By John Dillon, Express.co.ukAMIR KHAN believes his experiences learning from the great Manny Pacquiao will give him the speed, power and the critical knowledge of southpaw opposition to end Zab Judah’s comeback.
Amid the acrimonious build-up to the light-welterweight world-title bout in Las Vegas on Saturday, Amir Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach has claimed that his fighter is hitting harder than ever.
It is the result of some intense workouts with sparring partners drafted in to mimic the style of 33-year-old Judah, who is a lefty. And also of Khan’s past work with the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, the southpaw Filipino Pacquiao.Roach has also instigated a new physical conditioning regime which has included gruelling sessions running in sand along with work in the pool, now that Khan has finally learned to swim.
Khan, 24, puts the WBA belt he has defended four times in the past two years on the line against Judah, the IBF champion, at the Mandalay Bay resort on The Strip.
“Zab is up there with the best fighters I’ve faced,” said Khan. “He’s a five-time world champion and a two-weight world champion. He has that southpaw style, which is very awkward. But I don’t think he will be able to take the pressure of my speed and power.
“We were lucky to be sparring with Manny Pacquiao in previous camps. He’s probably the most powerful southpaw and that was a great help for me. We’ve also been watching on tape a few things that Zab does and where he makes mistakes, so I know exactly what his style is like.”
Both fighters took part in official arrival ceremonies at the venue hotel yesterday, although Judah is refusing to speak directly to the British media following a row with the Khan camp over TV revenues from the UK. Judah has won five world titles in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions. He first won the IBF belt 11 years ago and claimed it back when he stopped Kaizer Mabuza in the seventh round in March.
Roach, however, who guides the careers of Khan and Pacquiao at his Wild Card gym in Hollywood, believes the Englishman is in shape to deliver a repeat of his victory over Argentinian Marcos Maidana last December, which was voted Fight of the Year by American boxing writers.
Roach said: “I will have to buy a new body bag for protection against his punches. Amir is really hurting me, digging me in the ribs – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Khan has been reunited with conditioner Alex Ariza after a brief break-up and has also been joined by two of his gym-mates, Rau’shee Warren and Raynell Williams, in the pool.
Roach said: “When the sparring partners went swimming with Amir, one swallowed so much water he sunk like a rock and the other one just sunk.
“But they both came back from the session saying they were going to learn to swim as well as Amir can – and he has only just started. It’s the same in the gym. They tried to do his programme but could not believe anyone could get through so much work.”
Khan v Judah will be broadcast live on Primetime pay-per-view, channel 480 on Sky, for £14.95.
Source: express.co.uk
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