Five keys for Canelo Alvarez against Amir Khan
— -- Mexican star Canelo Alvarez will make the first defense of his middleweight title on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) will face England's Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs), a former unified junior welterweight titlist, who is moving up from 147 pounds. The fight will be contested at a 155-pound catchweight, with Alvarez installed as the heavy favorite to win -- and most expecting a knockout.
However, Alvarez will need to pay attention to the following five keys if he wants to avoid a nasty surprise:
1. Be efficient and forceful
Most expect Alvarez's advantages in bulk and punching power alone to be enough for him to secure victory. However, despite his physical advantages over Khan, Alvarez will need to rely on efficiency and punching accuracy. But he will also need to be forceful if he wants an early knockout.
2. Cut off the ring
Alvarez struggled to connect against elusive opponents like Floyd Mayweather and Erislandy Lara. The Mexican is very slow when it comes to trapping his opponents. He often hesitates and that allows them to escape from a side exit. He needs to correct this flaw against Khan and cut off the ring effectively, as the British fighter will look to dodge Alvarez's punches by using his elusiveness.
3. Target the body
It's unknown whether Khan, a welterweight, will come in lighter and quicker, closer to the 147-pound limit, or bulk up all the way to 155 pounds. Either way, Alvarez's strategy must be adaptable to both versions. The one tactic most suitable for both versions is for Alvarez to focus on punching to the midsection. Landing blows to the soft tissue is essential in order to slow down his opponent and Alvarez must put this into practice from early in the fight.
4. Learn from your mistakes
Alvarez falls into the same trap when throwing punches on the outside with either hand. He turns his wrist and moves his hand in a fanning motion before throwing a long and telegraphed punch. In addition to potentially missing or making it easy for his opponent to elude, Alvarez always leaves himself exposed to the counterattack. This is something that Khan could take advantage of if it is not rectified.
5. Trust your corner
Alvarez's corner would not appear to have an important role to play against a theoretically weaker opponent. However, these kinds of fights are often tougher than they seem. Alvarez will be fighting under a lot of pressure and this may impact his performance. His corner will need to keep his anxiety in check and have a backup plan if the knockout doesn't come early or Khan surprises Alvarez with his boxing ability.
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