NEW YORK : Although Khan looked vulnerable at times, especially early on, he picked it up in the second half of the fight and cruised to a unanimous decision victory against fellow former junior welterweight titleholder Chris Algieri in their welterweight main event on Friday night before 7,372 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Two judges had the fight 117-111 in Khan’s favor, and the third had it 115-113.
After a difficult first half of the fight, Khan settled down, found his groove and beat Algieri over the second half with his speed and accuracy.
The 28-year-old Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) dominated the opening round with his movement and crisp punches, but Algieri (20-2, 8 KOs) did land a clean right hand that buckled Khan in the final seconds that got Khan’s attention. The shot may have hurt Khan enough that it took him a few rounds to get himself back together.
Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) pushed past Chris Algieri and a took step closer, he hopes, to a fight commitment from Floyd Mayweather.
Algieri, 31, who is from Huntington, New York, on Long Island, had a strong second round, picking up where he left off, as he pressed the action and landed some sharp punches.
Algieri, who looked much bigger than Khan, continued pressing forward in the third round and landing right hands.
Algieri continued to land clean right hands in the fourth round, seemingly wobbling Khan multiple times. But Khan got himself together and began to box smartly and pick the over-aggressive Algieri apart during the sixth and seventh rounds. In the eighth round, he landed a clean right hand that stopped Algieri in his tracks.
By the ninth round, Algieri’s left eye was swollen and black and blue. A left hook seemed to hurt Algieri in the 10th round as Khan continued to pour it on, although Algieri, game as they come, pressed forward until the final bell.
“I have to show so much respect for Chris Algieri,” Khan said. “He came to fight and win.”
According to CompuBox statistics, Khan landed 218 of 609 punches (36 percent), and Algieri connected on 199 of 703 (28 percent), although he appeared to land far more in the first half of the bout than the second.
Khan, who won his fifth fight in a row, will also move on. He hopes it will be to Mayweather.
But now, Khan can look ahead to Mayweather. Unless he makes him the bridesmaid yet again.
Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) plans to fight again on Sept. 12 to close out his six-fight contract with CBS/Showtime and needs an opponent.
Khan is clearly the highest profile foe, and perhaps the most dangerous, of those remotely in the running.
So Khan just might get the call, especially after winning but looking just vulnerable enough that Mayweather might be interested.
“I think everybody knows Amir Khan wants to fight Floyd Mayweather,” Khan said. “Mayweather is a champion, so let’s make it happen.”
