Khan: If Crawford is overlooking me he’s in for a big shock

As Amir Khan gears up for his April 20 fight against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford at Madison Square Garden, the British fighter tells talkSPORT that he’s ready to raise the level of his game. In fact Khan, 32, sort of takes umbrage with all the talks about a potential fight between Crawford and Errol Spence when he’ll be fighting Crawford first next month.

Khan insists that Crawford will have his hands full against him and that although he may not had the best-looking performances in the past, it’s only because he’s been fighting down to his opponent’s level.

“Maybe in previous fights I’ve won the fights, but I’ve not maybe looked the best. [It’s] because I know that I belong at the level above.

“I’m one of those fighters that, if I’m fighting a guy who’s supposed to be at the top of his game, that’s going to bring me to the top of my game.”

So for Crawford he fully expects to turn it up a notch and match his skill level. Khan also makes it known that Crawford will be in for a surprise if he’s not completely focused on their fight, saying he hopes Crawford isn’t overlooking him.

“If Crawford’s talking about Spence, maybe that fight happening, and overlooking me, I think he is gonna be having a big shock.”

Khan (33-4, 20 KOs ) enters this fight coming off a couple of tune-up bouts last year following a two-year hiatus after he was knocked out by Canelo Alvarez in 2016. Meanwhile Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) has won two fights at welterweight since becoming the undisputed junior welterweight champion in mid-2017. He’s since moved up for bigger fights and challenges but hasn’t yet faced any real marquee names since basically all the other top welterweights are on the other side of the political divide with Premier Boxing Champions.