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AMIR KHAN WAS BRITAIN'S BEST IN 2014

Amir Khan was Britain's best in 2014 and he will be again this year - but Floyd Mayweather is still the world's No1: Joe Gallagher Column

It was an outstanding year for Khan and he's only going to get better

By Joe Gallagher - manchestereveningnews.co.uk

It’s a New Year and time for me to gaze into my crystal ball once more.

Khan hopes to face Mayweather in 2015 (Action Images / Lee Smith)

2014 was a special one for British boxing with Carl Froch’s Wembley showdown with George Groves bringing back memories of a golden era of the sport - and with the amount of fighters from these shores challenging at the highest level, we are witnessing our very own golden generation.

In Froch, Amir Khan, Scott Quigg, Carl Frampton, Tyson Fury and James DeGale - we have boxers who are ready to take the world by storm.

Here’s my predictions for how the 12 months ahead will go.

British boxer of the Year:

Khan was outstanding against Alexander (Action Images / Jason Cairnduff)

2014 belonged to Amir Khan - and I predict much of the same this year.

He’s proved himself one of the elite welterweights in the world after victories against Luiz Collazo and Devon Alexander - now he must get his chance against Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao.

Elsewhere, DeGale was outstanding in 2014. He could avenge his defeat to Groves in 2011 and win a world title this year.

Fight of the Year:

It has to be Mayweather-Pacquiao.

It would have been great if it could have happened a few years ago - but better late than never.

Both men need this fight for their respective legacies.

I actually think it is more even now than it would have been two years ago, but I still go for Mayweather to win.

Domestic Fight of the Year:

Quigg-Frampton has to happen and it will happen.

After Frampton takes on Chris Avalos next month, with the public demand, Barry McGuigan cannot stop it from happening.

We want it to prove who is the No1. We are desperate to have the fight to show that Scott is the real deal.

It’s Tyson’s Time:

Fury showed his class against Chisora (Nick Potts/PA Wire)

Hopefully this will be the year that Tyson gets his world title.

He’s the mandatory challenger to Wladimir Klitschko and that fight should happen before the end of the year.

He showed his class with victory against Dereck Chisora last year.

He’s got a great chance of being world champion.

Pound-for-Pound No1:

No change here. I predict Mayweather will come out on top if he fights Pacquiao to just confirm his status as the sport’s finest.

Britain’s Next World Champion:

And the new...? Smith challenges for the WBO super middleweight title next month (Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Paul Smith and Martin Murray both fight for world titles on the same night next month.

Smith faces Arthur Abraham in a rematch of their clash last September - and Murray has a third tilt at a world title against middleweight king Gennady Golovkin.

I think Paul fights first, so I’m going to have to go for him being Britain’s next world champion.

Ones to Watch in Greater Manchester:

Tyson Fury’s cousin Hosea Burton is ready to make an assault on the British light heavyweight title.

Jimmy Kelly Jr continues to impress and I look forward to seeing his progress this year.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/amir-khan-britains-best-2014-8398404