• Fight Insight: Amir Khan v Lamont Peterson

Complacency could curtail Khan's charge

Capital gains? Amir Khan is fighting in his opponent's backyard © Getty Images

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Amir Khan's trainer Freddie Roach chuckles as he recalls the time he stood toe-to-toe in the ring with Lamont Peterson, absorbing the American's blows and gleaning crucial information to pass on. As the seconds ticked by and Roach's mind whirled, Peterson's coach Barry Hunter realised he had made a grave error.

"[Hunter] looked at me and smiled and knew that should not have happened," Roach said, remembering when Peterson was used as a sparring partner for the US Olympic squad, who call on Roach and Hunter for assistance.

Hall of Famer Roach is renowned as a masterful tactician in possession of a razor-sharp mind, and you can bet his strategy for Peterson will ruthlessly exploit any flaws. But his biggest test when preparing Khan will be getting inside the mind of his boxer and breaking down the fog of complacency.

Khan's comments ahead of the fight will have sounded alarm bells in Roach's mind. "Making 140lbs is no problem but I've cleaned up the division and there's nobody left to fight at the weight," he said, a comment which appears almost insultingly dismissive to Peterson, the mandatory challenger for the IBF crown.

The 27-year-old, who will be fighting in his native Washington, should not be underestimated as his life story reveals a man capable of succeeding despite difficult circumstances. He was abandoned by his parents and left to fend for himself on the streets before he had even started school, eventually finding salvation in boxing after being taken in by Hunter. "It's hard to believe a kid went through something like that; there is a cliché about how boxing saves the lives of some kids," he said. "In my case it's simply the truth."

Lamont Peterson has a draw against Victor Ortiz on his CV © Getty Images

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And his achievements in the ring stand up to scrutiny: just one loss in 31 fights, although that defeat came when he walked in world-class company against Tim Bradley who, alongside Khan, is seen as the division's best. Peterson also managed a creditable draw when he met Victor Ortiz, recovering in remarkable fashion having hit the canvas twice during the third round.

Yet despite Peterson's obvious credentials, Khan regularly reminds us he's gazing towards the future, where he sees himself going up against Floyd Mayweather Jnr and feted as the planet's pound-for-pound king. Khan has the talent to challenge for that crown and is starting to captivate an American audience, but he can forget about potential riches if he loses to or stumbles past Peterson.

Peterson is a pressure fighter, a heavy puncher who will look to keep the contest at close range to test Khan's chin - which, more than three years after he was blitzed by Breidis Prescott, is still seen as an inviting target. If Peterson can turn the battle into an arm-wrestle and instigate some protracted exchanges, he could delight the home support.

Yet Khan at his best will surely be too quick and canny for that, preferring instead to let his hands loose in brief flurries before darting out of trouble when the bout begins to veer away from his script.

The biggest danger is not one of Peterson's piercing uppercuts, but instead the distractedness that can turn hurdles into brick walls. Khan is good enough to win comfortably; he should win comfortably - but a loss of focus could allow Peterson to pounce.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.