By Matthew Hurley: As Amir Khan, 15-0 with 12 KOs readies himself to defend his Commonwealth lightweight title this Saturday against veteran Gairy St Clair in London the rising contender sees his third defense as the biggest test of his young professional career. St Clair, 39-5-2 with 17 KOs is a former International Boxing Federation super featherweight champion and has shared the ring with former champions Diego Corrales, Vivian Harris and Leonard Dorin. Although there has been some criticism of how carefully promoter Frank Warren is moving Khan through the lightweight division St Clair should provide a stern test for the young fighter as the Australian born boxer has never been stopped in his forty-six bout career.
“He’s tough,” Khan told BBC Sport. “He’s strong, he’s durable (and) he’s the best I’ve fought so far. It’s going to be tough for me, he has a lot to offer but my style is good for this. I have fast hands and movement so it’s going to be a good fight.”
Playing on his mind, however, is the desire to knock his opponent out. Something the hard-hitting Corrales failed to do.
“He could go down. I want to show people how far I’ve come along. It will be a big achievement for me as the likes of Corrales couldn’t stop him. I never go in there trying to knock someone out. I go in there to box and to win. I train for the twelve rounds and if it goes twelve rounds, it goes twelve rounds but I want to win in good style.”
For his part St Clair views Khan as more of a prospect than a rising contender. “I was thinking they would call me sooner or later to test this kid,” he told Secondsout.com. “It was a fight in the back of my head. I have seen Amir Khan fight once and he is still very young.”
The thirty-two year old fighter adds that he finds a bit odd that the UK press has greeted his arrival by labeling him an ‘old man’. St Clair sees his years in the ring as valuable experience rather than wear and tear.
“I don’t think Khan’s people have looked at me properly,” he says, somewhat bemused. “I am happy to get this chance. This win will put me right back at the top. I’m going to have to work hard to get a decision or even stop him. Hopefully it will lead to some more big fights for me. Khan is used to fighting the same sort of style in the UK. I’m going to be showing him something different.”
Khan, who is coming off a first round knockout of Graham Earl, is hopeful that a win over St Clair will inch him closer to a title shot in 2008, but understands the task at hand.
“He’s an awkward fighter and has a lot of experience, but I’m ready. This is a good fight to show I am not taking the easy route. It’ll be a good little test for me to see how I can do against someone who is very slippery and awkward. It’s a patience fight.”
In a parting shot St Clair maintains that the young fighter is in for shock.
“I’m in the form of my life,” he says. “Khan won’t know what’s hit him on Saturday night.”