Yes we Khan

Lee McAllister, the Aberdeen Assassin, has been handed a huge incentive to beat Denis Shafikov of Russia in their European light-welterweight showdown in February. McAllister (pictured below), the IBO International and Commonwealth champion, said at the announcement of the forthcoming contest that his dream was to box Amir Khan, and now the world champion from Bolton says the fight might well be on.

“We have got a plan that we are looking at, coming back to Britain to fight before the summer, and if it makes sense to take the fight against McAllister we would take it,” said Khan.

“I have always said I will fight anyone and, if it makes sense to my team and my promoters, then we’ll definitely take the fight. I have never shied away from any fighter and it could be a possibility.”

That will be music to the ears of Tommy Gilmour, McAllister’s manager and promoter, who would see a match-up between the Aberdonian and Khan as perhaps the biggest highlight of his extraordinary managerial career.

There are a couple of obstacles in the way of McAllister’s dream. Lamont Peterson of the USA intends to wreck all of Khan’s plans next weekend in their double world title fight in Washington DC, while Khan himself is keen to move up to welterweight.

“I am not having any difficulty in making the 140lbs limit at light-welterweight,” said Khan, “and the only reason for moving up to welterweight is that there would be more challenges there.”

Peterson is a more immediate threat and, with all due respect to McAllister and, indeed, Shafikov, only Peterson, Mexican legend Erik Morales and American WBO champion Timothy Bradley can be seen as serious contenders to Khan’s claim to be number one at light-welterweight. And Bradley has singularly failed to respond to Khan calling him out. “We have offered him the fight but he won’t take it,“ said Khan.

Khan prepares at the famous Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles with the world’s top trainer, Freddie Roach, who also looks after legendary Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao.

And, as well as sparring, the pair have been having some fun with Pacquiao’s now-famous Braveheart William Wallace impersonation, as can be seen on YouTube, ringing out across the gym.

“Manny loves the movie and has picked up a few words from it,” said Khan. “He’s always saying them in training, which is what the humour’s like in the gym – there’s always a laugh and banter.”

A more serious Scottish connection for Khan is that he has developed a friendship in recent years with Andy Murray, a big boxing fan.

“I think 2012 will be a brilliant year for Andy,” said Khan.

“He’s getting more mature and stronger, growing physically and gaining more experience, so yeah, this could be his year. I’m roughly the same age as Andy and I can see the difference between myself now and last year. I think you reach your peak at 25-26 and I will be at my physical peak in the next 12 months. I’m sure he is feeling the same way.

“He knows what defeat is like, but I came back from my defeat [to Breidis Prescott in 2008] and I am sure that Andy can come back the same way.”

Next weekend at Washington DC’s Convention Centre, Peterson will be a formidable opponent, not least because he is fighting in the city of his birth. And, having lost only once in his career – to Bradley – and come back from a double knockdown to earn a draw against Victor Ortiz, who later won the world welterweight title, there’s no doubt that Peterson is worthy of a crack at Khan’s two titles, the WBA and IBF versions.

The threat of the 27-year-old now based in Memphis, Tennessee, is such that Roach has devised a punishing training routine for Khan in anticipation of a hard fight, including rising at 5am and doing roadwork before the rest of Los Angeles is even awake.

“Amir has had a great training camp with great sparring partners and he is looking in great condition,” said Roach. “We are just tapering down now to the fight and just looking forward to getting in the ring. On the night, Amir will be staying in the middle of the ring and outboxing him.”

Khan revealed that the sparring had been against physically bigger opposition, recognition of the fact that Peterson is one tough hombre who will be very durable.

Khan added: “We know he is strong and he can work inside and box as well, but I want to beat him as he has never been beaten before.”

Peterson will indeed be tough, but the crunching speed of Khan and his greater variety of punches should carry the Englishman through, possibly to a points victory.

Lee McAllister after that? It would rank among Gilmour’s greatest deals if he could get his man a crack at Khan.

It should also be said that, before this latest round of press interviews, Khan prefaced his remarks with condolences for the family of Gary Speed, the Wales football manager who was found hanged last weekend. The death affected Khan personally, as he revealed.

“I knew Gary quite well,” said Khan. “We did some television shows together and he used to come to the gym in Bolton and watch me train – he was a big boxing fan.

“I also used to train at Bolton Wanderers’ training ground and you could see that, as he was older than most of the other players, he was like a mentor to them, giving them good advice. I found out first thing in the morning when I woke up in LA, and it was very upsetting. It was such a shock to everyone, and my heart goes out to his family.”

• Amir Khan vs Lamont Peterson is on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD on Saturday, 10 December.