Boxing News Boxing News
Following the recent revelation that former WBA and IBF Light-Welterweight Champion Amir Khan’s rematch with the American Lamont Peterson had bitten the dust due to Peterson failing a voluntary test, it has been announced that Khan’s forthcoming opponent will be unbeaten American Danny Garcia, who currently holds the WBC title, on the 14th July at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Garcia has a 23-0 record with 14 knockouts since turning professional back in 2007 on the Humberto Soto vs. Juan Guzman WBO Super-Featherweight world title bill.
The fight will be Garcia’s first defence of his WBC belt following his title winning victory over the Mexican future hall of famer Erik Morales back in March of this year.
Khan vs. Garcia was easy to make as they are both currently promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Organisation, and this will be Khan’s eighth consecutive world title fight since stepping up from Lightweight after defeating Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in March, 2009.
Khan has a one inch height advantage over Garcia, standing at 5ft 10 in comparison to Garcia’s 5ft 9 along with a two inch reach advantage.
Khan also has the edge in terms of the quality of opposition faced in his 28 fight professional career, having defeated former undisputed Welterweight champion Zab Judah in March last year with a fifth round knockout, former IBF Light-Welter champ and current WBA Welterweight champion Paul Malignaggi with an 11th round knockout, a fifth round technical decision against Barrera in 2009 and a unanimous decision against Ukrainian Andrei Kotelnik, all bouts at World level.
Garcia’s standout opponents on his slate are Morales, former WBO champion Kendall Holt, former Lightweight champion Nate Campbell and recently dethroned British champion Ashley Theophane.
Also, Khan has been in 16 championship fights from Commonwealth level at Lightweight to world level while Garcia has only been in two championship fights, which tips the experience factor in Khan’s favour.
There is also speculation that the WBA and the IBF belts, which Khan has previously held, could become vacant which could increase the stakes in this fight.
Also on the bill, former College Football star turned unbeaten American heavyweight hope Seth Mitchell is scheduled to fight current NABF Heavyweight champion Johnathon Banks.
Banks, who has predominately been fighting as chief support to the Klitchsko brothers in Germany and Poland, has an opportunity to show that he has a strong claim to be the next heavyweight hope from the states as the Americans look for the future heavyweight star that can be a world level contender.
But it is Khan and Garcia that will have their names in lights in Vegas in a mouth watering match up, and while this pairing has come about in an unexpected manner, it should generate a real treat for fight fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
