Beware Barrera

THIS weekend promises to be a defining moment in the career of a young British talent who emerged some years ago now.

Amir Khan burst onto our screens in scenes of glory - a silver medalist in Athens, the Brit looked set to take over the world.

But if I could just rewind even further back than the Athens Olympics, back to Sydney 2000 and the rise of gold medalist Audley Harrison.

Since then he has squared up against people I used to beat at arm-wrestling at primary school. When he has faced anyone with any sort of boxing pedigree he has been humiliated.

You start to wonder how he would deal with someone as tough as Lemar, Ben Shepherd or those other celebrities who have donned the gloves for charity and looked just as professional.

Now the comparisons to Khan are minimal but, in terms of his opposition, Khan has also had an easy ride.

That was, of course, until he faced that legend of the ring Breidis Prescott, who had Khan beat inside of a minute. Khan looked about as comfortable as a diabetic in a sweet shop in that fight and big questions were asked about his defence.

Now it is time for his biggest test to date when he faces one of the most renowned boxers in the world today, Marco Antonio Barrera.

Billed as Khan’s ‘Coming of Age’ it could turn out to be his swan-song, so early in his career I know, but would there be any way back?

I’m not a (huge) gambling man but I would be putting my money squarely in Barrera’s corner for this bout, His record speaks for itself.

If Khan can get the win it would boost not only his profile but, more importantly, his confidence.

All boxers are notoriously self-confident in their ability, one only has to listen to a pre-bout press conference to hear that. But Khan seems eerily quiet for a boxer. A win over Barrera may be just the tonic to kick-start a stuttering career.

Everyone seemed to think the sky was the limit for Amir Khan after his success in Greece. That was until he reached his limits, and they were ever so slightly shorter than the sky.

It is time now for the boy from Bolton to become a man - and by beating the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ he can do just that - and change the opinion of his doubters, of which I can freely admit to being one.