WBC light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has said that Amir Khan can become as legendary as the likes of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Khan, who defends his WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles in Washington DC against Lamont Peterson tonight, has been touted as a future pound-for-pound king.
"He's young - 25 years old is a baby," said Hopkins, 46, who became the oldest ever world champion earlier this year when he defeated Jean Pascal in May.
"I know I can still learn something but there isn't too much to learn at my age. But there is a whole encyclopaedia of knowledge waiting for him to learn. As years and fights go by, he will learn, one way or the other.
"He's part of the puzzle to take the sport forward. To lead it the whole way and carry boxing on your back is another question."
A showdown fight against current pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jnr has been talked of and Hopkins thinks it is this sort of fight which will be the making of Khan.
He added: "That is about becoming that Oscar De La Hoya figure, or Mohammed Ali, or Ray Leonard. To carry the elite boxing on your back like those names ... He has the chance to do that but he has to do something outstanding against some outstanding opponents."
Khan has a professional record of 26 wins, 18 by way of knockout and one loss.
