Amir Khan faces the biggest fight of his career at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena on Saturday when he steps up two weight divisions to challenge WBC middleweight champion Saul Alvarez.
There have been performances when Khan, 29, wins so convincingly he looks among the world's best, but they have been followed by others that make him look vulnerable.
He will need to be at his best to defeat Mexico's Alvarez this weekend but given it is difficult to know what to expect, Press Association Sport has revisited six fights to answer which is the real Amir Khan?
CHRIS ALGIERI, MAY 2015
In Khan's most recent fight, he laboured to a unanimous decision victory against an opponent who had been exposed and dropped six times by Manny Pacquiao just six months before. Despite considerable momentum from four straight wins - two of which were highly impressive - Khan looked largely one-dimensional in an unexpected brawl and may even have lost if natural light-welterweight Algieri possessed greater power.
DEVON ALEXANDER, DECEMBER 2014
Against a proven, world-level technician and two-weight world champion, Khan produced an immaculate performance to win virtually every minute of every round and cruise to victory via scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 on the three judges' scorecards. Looking both quick and strong at welterweight, this remains Khan's finest night as a professional.
LUIS COLLAZO, MAY 2014
Fighting as a welterweight for the first time, Khan thoroughly and impressively out-boxed the bruising Collazo who, it had been feared, would prove too big and strong. He absorbed some heavy punches in the eighth and used his speed and range to maintain control, secure three knockdowns and impress the judges in a 119-104, 119-104, 117-106 victory.
LAMONT PETERSON, DECEMBER 2011
The scoring may remain controversial, but there is little question on the night Khan was last a world champion he was unconvincing against a limited opponent, albeit one who afterwards failed a drugs test in the build-up to an aborted rematch. Despite putting Peterson down in the opening round, he showed a lack of boxing intelligence in a scrappy affair which cost him two points when, despite repeated warnings from referee Joseph Cooper, he continued to push Peterson amid his struggles. One judge scored Khan a 115-110 winner, the other two a 112-113 loser.
PAUL McCLOSKEY, APRIL 2011
Against an underwhelming opponent, Khan looked inexplicably one-dimensional and was frequently made to miss in a disappointing fight that was controversially ended in the sixth round when a clash of heads opened a cut over McCloskey's eye. Despite the Northern Irishman's obvious limitations, Khan quickly ran out of ideas when struggling to hurt him and was troubled by a big right hand before the fight was stopped while the three judges each had him 60-54 ahead.
MARCOS MAIDANA, DECEMBER 2010
Until his performances against Collazo and Alexander, given his struggles until then, this for so long appeared the night when Khan peaked. He impressively put the rough Argentinian down in the opening round with a body shot and survived heavy punishment throughout the 10th when he was close to being stopped, in one of the fights of the year, to use his superior speed and accuracy to earn a 114-111, 114-111, 113-112 victory.
CONCLUSION
There is little question that, when Khan feels threatened - as he will against Alvarez - it inspires him to produce his best. Regardless, perhaps it is simply the case that this inconsistency is the real Khan, and not that unusual circumstances have too often worked against him. A truly great fighter - Khan possesses near-elite ability, but not everything a true great needs - would also have excelled against the lesser opponents Khan has laboured against. Defeating Alvarez could make him one of Britain's greats, but he will still be a fighter with numerous flaws.
Source: PA
