Khan impresses on Mayweather undercard
England’s Amir Khan, center, raises his arms in victory at the end of his silver welterweight title boxing fight against Luis Collazo Saturday, May 3, 2014, in Las Vegas. Referee Vic Drakulich is at left. AP.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Amir Khan knocked Luis Collazo down three times on Saturday on his way to a lopsided decision win he needed desperately if he hopes to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In his first fight in more than a year, and stepping up to welterweight, Khan dominated against a former champion.
Khan lost out to Marcos Maidana as Mayweather’s opponent in the lucrative main event, but made the best out of his spot at the top of the undercard by beating and bloodying Collazo.
“People want to see that fight between me and Floyd,” Khan said.
Khan was cautious with Collazo, but used his hand speed from the outside to land right hands to the head from the first round on. He dropped Collazo with a right hand in the fourth round, then dropped him twice in the 10th round.
Collazo finished the fight, but he was bleeding from a cut by his right eye and his face was swollen. Two judges scored it 119-104, while the third had it 117-106.
“I had to hang in there,” Collazo said. “You have to take me out, that’s what it’s all about.”
Khan, who improved to 29-3, thought he was going to be fighting Mayweather instead of Maidana. He gave up a title fight in December to wait for Mayweather, but didn’t get picked for the fight despite winning an online poll conducted by Mayweather.
“It was very hard because Collazo is really awkward,” Khan said.
In another bout, American J’Leon Love beat Mexican Marco Antonio Periban in a super middleweight bout.
Love won a 10-round decision on all three ringside scorecards to remain unbeaten in 19 fights. Periban fell to 20-2-1.
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