But the minute between rounds was not enough time to fully get his bearings.
Instead of grabbing and holding on for dear life, Khan had "too much heart." He egged on Garcia in a way that only a still-dazed fighter would, and Swift obliged by ending Khan's night in the fourth.
The loss cost Khan his WBA super light welterweight title and the last bit of belief many in the boxing community had in him ever reaching his potential.
Still, Khan has "too much heart."
He's won two fights since, though the knockdown bug again bit him in his last fight against Julio Diaz. Khan still presses on. What's in store for him on Saturday?
Collazo is a fighter who is smart, powerful and skilled enough to force Khan's demons to resurface.
That's part of the reason this bout is so intriguing.
What's the point for Khan, who is already a wealthy man? Like almost every fighter from 140 to 160 pounds, he wants Money aka Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Khan told Jeff Powell of the Daily Mail:
"I did talk about getting out at 28, but now I know that’s too early. There’s too much left to accomplish. And although I’ve been
knocked out a couple of times I haven’t taken too much punishment, too many blows. Basically I’ve just been caught by one big shot.
And as long as I impress here on Saturday, I should get my dream fight with Mayweather next year. Whatever anyone thinks, I know I have enough tools in my box to give Floyd serious problems.
"
If I beat him I will be world champion again and I would want to enjoy that.
Why does Khan believe a win over Collazo is a path to Mayweather?
Signing with Mayweather's advisor, Al Haymon, has a lot to do with it. Haymon is King Midas in the sport, and Khan's new affiliation has already landed him on the card with Mayweather.
So far, so good.
The Book on Collazo
Like a song from another popular Puerto Rican, the late rapper Big Punisher, Collazo will attempt to be the "Dream Shatterer" when he faces Khan on Saturday night.
Collazo has long been regarded as a respectable gatekeeper of sorts, but the 33-year-old former WBA welterweight champion wants one more run at the big time.
Since losing his title via a disputed decision against Ricky Hatton in 2006, Collazo has had two shots at interim or world titles.
He lost both of those fights. He missed all of 2010 but is now on a four-fight win streak. Most recently, he spectacularly knocked out "Vicious" Victor Ortiz in the second round of their Jan. 2014 bout.
The win made Collazo a potential player at welterweight. He's not the sexiest name, but he did...wait for it...sign with Haymon in March.
That should open up several opportunities for him moving forward. If he's able to thwart Khan's plans to chase Money, perhaps he could align himself for a shot at the pound-for-pound king.
Collazo's name hasn't been uttered much—if at all—by Mayweather and his camp. This is something Collazo is aware of and intent upon changing. He told Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae, "I believe he’s overlooking me. But that’s OK. My main focus is Amir Khan on May 3."
It seems unlikely Collazo would have enough juice to sell himself as Mayweather's next challenger this year, but a bigger fight against one of the young 147-pound stars in Haymon's stable seems possible.
Needless to say, there's a lot on the line for both men.
Prediction
This is one of the most difficult fights to predict in months. Khan is faster with his hands and feet, but has he found a way to keep every foe from tapping the chin?
Collazo is a tough-as-nails fighter who hasn't been stopped in 12 years. Although he's likely to get outboxed throughout the fight, he's proved he has the power to put Khan on his back.
Who wins?
According to a collaboration from Boxing.com and the Pod Index, Khan should win by a clear decision. The Pod Index has created a formula that takes into account fighters' styles and tendencies. It meshes that data with the tendencies and history of the official judges appointed to score the fight.
It's a fascinating study and method for fight prediction.
Per Boxing.com and The Pod Index, Khan should have the advantage in work rate, power punches and the ability to win rounds.
The Pod Index predicts Khan will win the fight by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 115-113.
Granted, the article does mention that these scores do not account for potential knockdowns or knockouts.
With just a smidgeon of confidence, I'll go with Khan.
Obviously, he's aware of his issues. There's no fool-proof plan to avoid the big shot, but with Virgil Hunter as his trainer, he's at least appeared to better prepared to handle himself if he is caught.
He hired Hunter, who is the trainer for Andre Ward and others, back in Sept. 2012. It was less than two months after Khan lost to Garcia. Though Khan had rocky moments against Diaz, he's looked smarter and more judicious with his punches.
I think he'll continue that trend and let his skills and athleticism guide him to a decision victory over Collazo.
Follow me. I'm addicted to the sweet science.
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