Boxing Betting: Amir Khan v Dmitriy Salita

Boxing Betting / Alex Steedman / 30 November 2009 / Leave a Comment

This scene should be repeated on Saturday night

"It will take a talented fighter to beat Amir Khan, who is among the quickest currently lacing up gloves. I'm not sure he is the superstar some are predicting; I think too many amateur traits have shadowed him into the professional game. But none of that ought to matter against Salita."

Amir Khan may not be the finished product yet - in fact he may not even be the superstar many are predicting - but Dmitriy Salita should not put up too much of a fight. Alex Steedman previews Saturday night's big fight

Helter Skelter is certainly one way to describe the recent life and times of Amir Khan. The popular Bolton lad has gone from crest-fallen hero to recognised World Champion in less than a year. Even the Beatles had to work at that kind of overnight success.

In truth, Khan has always been big on endeavour as much as he has been one to rely on natural talent. But it was an unexpectedly nasty shock to the senses which led to his slip down the slide. It took less than a minute for Breidis Prescott to scatter Khan's senses in Manchester last September; it took an awful lot longer for the dust to settle and the recriminations to unfold. It was a defeat so shocking it simply had to lead to epiphany for Khan, more importantly it led him to trainer Freddie Roach.

Protégé of the late, great Eddie Futch (trainer of Joe Frazier and Larry Holmes), Roach has rightly been credited with the surge in Manny Pacquiao's fortunes as much as the honing of his talent. His involvement with Khan has already seen short term improvement: tighter defence, patient attack, an altogether more rounded package. The signs were there in March when Khan was well on the way to taming former world star Marco Antonio Barrera before cuts helped him along the way and he confirmed the impression with a marvellously controlled, disciplined performance in landing the WBA crown from Andreas Kotelnik in July.

Roach may be guilty of a little positive spin but he has always praised Khan's ability, put to the test in that brutal Wild Card Gym of his in Los Angeles. Those spars with the likes of Pacquiao are worthy title bouts in their own right so they say and Roach has made it clear that he considers Khan a 'Superstar' in the making. That might be, I'd rather judge him on what he has shown us so far.

In that respect, Khan has achieved a deal more already than challenger Dmitriy Salita who, although unbeaten, has been operating within a wispy comfort zone. Boxer, rather than puncher, Salita would have been high on promoter Frank Warren's 'safe' list had he not been the WBA's mandatory challenger anyway. Technically proficient, he does throw a sharp right hand in behind the jab and uses the left hook well but he is not known as a big hitter and as much as Khan is a work in progress, this is still a step up for Salita.

Only four fights back he was taken the distance by veteran journeyman Grover Wiley who has lost each of his last six and has been stopped in three of those. Indeed, each of Salita's last three opponents has subsequently been beaten including Fabian Luque who has lost all four and Raul Munoz who has been duked in four of five. Again Salita went the full 10 rounds with Munoz who has recently been stopped in quick time by fringe contenders Alfonso Gomez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr, neither of whom are massive hitters. Even allowing for inactivity and lack of incentive, the results underline a lack of power and perhaps a shortage of talent at this level.

And it will take a talented fighter to beat Amir Khan, who is among the quickest currently lacing up gloves. I'm not sure he is the superstar some are predicting; I think too many amateur traits have shadowed him into the professional game. But none of that ought to matter against Salita. Khan showed against Kotelnik that he has the temperament and mental strength to stick to a game plan as well as the fitness to carry it out. There are sterner tests ahead for Khan and the queue of those looking to expose the Brit is lengthening all the while. But for now, the ride goes on.

Verdict: Khan to win