Amir Khan Returns Saturday in Liverpool – England’s Amir Khan returns to the boxing ring this Saturday night to face Canada’s Phil Lo Greco.
Khan (31-4) is the big story here. The Olympic silver medalist has held world titles in several weight classes and he has long been a box office draw in the U.K. This Saturday’s fight will be his first fight in nearly two years and it will be the first time we see Khan perform at over 30 years old. Khan has always been blessed with technique and fast hands and here he embarks on a return in the dangerous 147 pound weight class with some open questions.
You may remember Khan’s last outing, when he moved up a pair of weight classes to face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez as a middleweight. In that fight, he showed his skill as he stayed one step ahead of Alvarez throughout the first six rounds of the fight. Unfortunately for Khan, “Canelo” landed one punch that sent him to the canvas to watch reruns of the Jetsons.
Khan’s three other losses have seen him get knocked out as well, so he has always had that flaw. The last two years have seen Khan making his usual noise on social media and he also spent time filming a reality TV show. What he has not been doing is fighting and if he is just a bit slower than he was a few years back, then Lo Greco may have a chance.
You have to give Lo Greco credit. He has been in the hunt for a big fight and here he is going to Liverpool to face Khan as a major underdog. Lo Greco has been in that spot before as two of his three career losses come at the hands of divisional top dogs Errol Spence Jr and Shawn Porter. Though Khan is a sharp, technical fighter, Lo Greco has to feel he has been in with better guys. Porter and Spence Jr are both massive, bruising welterweights while Khan is coming up in weight. Lo Greco may look to make it a grinding ugly fight if he can.
But Khan is with a new trainer and he appears to be re-focused. Khan has had elite trainers Freddie Roach and Barry McGuigan guiding him before and he is now with Dan Goossen. Khan is touting a refurbished inside game, which could come in handy against Lo Greco’s rough house tactics.
The Eddie Hearn promoted card is at the Echo Arena in Liverpool and there are eleven fights in all on the schedule. Several more fights may pop up at the books by the time fight day swings around, and two of the support fights have lines up already. The Tommy Coyle vs Sean Dodd bout for the Commonwealth title at Lightweight is probably the only fight on the card that will have a competitive line.
The main events are set to air on SKY in the United Kingdom, check your local listings for start times.
Sat 4/21 – Amir Khan Returns – Echo Arena – Liverpool, England
Welterweight 12 rounds –
Phil Lo Greco +1500 o8½ -120
Amir Khan -3000 u8½ +100
Lightweight 12 rounds –
Tommy Coyle +120
Sean Dodd -140
Super Welterweight 8 rounds –
Ryan Toms +2800
Sam Eggington -7000
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