Amir Khan v Devon Alexander

Does Amir Khan deserve a shot at Floyd Mayweather?

Tristan Barclay and Nic Atkin

December 14, 2014

Amir Khan dominated Devon Alexander on Saturday © Getty Images

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Oscar De La Hoya best summed up Amir Khan's dominant performance against Devon Alexander in Las Vegas on Saturday night when he said after the fight: "Now I know why Mayweather doesn't want to fight him. I wouldn't have fought him."

Khan secured a near-shutout unanimous decision at the MGM Grand, and his thoughts - understandably - immediately turned to Mayweather.

"I now believe I have earned the Mayweather fight for next year," Khan said.

Up until as recently as Friday, Khan had seemingly been locked in to fight Mayweather next, in a bout which could have earned him in the region of $10 million and something that has been on his wishlist for years.

However, Mayweather dropped a bombshell on the eve of Khan's fight against Alexander by calling out Pacquiao to face him on May 2.

Khan's journey to the verge of landing a genuine blockbuster bout has been anything but plain sailing; the Olympic silver medallist lost just once in his first 27 fights as a professional but suffered successive defeats in 2011 and 2012 to cast doubt on his claims to a place at the top table.

He went some way to repairing the damage done to his reputation with Saturday night's display, delivering on his vow to "send a message across the world".

Now there appears to be another monumental roadblock in his path, but does Khan deserve a shot at the big time? ESPN asks the question:

Inside the ropes

Back in 2010, despite a host of headlines about his personal life, Khan was looking good in the ring. Under revered trainer Freddie Roach, he knocked out Zab Judah to unify the WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles in July 2011 and talk of a fight with Mayweather had already reached fever pitch.

Defeat to Danny Garcia raised questions about Khan's chin © Getty Images

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But dark clouds were on the horizon. Khan next fought Lamont Peterson in his home city of Washington DC, with the American emerging victorious thanks to a disputed points decision. Incensed, Khan complained about a biased referee and a mystery figure interfering with the judges' scorecards. A rematch was ordered, but a failed drugs test by Peterson eventually deprived the Briton of a chance to set the record straight.

If the loss to Peterson hurt his pride, defeat by Danny Garcia seven months later was almost fatal. Khan started brightly on his return to Vegas, but three knock-downs in the space of two rounds raised questions about his chin. Defeat left his career in tatters and his team were forced to kiss goodbye to a shot at Mayweather. It was back to the drawing board.

Khan returned to the ring just five months later, facing Carlos Molina. As far as comebacks go, it was a convincing effort. Khan outclassed his American opponent, who quit on his stool at the end of the 10th. Next up, though, was Julio Diaz on home soil March 2013. While victory over Molina looked like two steps forward, the unimpressive defeat of the supposedly washed-up Mexican was a step back. Khan was knocked down in the first, battered at the close, and squeezed the win via the narrowest of points decisions.

Khan took a break. In 2014, he returned to Vegas in a blockbuster line-up led by Mayweather. But rather than facing the pound-for-pound king at the top of the bill, he had to settle for Luis Collazo on the undercard. Months of talk had led Khan to believe he would finally get his chance with Mayweather, but the American instead opted to fight the slower, older Marcos Maidana. With a comfortable points victory over Collazo, Khan was left to reflect on a lesson in the vagaries of boxing.

It had been a fight with Alexander 12 months ago that Khan gave up in the belief he would originally land that Mayweather bout, and he came full circle when he faced Alexander at the MGM Grand on Saturday night

After Mayweather caused a stir by challenging Pacquiao to face him on May 2, or the weekend of "Cinco de Mayweather" as the American called it, Khan could have understandably been distracted or a little unsettled.

Whether Floyd was playing mind games or not is up for debate, but Khan didn't let it get to him as he outclassed Alexander over 12 one-sided rounds.

Deserving of a shot? Pre-Garcia, Khan was heading in the right direction. Post-Garcia, that dream had gone. But Khan has served his time back in the ranks and deserves credit for making the effort to rebuild his reputation. The 28-year-old feels he is now at his peak and he shone in just his second fight as a full-fledged welterweight against Alexander, putting aside the chin issues that threatened to see his career unravel. On this performance, he has earned a shot at 'Money'.

Life outside the ring

As a young man with his fame and fortune growing, Khan has often found himself in the tabloid spotlight. Back around the turn of 2010-11, his relationship with former glamour model Jordan, aka Katie Price, proved of particular interest to the red-tops, with speculation rife that they were more than just friends.

Khan admitted a close friendship with Katie Price © Getty Images

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On December 11, 2010, The glamour model was seen ringside at his Vegas victory over Maidana, while the pair were spotted giggling together at a pre-Oscars party in February 2011. Khan rejected rumours of a fling, but - as he would later admit - the world of celebrity had become a distraction for him.

Khan has done a lot of growing up in the four years since that Maidana fight. In June 2013, with things just about getting back on track in the ring, he announced his marriage to American student Faryal Makhdoom. The ceremony at New York's iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel was befitting of a playboy multi-millionaire boxer, but Khan insisted it was time for him to grow up. With Faryal to "look after", he wouldn't "be going out as much partying", he said.

A year later, and just weeks after fighting Collazo on Mayweather's undercard, Khan became a father. He admitted he considered retiring on his 28th birthday - at that time seven months away - but claimed baby Lamysa inspired him to put that off until his 30s. Admittedly, he hadn't completely ditched the bling, but Khan's metamorphosis from playboy to committed family man was complete.

Deserving of a shot? Some fighters seem born for the lifestyle of the rich and famous, but Khan has settled down to become a committed family man. Given the inspiration he now draws from his wife and daughter, marriage was the best decision he ever made. It has helped focus his mind on becoming the best.

Around Team Khan

No man is an island, especially in boxing, and Khan has been building a strong support network around himself since his first fight stateside against Paul Malignaggi on May 15, 2010.

Khan appointed Virgil Hunter as his trainer in September 2012 © Getty Images

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The first big call was the decision to cut loose from his original promoter Frank Warren. After five years with the Briton, Khan signed with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions in January 2010. Khan was already based in Los Angeles under Roach, but Warren was unimpressed, lamenting that "these days it seems loyalty is a quality bestowed in few sportsmen".

De La Hoya would take Khan to the bright lights of Vegas to fight the likes of Maidana and Judah, although throwing him in with Garcia looked like a bad idea in hindsight. Khan's chances of a Mayweather shot were always going to be higher with Golden Boy - sorry Frank, but this was a step in the right direction.

With the next big call came another big change. After the Garcia fight, Khan split with Roach, his trainer of four years and also the man guiding Manny Pacquiao's career. The split was apparently amicable, but Khan wanted a coach who could commit full-time to pre-fight training camps. In stepped Virgil Hunter, the man who transformed super-middleweight Andre Ward into one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the business.

The pair seem to have hit it off. Hunter seems convinced Khan is the heir to Mayweather's pound-for-pound title, saying his charge can become a "blueprint" for future fighters.

Deserving of a shot? Reaching the top takes guts and Khan has made some tough calls. He has shown he is not a man to be pushed around, but concessions have to be made in sealing a fight with boxing's money men. Inflexibility in that arena is not a positive trait. He continues to improve under Hunter, the pair having teamed up for three fights now, and welterweight seems to suit Khan.

So does he deserve a superfight?

In a word, yes, but there are caveats. Khan is a credible fighter, has a solid fanbase and, chin permitting, would put on a good show against Mayweather.

"I just fought a three-time world champion and proved myself to be a force at 147 pounds," Khan said after beating Alexander.

Mayweather is in a different class to Alexander, however.

He is also nearing retirement, and Khan is not the only one hunting a payday. Mayweather holds all the cards, and you get the feeling that Khan is going to have to win the boxing lottery before he gets his shot at greatness.

Still, if a fight with Mayweather can't be arranged, a showdown at Wembley Stadium against Kell Brook wouldn't be a bad substitute, financially and in terms of grandeur.