Khan vs Peterson- Round 2

On the 19th May 2012, Amir Khan will step into the ring for a second time against Lamont Peterson, in an attempt to prove once and for all that he is the better fighter. In December of last year, Khan lost by split decision to Peterson in a fight that he was expected to dominate. The result itself was highly controversial, with members from Khan's entourage claiming the result was fixed. The British star was the favourite going into the fight, holding two titles and coming off the back of an impressive defence against the once great Zab Judah.

It was originally speculated that Khan would in fact not wait around for a rematch with Peterson, and make his much hyped move up a divsion, where he would be targeting the likes of the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, and of course Manny Pacquiao. However, after his appeal against the decision of the fight was turned down, and it looked as though all chances of a rematch had been scuppered, Khan got his wish. Lamont Peterson was offered a reported $1 million purse, which for him is a career high, and took the fight, giving Khan the chance to wipe clean the only stain on his record since his suprise loss to Bredis Prescott in 2008.

Khan and Peterson clash in Washington in December.

Once again, Khan is being touted as the favourite to come away with victory, with many experst highlighting the fact that his loss the first time around should act as something of a wake-up call for his career. Khan himself is confident of besting Peterson: "I was willing to jump in there and fight for nothing just to get those titles back. Everybody knows who won the first fight." Peterson on the other hand has said he was more than happy to give Khan a rematch: "I'll make people see that I am the better fighter. In my mind I know; I knew before we went into the first fight."

In my opinion Khan will be intching to show everyone that he is capable of fulfilling his potential, and this should see him claim victory. However there's just as much chance it could hinder his approach, as he might become desperate and erratic if an early knock-out doesn't come. Before the initial fight with Peterson, Khan had set out a three year plan for himself, which culminated in a showdown with pound for pound superstar Floyd Mayweather in 2013. Obviously, since his bout with Peterson didn't go exactly to plan, he's been forced to shelve plans to move up a division.

In his next fight, Khan will have a lot to prove. His current professional record stands at 26-2, which is good, but not exemplary. To avoid being dubbed as a nearly man, he needs to rack up a series of wins, starting with Peterson in May. Peterson himself has a record of 30-1-1, and his only loss has come against one of Khan's biggest rivals in Timothy Bradley.

Khan, who has a lot to prove in his next fight.

My view is that Khan has one fight to deliver a spectacular performance and get everybody back on his side. Peterson will be ready and waiting to cause yet another upset, and if Khan isn't careful, he can damage his reputation to a critical point.






 For more information see:

-http://dc.sbnation.com/2012/2/9/2787897/khan-vs-peterson-ii-rematch-scheduled-for-may-19-in-las-vegas

-http://news.yahoo.com/khan-vs-peterson-rematch-set-may-19-064201864--boxing.html