How Samuel Vargas plans to defeat Amir Khan

 by John Dennen

SAMUEL VARGAS has told Boxing News how he intends to defeat Amir Khan when the two meet on September 8 in Birmingham.

“I feel like I have to adjust, the first couple of rounds, to his speed. I have to adjust to his speed and land my shots. Get in his face, be on his chest, be a rough guy. I have to make him feel like I’m the man in the ring. I cannot give him time to think too much. That’s my game plan for now,” he said.

Nor does Vargas think Khan managed shake off any ring rust against Phil Lo Greco in his most recent outing. “What’s there to be impressed about? I can’t blame him for it. Who was he fighting? 35 seconds of what? He could have broke more a sweat hitting the bag really. He [Lo Greco] made all of us from Canada look bad,” Vargas said. “I don’t count his last fight as getting the ring rust [off], I don’t think he got hit at all.”

“I feel like this is my time,” he continued. “It depends which Amir Khan shows up. That’s how I have it in my mind. But either way I’m going to show up. I’m going to be there and I’m going to do my job.”

Vargas has fought both Errol Spence and Danny Garcia, losing to both. He compared Khan to the elite welterweights. “Spence is just a monster. Spence is just next level. I tell people the ring’s real estate. Spence owns all of this. He knows where he is, he knows where he puts his feet, when he moves, when he doesn’t move and he’s able to punch at all times. He distance is impeccable and he can punch. As for Danny, Danny’s a hell of a puncher. Danny hits like a mule. You’ve seen with Amir, you’ve seen with me. Danny is a hell of a fighter. A hell of a left hook, right hand, strong puncher,” he said.

“I learned a lot of different things from each fight, whether it was mental or physical, about myself. This is my time.”