Amir Khan has confirmed that he will face Luis Collazo as the co-main event of Showtime’s May 3 Mayweather vs. Maidana pay-per-view.
Khan announced the news via his Twitter account, noting that the bout will serve as “chief support” for the Las Vegas card.
Khan has not fought since winning a disputed split decision over Julio Diaz last April. Collazo re-emerged as a welterweight force this year after scoring a second-round stoppage over Victor Ortiz on January. Both fighters have expressed strong interest in facing Mayweather in September.
The fight will be Khan’s first at welterweight. Khan had competed at 140 pounds since 2009, making 5 defenses of the WBA title and partially unifying the division with a fifth round stoppage over then IBF titlist Zab Judah in 2011. His two defeats in the weight class came to Lamont Peterson via a controversial split decison in 2011, and a fourth round TKO to Danny Garcia in 2012.
Collazo has spent the majority of his career at welterweight. Prior to the Ortiz win, Collazo had lost decisions to the three highest-profile names he’s faced: Ricky Hatton (UD12), Shane Mosley (UD12) and Andre Berto (SD12).
At press time, the remaining two undercard slots have not been confirmed.
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Khan didn’t get his first two choices for May 3 in Mayweather or Broner, but this fight serves as his “golden ticket.” If he beats Collazo in decisive fashion, Khan will get the Mayweather fight he’s spent the last 3 years chasing.
But what if he loses or looks bad? It’s conceivable that Collazo, being a natural welterweight, pulls it off. Would Mayweather fight him?? The answer is “probably.” When you look at the landscape, there isn’t much else from a “business” standpoint. Should Collazo emerge victorious, he would have scored wins over two name fighters in the span of four months. So unless Floyd throws a swerve and looks at a Shawn Porter or even an Erislandy Lara, we can look at this fight as a Mayweather audition.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 