Jim Watt - Sky Sports Expert

World-class not glass

Amir will win, but let's see if Prescott can test his chin

Posted: 04th September 2008 14:39

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Amir Khan Preview Khan Prescott

I've seen a couple of clips of Breidis Prescott and there's no doubt he can punch - and that might not be a bad thing for Amir Khan.

What I want to see in this fight is Amir taking a real good shot on the chin, look straight at the other guy and get back in there straight away.

It sounds harsh and I still think he will win, but we need to know if the lad can take a decent shot before he even thinks about fighting for a world title.

The last thing you want is to be going into a world championship fight not knowing quite how good your chin is. If you box at the top level, you know you are going to get hit - and hit hard. What we don't know with Amir is if he can deal with that.

Yes he has been put down and shaken three times in his career, by Rachid Drilzane, Willie Limond and of course, Michael Gomez, but they were all flash knockdowns. I had a decent chin and went down five times in my career - it can happen to anyone.

And all of those Khan knockdowns were when he was caught coming forward. We need to see him take a real bone-shaker, stay up and look the other guy straight in the eye.

We could well get to see that because there is no doubt Prescott can bang. Seventeen knockouts in 19 wins proves that, even if he has been fed one or two along the way and the quality of opposition is not great. But then again, Colombian fighters are survivors and they will have been trying to do just that.

Prescott is a step into the unknown, but that is what Amir needs - and he looks to bethe sort of fighter he needs. He is from a different part of the world, will bring a different style and a different set of problems to the bog-standard Europeans Khan has beaten.

So far he has had everything pretty much his own way. He has been able to pressurise fighters and eventually overwhelm them with his speed and workrate. I have a feeling that Prescott will want to come forward, he will want to get Khan on the back foot - and we need to see how he handles that.

I am sure Frank Warren and Jorge Rubio need to see their man up against it before a world title is even talked about. The next year or so is all about learning, all about ticking the boxes for Khan. Which is why this has to be a bit of a gamble.

Reckless

Prescott, even if he is being put under pressure, will stand back and throw some bombs because he says he has seen a weakness in Khan. Maybe he does get too reckless when he senses the finish is in sight is a little over-keen when he moves in for the kill.

That is how he got caught in the past and that is something he needs to watch out for. It's one thing winning when it's all going your way and you can overwhelm the guy with sheer speed before forcing the stoppage, but what if that doesn't happen? What if he

That is another area I would like to see Amir improve - in his finishing. Yes, he is dazzlingly quick and his sheer volume of punches usually leaves the referee with no choice but to step in, but he can be over-eager. I would like to see him picking his shots off, landing telling blows, not just rushing in and leaving himself open.

But it's good that he has made mistakes. He is still learning and rather he does it now than when a world title is on the line. The habits he gets into now are the one's that will show up when it really matters. Don't forget, he's only been a pro for three years and is still just a kid.

And he is an entertainer as well. That is why 10,000 people will be in the MEN Arena; he is fast and he is exciting to watch. You can't take that aggression away, but he does need to find a balance - and I think we might see that on Saturday night.

I expect him to be a little more circumspect early on, work off the jab before tiring Prescott down and finishing him off in similar style to his previous victims. He will set the pace and given his record I don't expect the Prescott to have been under much pressure in his career, so it will be interesting to see if he can cope, or if he loses heart.

He might do for a couple of rounds but it's impossible to see anything other than a Khan win, possibly in the middle of the fight. I just hope he learns things however long the fight is and I wouldn't wouldn't mind one bit if Prescott managed to nail him hard, just so we can see if his chin is good enough to win a world title - because Amir Khan is.

Johnny Nelson's view

It's not often I think Frank Warren makes a mistake in finding opponents for his fighters. But this time he looks to have taken a risk putting Khan in with Bredis Prescott, a man who will be hungry for success. This is certainly going to be a test for young Amir. Prescott is tall (nearly 6ft) and has an impressive record, one that suggests he can pack a punch. He also comes from a stable that has already produced two world champions, including Ricardo Torres. The key for Amir is to show discipline. We've seen him show heart, show courage, now we need him to show us he's taken the next step in his development as a fighter. So far he's ticked all the boxes, he's been hit and he's been down. He's also been put under pressure. Yet for all that he's always lifted himself after any setbacks and gone on to win fights. He's also shown he has the stamina to go the distance. I expect he might need that stamina again on Saturday night. He will beat Prescott on points or by stoppage in the later rounds.
Read Johnny Nelson on Audley Harrison-George Arias

Glenn McCrory's view

This is a tough old fight for Amir Khan. It might be the sort of no-win situation he has to get used to with all the spotlight and pressure that is on him. But anyone who can carry the hopes of a nation on his shoulders as a kid at the Olympics has bottle and Amir has shown that already. He is not the finished article and no-one should expect him to be, but I do expect him to show more maturity and be less reckless under his new coach. He can try to throw millions of punches and I would like to see him sit down on his punches a little more, box when the other guy wants to fight and fight when he wants to box. But he's still on the learning curve and Prescott is unbeaten, so has to be considered a threat. He can clearly punch, but he is a long way from home, he's going to be on the back foot from the first bell and all I can see him doing is coming out and trying to nail Khan early. Amir might have to survive a couple of early scares, but if he can come through that, stick at him, there's no reason why he can't load up and stop him around the middle of the fight.
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