Canelo vs Khan
Boxing - Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez & Amir Khan Head-to-Head Press Conference - The Park Plaza Riverbank, London - 29/2/16 Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Amir Khan pose during the press conference Reuters/Action Images/Andrew Couldridge

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya likened the upcoming bout between WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Amir Khan to his bout against Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao eight years ago.

De La Hoya has been insisting about the Canelo vs Khan bout being an intriguing match despite the disparity in size and strength. Alvarez, a middleweight who has been fighting at 155 pounds, will battle Khan, who climbed up from the welterweight division to have a shot at the WBC title belt.

But the former six-division world champion believes power is not always the factor to win a boxing match, citing his technical knockout defeat against Pacquiao in 2008 that sent the Mexican to retirement.

“We all know that styles make the fights, and the styles of these two fighters make this event a can’t-miss for diehard fans,” De La Hoya said, reports the World Boxing News. “I remember when I was favoured because I was bigger and more powerful. No one ever thought he would win, but we all know what happened in my bout against Manny Pacquiao – he retired me.”

De La Hoya entered the fight against Pacquiao as the heavy favourite, but the boxing’s Golden Boy ended up quitting on his stool after getting a taste of the Filipino’s speed and power. While Khan may not have the exact same abilities that Pacquiao had, the Bolton welterweight still has the advantage in speed and mobility compared to a flat-footed Canelo.

Khan is not short in confidence that he could beat Canelo come fight night on May 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The British fighter, a former two-time world champion, predicted his fight against the 25-year-old Mexican will be like a “game of chess,” citing his trainer Virgil Hunter’s game plan for the bout.

“It will be like a game of chess,” Khan said during the final stop of the Canelo vs Khan international press tour in Los Angeles, reports Boxing Scene. “I have a very good trainer who will tell me the right game plan. We will go in to win this fight, and I will prove people wrong.”

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