Floyd Mayweather's Dad Taunts Amir Khan with King Kong, Assault Jibes
Floyd Mayweather Sr. believes Amir Khan has "more chance of beating King Kong" than toppling his son if the two ever meet.
Speaking ahead of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Saturday bout with Marcos Maidana, the trash-talking father indicated his boy would be "indicted for assault" if he stepped into the ring with Khan, reported by David Anderson of the Mirror:
"If he wants to fight Floyd, he should get in line. He’s a decent fighter, but that’s it. Amir Khan fighting Floyd is like Amir Khan fighting King Kong. That’s what it would be like, Floyd would be like King Kong - and he would have more chance of beating King Kong.
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Mayweather Sr. continued by saying Khan's chances of toppling his son stand between "slim and none." He perhaps aims to fire the Bolton-based boxer up before his clash with Luis Collazo, which takes place on the undercard of Mayweather Jr.'s Vegas showdown with Maidana.
Ricky Hatton, who suffered a career-halting loss to Manny Pacquiao under Mayweather Sr.'s training tutelage, warned Khan to remain focused on his upcoming opponent, not those he wishes to face in the future, also per Anderson.
The Hitman believes Khan can "go down as a history maker in British boxing" if he overcomes Collazo and eventually wins a world title.
Khan has been extremely vocal in his pursuit of Mayweather—even signing a contract to face Money, per Martin Domin of the Daily Mail. The American previously teased his potential opponent by telling the 27-year-old to "earn" his shot at the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, reported by Kevin Mitchell of The Guardian.
Khan has the opportunity to make a major statement against Collazo. Stepping up to 147 lbs is risky enough—as memories of Hatton's close-fought welterweight debut win over Collazo come rushing back—meaning Khan will need to deploy an intelligent game plan against the Brooklyn brawler.
Collazo fights on the front foot and often moves forward to maintain a level of control. Khan can negate his opponent's power by utilising his speed, but he'll need to strike accurately before taking cover. Collazo is more than capable of punching through Khan's guard and will aim to test his rival's notorious glass jaw.
Many American fans will be hoping to see Collazo extend his four-fight win streak, per Boxrec. His last opponent, Victor Ortiz, failed to outlast the opening stages after a thumping right hook sent him sprawling at the close of the second round. Khan must make sure Collazo doesn't find room to unleash such a shot during their tie, or he'll suffer his second Vegas loss in the span of four fights.
Khan enters this battle having spent a year away after beating Julio Diaz. He can destroy any cobwebs with a fast-paced yet disciplined opening couple of rounds.
Virgil Hunter, Khan's trainer, believes his man will face Mayweather Jr. "next year," per Kevin Francis of the Daily Star. He also suggested the Olympic silver medallist has the tools to defeat the unbeaten legend:
"By then, Amir will have another couple of fights and two or three more training camps. Having that advantage will make it more dangerous for Floyd. ...
Amir is getting better all the time and I see a lot of progress that he has made. Anyone who writes him off is crazy because his ability is such that, if he brings everything together, he can beat him.
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Whatever the result, Khan's career is likely to encounter a watershed moment on Saturday. If he fails to overcome Collazo, the Mayweather Jr. dream may be over. Should he beat the tricky southpaw, the boxing world will avidly await his post-fight reaction.
Calling Mayweather Jr. out on his own turf may be the only way this encounter will ever take place. Before Khan can put the pressure on his potential foe with an in-ring taunt, his biggest statement must be made via a virtuoso performance in front of the world.
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