Amir Khan is convinced his brutal defeat by Breidis Prescott will prove the turning point in a career that has now been rid of outside distractions.
The Olympic silver medalist meets Oisin Fagan at the London ExCel tonight in his first appearance since being annihilated in 54 seconds by little known Colombian puncher Prescott.
But far from mourning the only blemish on his 19-fight record, Khan believes it set off a chain of events that will guide him to the top.
Trainer Jorge Rubio was dismissed and the 22-year-old headed over to Los Angeles where he has spent six weeks under the watchful eye of the highly-respected Freddie Roach.
Regular sparring sessions with ferocious Filipino Manny Pacquiao has honed his skills in the ring while the atmosphere in the Wild Card boxing gym also promoted a change in thinking.
“There will be no appearances outside, no doing this or that. Now I’m turning that type of stuff down,” he said. “In the UK I have the status of being a celebrity. Boxing has made me bigger but if I go to LA then not many people know who I am. I don’t have any distractions.”
Prescott confirmed suspicions over Khan’s vulnerable chin in devastating fashion and his reaction should Fagan connect cleanly will be closely monitored.
But sparring with Pacquiao, possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has strengthened his self-belief.
“It’s been good because Manny has wanted to prove a point to me. I did really well against him – I wasn’t battered once,” he said.
Enzo Maccarinelli’s bid to reclaim the WBO cruiserweight title was called off after opponent Francisco Alvarez failed the pre-fight medical.
Alvarez, 31, stepped in at two days’ notice after Johnathon Banks withdrew with an ankle injury.
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