Amir Khan v Paul McCloskey - Manchester, April 16

celtictiger32 · 10-03-2011 2:40pm

walshb wrote: »

Yes, and Hatton and Khan are so so similar?

sorry dont see much similarities there

How is Hatton ten times the fighter Khan is? Don't attempt to say he is a better boxer. Brawler? Yes. Boxer, not a hope. Apart from chin, where is Hatton superior?

Hatton hardly lit the world on fire, and this from someone who liked watching the guy in his heyday. Khan is still only 24, he has years to go if he keeps focused and committed ad improves. His only real weakness is the chin.

Hatton was 27 or so whe he hit he heights and beat Tsyzu. Khan has at least two years to beter this, and already he is one of the top JWW in the world.

hatton didnt light the world on fire?? im sorry again but although i was never a huge fan i still would of regarded hatton as one of the big draws at the time, when a hatton fight was coming up you would know about it, khan wouldnt have half the pulling power hatton had. i dont think khan has much more improvement in him as ive said before imo hes come more or less as far as he can, the only thing he can add now is experience. and for his only weakness being his chin.. thats one big weakness woudlnt you think??

BiffoGooner · 10-03-2011 2:47pm

No offense, but I think some of you are underestimating JMM's talents slightly. I know he's gotten older, but he still has it. The Floyd fight was a missmatch because of the massive size difference, coupled with the calibre of opponent he faced, so I wouldn't rely on that as a marker. I think his masterful counter punching would give Khan unreal problems. Khan strikes me as being a little one dimensional in attack. He throws fast combinations and that's about it. You wouldn't say he's a massive puncher. JMM has faced slightly faster, stronger and less conventional opposition than Khan in Manny, twice, and got a draw in the first fight. Some would he say he won the 2nd fight. Add to that his experience. He's a wiley old veteran now. If they fought next week I think JMM would beat the snot out of him to be honest, size disadvantage or not. So that's why I'm saying that for now, Khan needs to gain experience and confidence taking out solid challenges like Urango, Peterson and Brook, et al. I mean, he barely scraped by Maidana and he's nowhere near the level of a JMM or Floyd. But like Boooourns said there, he's only 24. He'll improve a lot in the coming years I'm sure. I still don't think he'll ever be at the level of a Manny or Floyd though.

walshb · 10-03-2011 6:28pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

hatton didnt light the world on fire?? im sorry again but although i was never a huge fan i still would of regarded hatton as one of the big draws at the time, when a hatton fight was coming up you would know about it, khan wouldnt have half the pulling power hatton had. i dont think khan has much more improvement in him as ive said before imo hes come more or less as far as he can, the only thing he can add now is experience. and for his only weakness being his chin.. thats one big weakness woudlnt you think??

What has popularity or pulling power got to do with it?

Strictly speaking of boxing, I wouldn't say Hatton is ten times the fighter.
He is not, nor ever was, a boxer. He was a brawler. I liked him at peak, but he was not a great boxer.

Khan is not perfect, I never said he was, but he is a very skilled fighter/boxer. You don't get to win Olympic silver (aged only 17) if not, and then go on to beat Mario Kindelan, one of the best amateurs of all time.

We all know that Khan's chin let him down. That was 3 1/2 years ago.

No disrespect to JMM, but if he is going to beat you at aged 38 when you are 24/25 and bigger (and claimimg to be great), then you really need to think how great you are.

Like I said, Khan's combination of size and speed are all wrong for JMM, despite JMM being a very effective counter puncher. Khan will present a whole lot more trouble than Katsidis or Juan Diaz. He will be blinding JMM from the first bell. Khan's reach (weird long arms) and speed will be the big difference

Spazdarn · 10-03-2011 6:29pm

I think he'll beat Bradley, that'll essentially mean he rules the 140 division, he'll jump up to Welterweight quickly after, looking for a big fight against Mayweather or Manny which will be a stupid idea, he'll get beaten, convincingly and it'll dent his career.

If he stays at 140 a bit longer, fights Alexander possibly and maybe Victor Ortiz and Judah he'll have a relatively decent claim to being the king of the division... and a fighter of worth. Then in around two years time, move up when he has the experience and build to be a star at 147

Boooourns · 10-03-2011 8:26pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

are you for real khan would trouble mayweather!! khan wouldnt get near mayweather. hatton was 10 times the fighter khan is and he couldnt do it so why on earth would anybody think khan could trouble him. im starting to think half of these posts are coming from khans family

Don't know where you get the idea Hatton is 10 times the boxer Khan is, that is just a bizzare statement. Khan is already a belt holder at LWelter with the possiblilty of being the outright champion which Hatton was.
Hatton tried himself at Welter and was found out that he just didn't have the actual boxing skills, he should have been beaten by Collazo before he even got near Mayweather.
Khan on the other hand has the boxing skills to certaintly be a contender at Welter, i agree with Tolietfusion that he should learn his trade a bit more before moving up but without doubt he has the skills and speed to go very far at Welter (if he can handle a Welterweights punch that is).
I still think he troubles Mayweather btw, he loses but he'd do better than expected.

I'll still be still shouting for McCloskey by the way

celtictiger32 · 10-03-2011 8:50pm

Boooourns wrote: »

Don't know where you get the idea Hatton is 10 times the boxer Khan is, that is just a bizzare statement. Khan is already a belt holder at LWelter with the possiblilty of being the outright champion which Hatton was.

i didnt say boxer i said fighter. at least walshb distinguished that point.

I still think he troubles Mayweather btw, he loses but he'd do better than expected.

he wouldnt trouble mayweather in 10 years time.

I'll still be still shouting for McCloskey by the way

good to know i thought there was a conspiracy against irish boxers on on this site

Boooourns · 10-03-2011 9:42pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

good to know i thought there was a conspiracy against irish boxers on on this site

Fair enough about Hatton and Khan, i just responded straight to your post.
We'll just have to agree to disagree about Khan as you really don't rate him that highly and i do. The future will sort out who's right.

James Ford · 11-03-2011 12:58am

BiffoGooner wrote: »

No question he's good, but I wouldn't go as far as 'brilliant'. And when you say Superstar, you're talking Manny and Floyd territory. I really don't think he'll ever reach that level. His speed should see him through against Timothy Bradley if they fight after Mcloskey, but there's plenty of challenges out there for him. He was talking about fighting Juan Manuel Marquez at one point, and Floyd was mentioned too. Either would take him to school. Definitely getting a little ahead of himself there. He needs to be looking at the likes of Victor Ortiz, Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Juan Urango and Zab Judah for now. They're all more akin to his level, and most of them provide a challenge he wouldn't be assured of overcoming. A lot of people think he's well on the way to becoming one of the top names in the sport, but I just don't see it.

Pound for pound, Marquez is a better fighter than Khan is, and maybe will ever be. But Khan is a big LWW, I wouldn't give Marquez much chance against him at 140. Khan would be too quick, and Marquez at 140 would not be able to time him and get his shots off.

Having said that, Marquez is one of my favourite fighters, I'd watch him ahead of Khan every day of the week.

celtictiger32 · 11-03-2011 3:23am

Boooourns wrote: »

Fair enough about Hatton and Khan, i just responded straight to your post.
We'll just have to agree to disagree about Khan as you really don't rate him that highly and i do. The future will sort out who's right.

ah we wont fall out over it lol:D

Spazdarn · 11-03-2011 1:01pm

James Ford wrote: »

Pound for pound, Marquez is a better fighter than Khan is, and maybe will ever be. But Khan is a big LWW, I wouldn't give Marquez much chance against him at 140. Khan would be too quick, and Marquez at 140 would not be able to time him and get his shots off.

Having said that, Marquez is one of my favourite fighters, I'd watch him ahead of Khan every day of the week.

I dunno I think it would be a competitive enough fight, regardless of how old he is, his counter punching ability is frighteningly accurate...

walshb · 11-03-2011 1:18pm

ToiletFusion wrote: »

I dunno I think it would be a competitive enough fight, regardless of how old he is, his counter punching ability is frighteningly accurate...

Thing is, against Khan, he will be meeting much faster shots, plus, Khan's range, size and long arams will make it more difficult for JMM to be in range to counter effectively. Size and speed here will be too much, oh, and youth and the fact that Khan can keep a very good pace for 36 mins. And, I don't believe that JMM has the natural power to dent Khan.

Spazdarn · 11-03-2011 1:28pm

Khan has all the natural advantages alright, but I don't make much of his defense, I think Marquez would bide his time bring Khan onto him and counter quickly...

Khan would try to pepper him with combinations, keep him at arms length but it'd be up to Marquez to get within his reach and counter appropriately...

I still think Khan wins, but it'd be an interesting fight to watch for sure.

walshb · 11-03-2011 1:48pm

ToiletFusion wrote: »

Khan has all the natural advantages alright, but I don't make much of his defense, I think Marquez would bide his time bring Khan onto him and counter quickly...

Khan would try to pepper him with combinations, keep him at arms length but it'd be up to Marquez to get within his reach and counter appropriately...

I still think Khan wins, but it'd be an interesting fight to watch for sure.

Hey, JMM is so experienced and cool and skillful, that he could make it decent, but I see him losing a decision here, or maybe by TKO. He will have his moments, but I see a 8-4 type decision for Khan. P4P, which I am not a fan of, then JMM chances rise significantly. Khan is still a very difficult man to out box, he has shown this in all fights, and in the amateurs. He has the speed and boxing ability.

slapbangwallop · 16-03-2011 11:55am

Macklin, Kavanagh and Murray added to undercard

http://boxing-ireland.com/20110316_mccloskey_khan_undercard_67.html

Spazdarn · 16-03-2011 6:44pm

Nice few additions to the card...

joepenguin · 16-03-2011 11:48pm

Great additions! Macklin is in for a tough tough fight. He had 2 significant fights fall through, one domestically in Barker, and the winky fight fell through twice and is coming off a bad performance when he last fought with a chest infection.
Hopefully he gets by Gevor unscratched and gets a crack at a world title. I dont think it even matters which one it is if it isnt Martinez. A world title will brings a lot to the negotiating table which will do him the world of good.
Murray has a tough but winnable fight in Higginson, his name escaped me at first but i seen him fight for the english title last year. Tough ambitious opponent for Murray. Then we have Kavanagh and of course McLoskey. Think I heard Jamie Conlon would be on the bill as well with Logan McGuiness defending his NABA title in Canada the same night.

H. Flashman · 17-03-2011 1:35pm

I'd love to see paul put up a decent fight against kahn - all the brits seem to be writing it off as a complete mismatch so I'd love to see McCloskey prove them wrong and give kahn a real tough night.

As for kahn fighting Mayweather/pac/marquez. Well I've yet to see kahn put in a really super impressive performance - the likes of which floyd and manny put in routinely - he's put in some good ones alright but nothing to convince me he'd have even the remotest chance against floyd or manny. Marquez though is a different matter, he is small and his best days are behind him - I'd say kahn would be the big favourite in that fight.

celtictiger32 · 21-03-2011 11:36pm

slapbangwallop wrote: »

Macklin, Kavanagh and Murray added to undercard

http://boxing-ireland.com/20110316_mccloskey_khan_undercard_67.html

lovely stuff i cant wait for that, should be a good night think ill dust off the oul drinkin boots that night and have a few

sxt · 22-03-2011 12:15am

H. Flashman wrote: »

I'd love to see paul put up a decent fight against kahn - all the brits seem to be writing it off as a complete mismatch so I'd love to see McCloskey prove them wrong and give kahn a real tough night.

As for kahn fighting Mayweather/pac/marquez. Well I've yet to see kahn put in a really super impressive performance - the likes of which floyd and manny put in routinely - he's put in some good ones alright but nothing to convince me he'd have even the remotest chance against floyd or manny. Marquez though is a different matter, he is small and his best days are behind him - I'd say kahn would be the big favourite in that fight.

He should put up a good fight flashman,because he is a good fighter, unless he lets the occasion get to which is entirely a possiblty..

Khan won't fight Mayweather or pac until they are on the decline, Khan doesn't do fighters in their prime, he even admitted that himself which is a great shame for boxing in general

Spazdarn · 22-03-2011 11:44am

The only difference I see there is, most boxers fight the big names on the wane, just most are not stupid enough to admit it.

It's the way boxing works, you fight a legend that has massive drawing power but is now a beatable opponent. You get massive recognition and use it as a building block. You become the draw, you get old and some young guy wants to make his name by knocking you out. Rinse and Repeat.

celtictiger32 · 22-03-2011 5:09pm

ye it usually pans out that way its a pity, and even if its not down to that it breaks down over money. some of them could do with forgetting the money and just realising what it means to be world champion

slapbangwallop · 24-03-2011 12:03pm

For all ya'll interest in getting tickets for the Afterparty!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcisnC0VlHA

celtictiger32 · 24-03-2011 3:33pm

sorry for gettin off topic lads but not cant go to the mc closkey fight as much as id love to due to family commitments, but as an alternitive anybody know where ye might get tickets for klitchko v haye in germany?????

peejay1986 · 27-03-2011 6:03am

Random question but do people think I'd have any trouble bringing in the Irish flag? I'm not in the specific 'McCloskey' section, just bought my tickets through Ticketmaster. I don't think I'll having any problems but just asking for opinions really.

slapbangwallop · 27-03-2011 10:44am

peejay1986 wrote: »

Random question but do people think I'd have any trouble bringing in the Irish flag? I'm not in the specific 'McCloskey' section, just bought my tickets through Ticketmaster. I don't think I'll having any problems but just asking for opinions really.

No, I doubt there will be any issue whatsoever.

walshb · 27-03-2011 12:49pm

I wouldn't fault anyone for wanting to display their Irish
affections. But, emblems, jerseys or anything else
that makes a person conspicuous can be dangerous, particularly
when AWAY from home. It wouldn't be so bad in the 02
or Croker, but this bout is in England, and you just don't know
who is watching who. More than likely it should be ok, but I would
rather be sitting watching the fight completely comfortable, as opposed
to wondering if their is some scum element targeting me because of
my ethnicity. And it does happen.

peejay1986 · 28-03-2011 2:33am

walshb wrote: »

I wouldn't fault anyone for wanting to display their Irish
affections. But, emblems, jerseys or anything else
that makes a person conspicuous can be dangerous, particularly
when AWAY from home. It wouldn't be so bad in the 02
or Croker, but this bout is in England, and you just doin't know
who is watching who. More than likely it should be ok, but I would
rather be sitting watching the fight completely comfortable, as opposed
to wondering if their is some scum element targeting me because of
my ethnicity. Ad it does happen.

Fully understand you point and can agree with it. However I feel comfortable enough, having lived in England for past 4 years, that it wouldn't be an issue for 99% of Englishmen. I just wasn't sure what the situation was in terms of security at the venue and whether they'd be iffy with me displaying the flag given that I'm not in the area specifically designated for McCloskey fans.

I suppose in that sense it's no different to wearing a football shirt in public. There'll always be people who dislike something about you and then some who dislike it so much that they feel the need to get agressive. Personally I just don't worry about things like that. Maybe that's a bad thing but it's just how I have lived my life.

Thanks both of you for your views

joepenguin · 28-03-2011 3:16am

Went to the Haye fight in the last year in the M.E.N and a guy wasnt allowed in for wearing a united jersey. So it may be in their policy but maybe just stick it in a jacket pocket and see if ya can get away with it in there. worst case scenario they take it off you.

slapbangwallop · 29-03-2011 7:26pm

joepenguin wrote: »

Went to the Haye fight in the last year in the M.E.N and a guy wasnt allowed in for wearing a united jersey. So it may be in their policy but maybe just stick it in a jacket pocket and see if ya can get away with it in there. worst case scenario they take it off you.

I suppose it is better to be safe than sorry.

You would get hassle at this fight if you were wearing a United shirt as its the same day as the City-United semi

slapbangwallop · 02-04-2011 12:31pm

Eddie Hearn: McCloskey will be tougher for Khan than Maidana

Well according to Eddie Hearn anyway

http://boxing-ireland.com/20110402_eddie_hearn_mccloskey_71.html

bellybuster12 · 02-04-2011 6:41pm

as much as i would love to see paul knock khan out and cause a massive upset,

i just cant for the life of me seeing him getting past the middle rounds, i think this is a huge miss match and hope mc.. gets his big pay day.

khan is a million times ahead of mcc.. in talent and getting the best training and sparring in the world.

khan is still very young and i think he has a bright future ahead of him, i have got alot of respect for him since the maidana fight, really pulled it out of the bag in a tough affair.

khans team will be clever enough not to finish fight too soon, make ppl get their moneys worth so will prob go to the 5/6 round.

cmf22 · 02-04-2011 7:19pm

Are u for real? You think khan will be able to just finish it off like that? I hope hes takin the fight as lightly as that. Khan may have fought better opposition than dudey but to say hes a million times ahead of dudey is bull... To think any top level fighter decides when to finish a fight, to make himself look good is a load of pony QUOTE=bellybuster12;71490518]as much as i would love to see paul knock khan out and cause a massive upset,

i just cant for the life of me seeing him getting past the middle rounds, i think this is a huge miss match and hope mc.. gets his big pay day.

khan is a million times ahead of mcc.. in talent and getting the best training and sparring in the world.

khan is still very young and i think he has a bright future ahead of him, i have got alot of respect for him since the maidana fight, really pulled it out of the bag in a tough affair.

khans team will be clever enough not to finish fight too soon, make ppl get their moneys worth so will prob go to the 5/6 round.[/QUOTE]

coronaextra · 02-04-2011 9:11pm

cmf22 wrote: »

Are u for real? You think khan will be able to just finish it off like that? I hope hes takin the fight as lightly as that. Khan may have fought better opposition than dudey but to say hes a million times ahead of dudey is bull... To think any top level fighter decides when to finish a fight, to make himself look good is a load of pony QUOTE=bellybuster12;71490518]

I think there is a huge gulf in class here also, I hope for Pauls sake he can make a fight out of it, but I have my concerns. I think Paul is durable enough but I cant see him getting anywhere near Kahn. He seriously has to work on his defence too, he cant walk around the ring with his hands down by his side against this guy.
My prediction: Kahn with a mid to late KO, paul to take a lot of punches (hope to be proved wrong)

As for fighters finishing off fights when they like: I think it happens all the time, take the Willie Casey fight last week? If Rigo wanted a few rounds more he could have got them and still finished the fight on his terms.
You often see fighters who take it easy for a few rounds etc knowing that if they went all out they probably could get a stoppage.

Snappy the Moose · 02-04-2011 9:31pm

I hope Paul wins and will be cheering for him, but there is a massive gulf in class here. The 0 in Paul's record and his nationality is probably tainting a lot of people's views who think he has a good chance, I don't think he will be able to compete with the speed and volume of Khan.

5/6 KO for Khan but would love to see Paul win.

bellybuster12 · 02-04-2011 10:27pm

cmf22 wrote: »

Are u for real? You think khan will be able to just finish it off like that? I hope hes takin the fight as lightly as that. Khan may have fought better opposition than dudey but to say hes a million times ahead of dudey is bull... To think any top level fighter decides when to finish a fight, to make himself look good is a load of pony QUOTE=bellybuster12;71490518]as much as i would love to see paul knock khan out and cause a massive upset,

i just cant for the life of me seeing him getting past the middle rounds, i think this is a huge miss match and hope mc.. gets his big pay day.

khan is a million times ahead of mcc.. in talent and getting the best training and sparring in the world.

khan is still very young and i think he has a bright future ahead of him, i have got alot of respect for him since the maidana fight, really pulled it out of the bag in a tough affair.

khans team will be clever enough not to finish fight too soon, make ppl get their moneys worth so will prob go to the 5/6 round.

[/QUOTE]

yes i am for real, im sorry but thats just the way it is.

dont get me wrong, id love nothing more than an irish win but it could only happen with miracle on the money slap.

i dont think im on my own when i say that mccloskey is not in the same league as khan or at world class level.

ok the big thing here and with most of our boxers in that fighting on the euro circuit doesnt match up with the american boxing.

so we get excited about boxers doing well on a european level and then when its up against world class level we get blinkered with irish eyes.

peejay1986 · 03-04-2011 12:44am

Any chance of a replacement bout being announced for Macklin's at this stage?

celtictiger32 · 03-04-2011 7:23pm

im amazed at some of these posts and how some of the op's are under rating mc closkey and over rating khan. khan is not world class and imo never will be, i dont think mc closkey is world class either mind you but i definately give him more than hes been discredited for from these posts

DorianGrayism · 03-04-2011 7:44pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

im amazed at some of these posts and how some of the op's are under rating mc closkey and over rating khan. khan is not world class and imo never will be, i dont think mc closkey is world class either mind you but i definately give him more than hes been discredited for from these posts

Very true. I think the boxing betting lines are completely out of sync with reality.

I still have Khan winning this, but I definetly see McClockey giving a good fight if he can get past the first three rounds.I am sure we will start to see him come on the inside and exploit Khan's weaknesses since Khan is no clue how to defend on the inside or against the ropes.

Khan, whilst being talented, has really bad flaws which I think Bradley will definetly take apart. That is, if McClokskey doesn't.

Big Ears · 03-04-2011 9:02pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

im amazed at some of these posts and how some of the op's are under rating mc closkey and over rating khan. khan is not world class and imo never will be, i dont think mc closkey is world class either mind you but i definately give him more than hes been discredited for from these posts

eh..........what's your definition of World Class ?

walshb · 03-04-2011 9:16pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

im amazed at some of these posts and how some of the op's are under rating mc closkey and over rating khan. khan is not world class and imo never will be, i dont think mc closkey is world class either mind you but i definately give him more than hes been discredited for from these posts

In the present day standard, Khan has proven that he is world class. He is the actual WBA 140 lb champion. Is he the best in the world at 140 lbs? That has to be proved. Should he unify the division, then yes, he will be the best in the world.

Paul has yet to show us if he is world class. From what I have seen and from what he has done, no, he is not world class. That could all change in 13 days.

I doubt he makes it 12 rds. I see him being overwhelmed by speed and volume and all around boxing ability.

celtictiger32 · 03-04-2011 10:00pm

Big Ears wrote: »

eh..........what's your definition of World Class ?

walshb wrote: »

In the present day standard, Khan has proven that he is world class. He is the actual WBA 140 lb champion. Is he the best in the world at 140 lbs? That has to be proved. Should he unify the division, then yes, he will be the best in the world.

Paul has yet to show us if he is world class. From what I have seen and from what he has done, no, he is not world class. That could all change in 13 days.

I doubt he makes it 12 rds. I see him being overwhelmed by speed and volume and all around boxing ability.

ok he has the belt but a lot of boxers over the last few years have held world titles but they werent worthy of them. a world class boxer imo is one that even if he hasnt got one of the belts he is worthy to hold one. a perfect example as much as i hate to admit it is bernard dunne he won the belt and as ive said before i do like bernard and i would have liked nothing more than for him to hold onto the belt long term but i didnt think he was really world class. also i did say that i didnt think mc closkey is world class, obviously things can always change but even if he wins the title on april 16th i still wouldnt categorize him as world class for the moment..

Big Ears · 03-04-2011 10:57pm

celtictiger32 wrote: »

ok he has the belt but a lot of boxers over the last few years have held world titles but they werent worthy of them. a world class boxer imo is one that even if he hasnt got one of the belts he is worthy to hold one. a perfect example as much as i hate to admit it is bernard dunne he won the belt and as ive said before i do like bernard and i would have liked nothing more than for him to hold onto the belt long term but i didnt think he was really world class. also i did say that i didnt think mc closkey is world class, obviously things can always change but even if he wins the title on april 16th i still wouldnt categorize him as world class for the moment..

So I'm assuming you disagree with the view that Khan is one of the top 2 Light-Welterweights in the World then ?, because surely any fighter in the top at their weight is considered World Class.

Snappy the Moose · 03-04-2011 11:11pm

walshb wrote: »

I doubt he makes it 12 rds. I see him being overwhelmed by speed and volume

Everytime I think of the fight this comes into my head, can't see Paul being able to deal with Khan's speed and volume of punches.

celtictiger32 wrote: »

ok he has the belt but a lot of boxers over the last few years have held world titles but they werent worthy of them. a world class boxer imo is one that even if he hasnt got one of the belts he is worthy to hold one. a perfect example as much as i hate to admit it is bernard dunne he won the belt and as ive said before i do like bernard and i would have liked nothing more than for him to hold onto the belt long term but i didnt think he was really world class. also i did say that i didnt think mc closkey is world class, obviously things can always change but even if he wins the title on april 16th i still wouldnt categorize him as world class for the moment..

Everybody with a proper knowledge of boxing knows Bernard Dunne wasn't genuinely world class, Khan has beaten some solid fighters and would definitely be in the top 3/4 in his division at the moment.

Your argument is pretty redundant anyway, even if you think he isn't world class there is still a big gulf in class between Khan and McCloskey from what we have seen.

celtictiger32 · 03-04-2011 11:32pm

Everybody with a proper knowledge of boxing knows Bernard Dunne wasn't genuinely world class

wasnt that what i said???

Your argument is pretty redundant anyway, even if you think he isn't world class there is still a big gulf in class between Khan and McCloskey from what we have seen.

[/QUOTE]

can you see paul mc closkey coming out and getting destroyed in the first round by bredis prescott?? because i cant!

joepenguin · 04-04-2011 12:09am

I see Khan throwin snappy 2-3 punch combos and checking out McLoskeys slippin / weaving habits and then nailinh him with 4-5 punch combos, or with 1-2s after a bit of fainting. Hopefully he cant land flush on him though.

magma69 · 06-04-2011 8:44am

celtictiger32 wrote: »

ok he has the belt but a lot of boxers over the last few years have held world titles but they werent worthy of them. a world class boxer imo is one that even if he hasnt got one of the belts he is worthy to hold one. a perfect example as much as i hate to admit it is bernard dunne he won the belt and as ive said before i do like bernard and i would have liked nothing more than for him to hold onto the belt long term but i didnt think he was really world class. also i did say that i didnt think mc closkey is world class, obviously things can always change but even if he wins the title on april 16th i still wouldnt categorize him as world class for the moment..

You must have a very strange definition of world class. Khan beat two top 5 boxers in Maidana and Kotelnik (who beat Alexander but was robbed). He beat a genuine top 10 fighter in Malignaggi. How on earth is he not world class? MCloskey isn't a big win for him though, McCloskey isn't a world class fighter and never will be imo.

magma69 · 06-04-2011 8:46am

My prediction is McCloskey will be blown away within 4 rounds. He doesn't have the reflexes to match Khan's lightning fast hands. It will be the Malignaggi fight all over again but I don't believe McCloskey is as durable so it will finish earlier.

celtictiger32 · 06-04-2011 2:02pm

magma69 wrote: »

You must have a very strange definition of world class. Khan beat two top 5 boxers in Maidana and Kotelnik (who beat Alexander but was robbed). He beat a genuine top 10 fighter in Malignaggi. How on earth is he not world class? MCloskey isn't a big win for him though, McCloskey isn't a world class fighter and never will be imo.

obviously different to yours, i dont rate khan as highly as a lot of people here. and i also think its very presumptuous of you saying 'mc closkey isnt a big win for him' he hasnt won anything yet... and i wouldnt hold my breath either. and i think you'll find that i did say mc closkey isnt world class at this moment.

Jayob10 · 06-04-2011 3:16pm

magma69 wrote: »

My prediction is McCloskey will be blown away within 4 rounds. He doesn't have the reflexes to match Khan's lightning fast hands. It will be the Malignaggi fight all over again but I don't believe McCloskey is as durable so it will finish earlier.

Thats a very valid argument.

Personally, I know McCloskey is absolutely flying in training. His sparring has been the best it has ever been, and he has received more competitive sparring than he has ever had. He will be dangerous to Khan.

Don't get me wrong, Khan should beat McCloskey 8 or 9 times out of 10 but I think he is paying McCloskey alot of lip service, saying he is taking him deadly serious. I think there is a good chance he may take his eye off the ball here. Sure his hard training has been taking place out of the UK, but if I was to fight Khan anywhere it would be in Manchester. He will be under huge pressure come fight night, and there are lots of distractions for him aswell.

The big question is whether McCloskey can take what Khan can throw. And there is also an outside chance that Paul will excell against a better quality of opponent. McCloskey isn't a fighter who takes alot of punishment, he is smart.

The comparison with Malignaggi is not a fair one, Malignaggi has feather fists and his style isn't suitable to his talents. keeping his hands low does him no favours.

Paul will not be so cavalier, he knows Khan has fast hands and will not be careless just to be flashy. He is also capable of hurting Khan.

I reckon Khan will win but may possibly visit the canvass, it'll be a close points win or else a split decision in favour of Khan.

BoxingIrel.com · 06-04-2011 4:31pm

Jayob10 wrote: »

Thats a very valid argument.

Personally, I know McCloskey is absolutely flying in training. His sparring has been the best it has ever been, and he has received more competitive sparring than he has ever had. He will be dangerous to Khan.

Don't get me wrong, Khan should beat McCloskey 8 or 9 times out of 10 but I think he is paying McCloskey alot of lip service, saying he is taking him deadly serious. I think there is a good chance he may take his eye off the ball here. Sure his hard training has been taking place out of the UK, but if I was to fight Khan anywhere it would be in Manchester. He will be under huge pressure come fight night, and there are lots of distractions for him aswell.

The big question is whether McCloskey can take what Khan can throw. And there is also an outside chance that Paul will excell against a better quality of opponent. McCloskey isn't a fighter who takes alot of punishment, he is smart.

The comparison with Malignaggi is not a fair one, Malignaggi has feather fists and his style isn't suitable to his talents. keeping his hands low does him no favours.

Paul will not be so cavalier, he knows Khan has fast hands and will not be careless just to be flashy. He is also capable of hurting Khan.

I reckon Khan will win but may possibly visit the canvass, it'll be a close points win or else a split decision in favour of Khan.

Who has he been sparring?

Amir Khan v Paul McCloskey - Manchester, April 16

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