Written by S. Edmundson
The rise of Amir Khan has not been smooth sailing. He’s had his chin questioned, been stopped twice, and is seemingly not worthy of a fight with Floyd Mayweather anytime soon, at least according to his critics. But he has his share of fans too, albeit mainly on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean (U.K.). 
It’s generally a split decision when it comes to the future of Khan, but it can’t be argued that in the past few years he’s silenced some of his critics, coming back from two consecutive losses against Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia, to being the main event in his upcoming fight with Devon Alexander at the MGM Grand, after his recent, dominant victory over the always-tough Luis Collazo.
If he defeats Alexander next week, it could lead to a huge fight next year against Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather.
But if he beats Alexander, can Khan compete with Pacquiao or Mayweather?
Former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson certainly thinks so, i.e. against Mayweather. He strongly believes that Khan's style is all wrong for the five-division world champion. Nelson told Sky Sports, “He’s (Khan) too young, his tempo is too high and his hands are too fast. If anyone is going to give Mayweather trouble, it’s Khan.”
He’s certainly the favorite to get through the Alexander fight before a potential big matchup in 2015. Betfred has him as 2/5 favorite while most other bookmakers have him favored to win.
Khan has matured massively over the last few years into a more well-rounded fighter. However, his chin is still being questioned.
His former trainer Freddie Roach has even criticized his chin, while fellow British boxers Carl Froch and Glen McCrory have called him out on his chin. His chin could prove to be a fatal flaw were he ever to face off against Mayweather, Pacquiao or even Alexander next week.
At 28 years of age, Amir Khan is in the prime of his career. With an improved defense and more battle-testing in recent years (in tough losses to Peterson and Garcia), he's primed for big things if he gets by Devon Alexander next Saturday.
It's a big IF but we'll find out soon enough
OFFICIAL FIGHT INSIGHT PREDICTION: AMIR KHAN WINS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION
