AMIR KHAN ARRIVES IN L.A. TO TRAIN WITH ROACH
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 18 Oct 2008
Los Angeles, CA:- Amir Khan, the UK lightweight sensation once expected by the Brits to reach the very top of the lightweight division in a blaze of glory, arrived in Los Angeles Thursday night. Khan and his father were met at the LAX by Alex Ariza, Pacquiao?s conditioning coach, at the request of Freddie Roach.
Khan is in Los Angeles to train under Freddie Roach in a bid to re-gain his lost glory.
The Brit was undefeated in 18 fights. Some fight fans however scoff at his clean slate as they were all won at the UK. Not too many of his opponents were known in the USA.
But despite the fan reaction, Khan was making a lot of noise and wanted to fight all the best in his division.
Last September 6, 2008, Khan was matched against another undefeated fighter sporting the same record he does. His name is Breidis Prescott, a fearless slugger from Barranquilla, Columbia, South America.
Everyone was expecting a grueling 12 round fight for the WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Title given the fact that Khan and Prescott are evenly matched, at least in paper. The fight was held at the MEN Arena in Manchester, UK.
Before anyone had even had a first bite of their fish and chips, the fight was over.
Prescott surprised Khan who never had a chance to pull himself together for the fight.
Prescott scores a KO in 0:54 seconds of the opening stanza.
The lost placed all of Khan?s plans in a tail spin. He needed to move his act somewhere else, re-group and find another trainer.
Enter Freddie Roach.
Freddie Roach at the moment has his hands pull training the Filipino spitfire, Manny Pacquiao, for his date with destiny and greatness - the Oscar de la Hoya fight at the MGM Grand on December 6th.
Therefore, Khan has to settle for early evening training sessions, well after Pacquiao has done his thing at the Wildcard Gym and after Roach has taken a few hours break.
But he is not complaining.
Khan indicated that in the UK a lot of people tell him to do things but they never say why. For that reason, he chose to come to Los Angeles and train with Roach. ?Roach explains everything, so my understanding of the 'why' is as good as the 'how',?
?My loss to Prescott could be a blessing in disguise- it has driven home the changes that had to be made in and outside the ring,? Khan stated.
?In the States, I am just another boxer, I walk down the street and no one knows who I am - the pressures outside the ring will be gone and I will have some breathing space and I can just chill and focus,? he added.
"In the UK the guys I spar with learn from me. At the Wildcard, I will be learning from them. There will be a lot of tough sparring and I will be pushed beyond my comfort level and will learn how to deal with it," he added further.
Khan has no immediate fight on schedule. But, he will stay for 6 weeks at the Wildcard Gym with the hope that he can improve his overall fighting regimen and regain the lost glory he enjoyed so much in the past back home in the good ole? UK.
Top photo: Khan (L) doing the mitts with Roach.
Khan (R) with conditioning coach Alex Ariza.
Khan and Roach.
Photos by Miguel Salazar.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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