Amir Khan was startled when he saw a photo of himself looking like the Incredible Hulk, all bulging biceps and man boobs.
Yes, he has been putting on muscle poundage in preparation for making the giant step up to middleweight for Saturday night’s world title fight against Mexican idol Canelo Alvarez.
No, he did not recognise himself in the picture taken during strength training at trainer Virgil Hunter’s gym on the Oakland shore of San Francisco Bay.
‘I couldn’t believe my eyes,’ says Khan. ‘I have been working for weeks to put on weight but it’s been controlled.
‘That photo must have caught me at a peculiar angle or been taken through a distorting lens. Soon as I saw it I checked in the mirror and I looked fine.’
To prove it Khan peeled off his shirt to reveal a torso which, while bigger than when he won two world titles at light-welterweight, is toned and ready for action in the sparkling new T-Mobile Arena on the Vegas Strip.
The complex process of building him up from his more recent sorties at the 147lb (10st 7lb) welterweight limit to the 155lb (11st 1lb) catchweight set by WBC middleweight champion Canelo, without compromising his speed, has included strict adherence to this daily diet:
Breakfast: Oatmeal, large juice, eggs. Midday: Nutrient shake.
Lunch: Salad, salmon with a small portion of sweet potato.
Tea: Boiled vegetable salad, nutrient shake.
Dinner: Small serving of chicken or steak with boiled vegetables, nutrient shake.
Khan explains: ‘Since I am coming up in weight I can add a few more carbohydrates and some protein for energy. I also have to keep super-hydrated.’
Nor can there be any surrender to his usual food cravings.
He says: ‘I love it when my mum cooks lamb with naan bread. At home in Bolton I can’t pass the local fish and chip shop.
‘Boy, this has been a long training camp! But it’s all worth it now that I’ve got the legacy fight I’ve always wanted. I kept believing this would happen even when Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao turned me down. Now it’s an even bigger challenge with Canelo.’
It occurs to him that the photo may have helped by giving Alvarez a false impression.
‘I hope he’s seen it,’ says Khan. ‘I hope he’s thinking that I’ve got too heavy and the weight will slow me down. If so he’s making a mistake.’
Khan will enter the ring at the heaviest in his career.
There is talk in the Alvarez camp that their man may weigh in a little lighter than usual so as to combat Khan’s speed.
Soon the scales will tell who has got the balance right. – Daily Mail