Amir Khan Admits To Targeting Fights With Less Risk.....

richierichballs

By Mark Vester
A few days ago, we ran a story with a partial quote from WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. In the quote, Khan made a comment about catching the best opponents when they were "off their peak." The comment caused a lot of controversy because Khan was basically stating that he wanted to fight the best boxers when they were easier to beat. He didn't want to fight these guys when they were at their best.
The interview was conducted by GQ Magazine. We obtained the full quote from the article and it places a guilty-as-charged label on Khan. The popular Brit wants to follow the same career path as his new promoter. He says Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya made a lot of money by facing the big names when their skills were eroding. Based on his comments, Khan wants to do the same.
"You have to know the best time to have these big fights in your career. If you look at Oscar De La Hoya, he fought all the best fighters when they were on the way downhill, and not at their best. I want to catch these guys when they have come off their peak. But I have to be careful because there might be a younger version of me coming up who wants to do exactly the same to me," Khan said.

cowzerp

Thats very poor, and not very bright of him to admit it either..
it was obvious he was doing this though tbh!

richierichballs

cowzerp wrote: »

Thats very poor, and not very bright of him to admit it either..
it was obvious he was doing this though tbh!

Him clearly ducking Maidana showed it for me!
I blame Freddie Roach he is the master of "match-making."

nacho libre

of course he is now going to come out and say his comments were distorted.

Raedwald

Doesnt suprise me at all, he really is that type of boxer, fighting paulie malinaggi says it all to me.

Happens all to often though now in boxing people ducking and diving each other so their careers can last longer and get paid more money.






more

consultech

He's obviously still feeling the effects of being sparked out by Prescott with comments like that. Not so smart on the publicly criticising DLH either. He's gonna be lookin to him for a few paydays...

dlofnep

He's only saying what most boxers do anyway. It's a career. Not just a sport.

nacho libre

dlofnep wrote: »

He's only saying what most boxers do anyway. It's a career. Not just a sport.

that's true. however it's not a wise career move to publicly criticise DLH and to admit he avoids fighters in their prime if he wants to sell fights in the future.

walshb

You know what really confuses me; it is how we are always judging Khan
as IF he has been a PRO for 20 years and has been dodging fighters all his life.

If the guy goes this year and the next and the next without meeting the best, THEN
I will be prepared to lambaste him.

Everything in perspective. This is his 2nd defence of the belt. One was vs. the mandatory and this second one is against Paulie. After this I will be expecting Khan to meet even stronger and tougher foes.

megadodge

What surprises me is that nobody is pulling him up on the De la Hoya quote.

Whatever you think about him, one thing nobody can say about Oscar is that he ducked anybody. He fought an absolute who's who of the very top boxers in his career and plenty of them were at the top of their game at the time.

I like Khan but that was a silly comment.

digme

It's all a part of the circus boys.Very smart by khan.

mr.mayo

Can any of you actually say you're surprised? I certainly can't, it was pretty obvious really, I mean he hardly changed from the ferocious, powerful Maidana to Mr. Glass Hands Paulie Malignaggi in the interest of competition did he? We all know Khan has a dodgy chin, going into a fight with a pitbull like Maidana wouldn't exactly be the smartest move on his part. Instead he got himself a nice little fight with Malignaggi, who despite being a bigger name than Maidana, certainly doesn't pose the same threat. Most people are expecting Khan to pummel him in emphatic fashion(On Betfair now you can get 5/1 on Paulie, says a lot ). Basically Khan made a good business decision, another loss at this stage in his career could be fatal and there would certainly have been a far greater possibility of that if he had fought Maidana.
On a side note, I actually expect Paulie to give him a run for his money, he can match Khan's speed, footwork etc, it's just a shame he has so little power. Even without that power, he certainly won't rollover for Khan, a defeat would almost certainly mark the end for him as a top level fighter so his heart will definitely be in it, whether that's enough or not, we'll just have to wait and see

walshb

mayo, you really think Paulie "can match Khan's speed?"

mr.mayo

Maybe those 5/1 odds have impaired my judgement but imo there's not much between them. I was looking at the Charity Comp thread and so far not even one person has chosen Malignaggi, maybe I'm the only one who sees anything in him but I really believe he can win this. Let's just compare their records - Paulie has beaten some legit fighters, he has 3 defeats but one of those was a contender for robbery of the year, and the other two were against two of the top P4P fighters in the world. He lasted 12 rounds with a prime Cotto, he's well able to go the distance and has a great chin. His last outing against Diaz was possibly his best to date, I along with the majority of viewers thought that he won their first bout but there was absolutely no doubt that he won the rematch. He showed great speed, footwork and technical skills, there are no signs of decline and I believe he is still a top class fighter.
Now let's look at Khan, take away all the Sky Sports and what is he really? He got KO'd by a nobody in his PPV debut, followed that up with a victory over the internationally acclaimed superstar Oisin Fagan, who actually broke his ankle during the fight. He then beat a shot Marco Barrera, with the fight being stopped because of a cut after Khan illegally hit him with an elbow. He then stepped up his game to beat Kotelnik, props to him for that. And in his last outing, he beat Salita in 76 seconds, in a fight everybody expected him to win. So that's one noteworthy win for Khan on my counting, correct me if I have overlooked anything.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that Khan still has it all to prove, he has been heavily overhyped by Sky and I refuse to buy into any of that until I see a few bigger names on his resume. I think Paulie is terribly underrated, he has proven himself to be a highly skilled fighter and a tough customer too. I find it laughable that you can get 5/1 on him, I'm going to put a few quid on him just out of principle. If Khan wins then I'll have no problem giving credit to him, Paulie isn't as dangerous as Maidana, but he'd still be some scalp

walshb

I think you have overlooked the fact that for Paulie to win this he needs a KO; do you honestly think he can out box Khan? C'mon, Khan isn't perfect, but he is a tremendous boxer with ridiculous speed, range and decent pop. He is also a bigger man than Paulie.

Also, Hatton was hardly p4p tops, or close to tops when he beat Paulie...

Can Paulie win? Yes. Do I think he will, hell no. It would have to be a KO, and I just think
that Khan is stronger and bigger now than when he tasted Prescott's power. Remember, that was almost two years ago when Khan was only 21. He has grown and gotten stronger since then. PLUS, Paulie ain't no hitter.
Kotelnik hits harder I would say, and Khan did take some from Kotelnik without much bother.

Khan is still so young and IMO if he keeps improving, then he is still about three
years away from his peak.

mr.mayo

We could go back and forth on this all night, obviously Paulie is the underdog but I wouldn't put anything past him. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out

nacho libre

mr.mayo wrote: »

Can any of you actually say you're surprised?

i don't think anyone is surprised at his tactics, rather that he would admit to it publicly and also criticise DLH - on the latter, as was pointed out, his criticism of De La Hoya is wide of the mark.

eagle eye

He is clearly not the brigthest crayon in the box. Either somebody told him this and he just believes it or he has no clue, either way a very stupid thing to say.

consultech

He's trying to goad DLH out of retirement for a big payday!!!

walshb

consultech wrote: »

He's trying to goad DLH out of retirement for a big payday!!!

That wouldn't surprise me, with Oscar directing it all!

Anyway, he did get it wrong regarding Oscar, and even if he was correct, he shouldn't
be openly dissing the man who is lining his pockets. Foolish!

Antrim Hotels

It was very stupid for this guy to admit it. I dnt like him.

magma69

What was the lad thinking! :eek: Of all fighters to choose from for an example he chose Oscar. :rolleyes: Oscar took on lots of prime fighters (and lost), not to mention as already people have pointed out, he is the man that pays his wages.

He's not the brightest spark is he? His comments on twitter immediately after Froch lost were pathetic. I'll always watch the lad, his style is pleasing on the eye and the fact he could be KO'd against anyone with a bit of pop will make for some really exciting fights. But I wont be shedding any tears if he gets sparked again.

Mental Mickey

Yer man Prince Naseem did the same. As soon as he came up against someone of quality - Barrera - he got a lesson.

magma69

Mental Mickey wrote: »

Yer man Prince Naseem did the same. As soon as he came up against someone of quality - Barrera - he got a lesson.

Many fighters do it, but you don't admit to it for PR reasons, what Khan said wasn't untrue, although he did use a poor example in ODLH.

colly10

digme wrote: »

It's all a part of the circus boys.Very smart by khan.

I wouldn't think so, even though floyd admits to fighting for money i don't think he's ever been stupid enough to admit to ducking fights, it's just not sharp. Take Mosley for example, he's my favorite fighter because he'll take on anyone and fights for legacy, admitting to taking the easy path does not make a popular fighter. Hatton would take on anyone as well and this made him very popular

digme

Who said it and why is what I always ask myself.
He's hardly that naive and arrogant is he?

clubwelly

Hey does anyone know if this fight will be on tv?
Heard that it might be on itv and I know sky are pushing the Mitchell Kad fight

nacho libre

http://www.livesportontv.com/boxing/light--welterweight/amir-khan-paulie-malignaggi-38149

consultech

clubwelly wrote: »

Hey does anyone know if this fight will be on tv?
Heard that it might be on itv and I know sky are pushing the Mitchell Kad fight

It's on ITV1 apparently. Khan dropped Sky as he is looking to get more people watching...

phily2002

colly10 wrote: »

I wouldn't think so, even though floyd admits to fighting for money i don't think he's ever been stupid enough to admit to ducking fights, it's just not sharp. Take Mosley for example, he's my favorite fighter because he'll take on anyone and fights for legacy, admitting to taking the easy path does not make a popular fighter. Hatton would take on anyone as well and this made him very popular

Hatton ducked Witter his whole career, robbed Collazo and never gave him a rematch, he also never steped up till close to his 40th fight. He was loved yes but hardly a guy who would take on anyone...

walshb

I tend to agree with phily2002; although Hatton towards the end (hugely motivated by money) took on the best, and was beaten convincingly on both occasions, his resume is nothing special. I mean, Castillo (old and past it), Tsyzu (past peak) and Collazzo (is he great??) I don't see all that great on the resume. His best win IMO was his win over Vince Phillips. What a hard earned win that was.

eagle eye

consultech wrote: »

It's on ITV1 apparently. Khan dropped Sky as he is looking to get more people watching...

At this stage he has dumped trainers, agents and now tv companies. Only thing he can't get rid of is that glass jaw.:pac:

walshb

eagle eye wrote: »

At this stage he has dumped trainers, agents and now tv companies. Only thing he can't get rid of is that glass jaw.:pac:

That remains to be seen.....

nacho libre

it's pretty clear he has a glass jaw.
otherwise he'd not be ducking fighters and handpicking fighters who have little punching power.
it's one thing admiring a fighter but we should be realistic about their flaws and what that likely means for their career.

walshb

nacho libre wrote: »

it's pretty clear he has a glass jaw.
otherwise he'd not be ducking fighters and handpicking fighters who have little punching power.
it's one thing admiring a fighter but we should be realistic about their flaws and what that likely means for their career.

I am well aware of his flaws, but until that chin is again exposed, I will be precise with
my views on Amir. I am allowing the guy his KO Loss before retiring him due to a bad
chin. Should Paulie dent, wobble him badly or even KO him then I will be the first
to say, "Yes, this guys chin will ALWAYS be poor."

Amir is growing and maturing and strengthening and this may stand to him in
his ability to take and recuperate from shots.

I am NOT saying he will suddenly become a Hagler or Chuvalo, but
he can help himself.

nacho libre

walshb wrote: »

I am well aware of his flaws, but until that chin is again exposed, I will be precise with
my views on Amir. I am allowing the guy his KO Loss before retiring him due to a bad
chin. Should Paulie dent, wobble him badly or even KO him then I will be the first
to say, "Yes, this guys chin will ALWAYS be poor."

Amir is growing and maturing and strengthening and this may stand to him in
his ability to take and recuperate from shots.

I am NOT saying he will suddenly become a Hagler or Chuvalo, but
he can help himself.

Well, actually i'll be surprised if Paulie Malignaggi can hurt him. He's a good boxer, but as we all know he's as feather-fisted as they come. So Amir Khan beating Paulie really tells us nothing. Amir has the elusive skills against lesser fighters to get way with his glass jaw but against a top level fighter, who can bang, i remain of the view that it's highly likely he'll be knocked out again. You can't put muscle on chin, so his strength and maturing will make little difference in the end. It's his own power and offensive prowess that will make the difference in some fights but if he gets tagged by a guy with reasonable power he won't recover...

Andrew Flexing

Didnt Mallinaggi go the distance with Cotto a while back? If Paulie can keep in there all it takes is one nice, clean shot to put kahn off or even on the canvas, personally I'd like to see him beaten by Mitchell of the UK.

Big Ears

walshb wrote: »

I tend to agree with phily2002; although Hatton towards the end (hugely motivated by money) took on the best, and was beaten convincingly on both occasions, his resume is nothing special. I mean, Castillo (old and past it), Tsyzu (past peak) and Collazzo (is he great??) I don't see all that great on the resume. His best win IMO was his win over Vince Phillips. What a hard earned win that was.

Tszyu may have been past his best but he was still considered a top 3 p4p fighter and one of the greatest Light-Welterweights of all time. He still had plenty left in that fight with Hatton and despite Vince Phillips giving Hatton a very good fight, to rank that win as better than Tszyu would be more than foolish.

Tszyu was just coming off a spectacular win over the #2 in the division, the classy and talented Sharmba Mitchell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isIJbqpmuHo

So while he may not have been prime, Tszyu still had a hell of a lot left(as shown in the fight with Hatton), and that is certainly Ricky's best win.

Tszyu, Collazo(I didn't think that was a robbery), Castillo, Malignaggi, Urango, Lazcano, Maussa, Magee, Tackie and a heap of C level fighter thrown in for good measure. It's not a bad resume, and considering he fought 2 fighters considered p4p best in the World, and another in the top 3 you have to say he did take on the best.

walshb

I am not saying he did not take on good men, but lumping in Lazcano and Malignaggi is a stretch, as is MaGee.

Castillo was never a threat and definitely past it. Yes, Hatton took on the two best, but was dominated both times.

Tsyzu gave Hatton hell and was ahead on my card. That was not peak Tsyzu, good, but not peak and looking back, it was really a sign of how easy Hatton was to nail.

When I mentioned Phillips I was saying that it was the bout where I
thought Ricky looked at his sharpest. It was a mega tough fight and win against a man who gave Tsyzu a L on his record.

megadodge

walshb wrote: »

Tsyzu gave Hatton hell and was ahead on my card.

Speaking as a Tsyzu fan, I have no idea how you could have had Kostya ahead in that fight. None whatsoever.

Do you really think he would have pulled out with only a round to go if he thought himself he was ahead? Not a chance. And please don't try explaining it with 'hometown' this and that.

Hatton was well ahead in virtually everybody's eyes - fair and square.

walshb

Nobody but Tsyzu and his corner know why he pulled out. Whether or not he thought he was ahead may not have mattered. The guy didn't fight on for a reason. It seems he was physically finished and exhausted.
Every man has his limit, and for that night, 11 rds of hell was Kostya's.

BTW, many rds were hard fought and hard to score. One judge had Hatton only a single point ahead. It is not odd to believe that someone could score rds differently to others. That is boxing. I tend to favor clean scoring.

It wasn't all that easy a fight to score. On my recollection, it was Kostya who was doing the majority of the clean scoring. Now, Hatton was well in it because it was close. Hatton was also the man pushing and pressing which does impress some, me included. This will also see close rds usually being scored to the aggressor.

I must watch the bout again. I have no issue with anyone having Hatton ahead, as I said, it was a matter
of scoring styles and the fight was hard fought

On a separate note, when a fight is close and you have real passionate hometown advantage, it can pay off.

Put it this way, I think fights like Oscar-Mosley II, Lewis-Holy 1 were clearer wins for Oscar
and Lewis than Hatton's win over Kostya. What I mean is that I would have had
Lewis and Oscar more ahead after 11 rds than Hatton was ahead of Kostya or Kostya ahead of
Hatton.

Spazdarn

Yeah have to agree with the above, Hatton deservedly won that bout... don't see how you could judge it otherwise...

Warper

Are anyone showing the Khan fight on Sunday morning?
I cant see it anywhere

walshb

Warper wrote: »

Are anyone showing the Khan fight on Sunday morning?
I cant see it anywhere

Check the thread I stuck near the top of the forum page.

ITV are screening Khan

Big Ears

Warper wrote: »

Are anyone showing the Khan fight on Sunday morning?
I cant see it anywhere

ITV1 10:30-11:30

mr.mayo

Thank God ITV are showing it, for once I won't have to spend the best part of an hour building up a collection of equally bad streams, 90% of which will be shut down before the fight even starts. We will of course have to listen to Duke & Rawlings creaming themselves over Khan, but as long as I can sit down in comfort and watch in good quality, I'll be happy out!

magma69

mr.mayo wrote: »

Thank God ITV are showing it, for once I won't have to spend the best part of an hour building up a collection of equally bad streams, 90% of which will be shut down before the fight even starts. We will of course have to listen to Duke & Rawlings creaming themselves over Khan, but as long as I can sit down in comfort and watch in good quality, I'll be happy out!

I don't even have the basic t.v package.