Khan vs. Peterson: King Khan Will Dominate Havoc in Capital Showdown

Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson are set to battle in what's been billed as the "Capital Showdown" in Washington D.C. Look for Khan to make easy work of Peterson in the bout, which is for the WBA Super and IBF light welterweight titles.

Khan's career is clearly on the rise. He's won eight straight fights after suffering his first career defeat against Breidis Prescott in 2008. His most recent win came via knockout of Zab Judah in July, which was his most high-profile fight to date.

The 25-year-old British bruiser is widely considered one of the top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in the world, and probably still hasn't reached his peak.

In a sport that's desperate for superstars to emerge, Khan could very well step to the forefront in the coming months, especially if the much ballyhooed Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather super-fight doesn't materialize to steal his thunder.

However, he must make sure not to take "Havoc" lightly. A loss tonight would send all of those image-building plans into a tailspin.

Peterson started his career 27-0, but has gone just 2-1-1 over his past four fights as the level of competition improved. A unanimous decision loss to Timothy Bradley, who is Khan's biggest light welterweight threat, and a majority decision draw with Victor Ortiz are his blemishes.

What makes him a dangerous opponent for "King Khan" is the fact that he's never been knocked out. Even in his loss against Bradley, he was able to stand his ground defensively and withstood an assault until the final bell. That's easier said than done.

Khan needs to come out on the offensive. A tentative start will do nothing but increase the heavy underdog's confidence.

After asserting that dominance early, it will become a test of endurance for Khan. He has enough weapons to control Peterson all night much like Bradley did, but he must avoid becoming overaggressive going for a knockout and opening himself up for one big shot.

While Khan could make a huge statement with an early knockout of Peterson, past performance says that isn't likely to happen. It will probably be a slow, grind-it-out battle with Khan gaining a decisive lead in the middle rounds and riding it out to the finish.

Prediction: Khan by unanimous decision