Amir Khan Dissects Malignaggi Fight, Talks Pacquiao/Drugs

[Faulks]

     [url]http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=27101[/url]

 

Amir Khan Dissects Malignaggi Fight, Talks Pacquiao/Drugs

 

 

By Terence Dooley, part one of a two part series

 

Alicia Keys, singing about her hometown of New York in Empire State of Mind, claimed that the ‘The Big Apple’s’ ‘Big lights will inspire you’; Bolton’s Amir Khan hopes to light up the city and inspire faith in his ability amongst the US fans when defending his WBA light-welterweight title against Brooklyn’s Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden on May the 15th.

 

Khan makes his US debut on the HBO-televised bill, the 23-year-old is eschewing the ‘Blackpool on crack neon glare’ of Las Vegas in order to put himself on show before the toughest, and most knowledgeable, fight crowd in the USA. Boxers go to Vegas for the money and fame, to New York for the appreciation and acclaim, with Khan, 22-1 (16 early), relishing the upcoming challenge.

 

“It is going to be tough because I’m fighting a guy from New York, he will come into the fight thinking he’s got the New York fans onside so will see that as an advantage,” claimed Khan when talking exclusively to BoxingScene.com.

 

“I like going into people’s backyard, that is the type of fighter I am, and I will go over there to win. It is better to beat someone in their backyard than it is to beat them at home. To be honest with you, Malignaggi thinks he has all the support but I went to the press conference in New York and the fans were telling me that they want me to knock Paulie Malignaggi out and shut his mouth, they said he’s arrogant and they don’t like him, his own people think I’ll do a job on him.”

 

The Garden has maintained its unique identity across four incarnations; boxing’s best, and toughest, fighters have graced the ring. Indeed, some of British boxing brightest stars, such as Naseem Hamed, Lennox Lewis, Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe, have posted wins in the MSG arena. Khan, though, is not fazed by the prospect of putting himself on display in this high-profile shop window.

 

“I’m excited to be fighting at Madison Square Garden, it has always been a dream of mine and if you look at the fights in the past then they were all happening at Madison Square Garden. Things have changed and people go to Vegas now but I want to go to New York and make a little piece of history,” revealed the 2004 Olympic silver medallist.

 

“I’m not taking it easy, I’m picking this fight and this venue to prove myself to the boxing people. Paulie is a big name in America and he is coming off a big win over [Juan] Diaz. Another good thing about Paulie Malignaggi is that he can sell a fight, he talks a lot and I need someone like that to get me a name in America. Paulie talks a lot of trash and a lot of people want to see him get beat. No one has done a proper job on him so I want to be the first person to do a proper job on him; he’ll be hanging his gloves up after this fight.”

 

Khan, though, would have to go some to improve on Ricky Hatton’s win over Malignaggi, ‘The Hitman’ bowed Paulie early, dominating the fight from the second round onwards, prompting Paulie’s then-trainer, Buddy McGirt, to throw in the towel at 0:48 of the eleventh stanza. Hatton’s inside-the-distance win leaves Khan with only one objective.

 

“Any fight you go into you want to put a good performance on and do a proper job on the guy, and that is what I’ll do”, he declared, “Ricky stopped him in the eleventh but I want to finish him off cleanly so there are no excuses. I want him to come out and say I beat him fair and square. I’ve got the right trainer in Freddie Roach, the skills, and have been getting the right sparring against guys who are better than Paulie Malignaggi. I’ve been doing really well in sparring.

 

“Freddie is really happy, he sees a big change in my style since the last fight and we’re all really confident. If you think about it, I was a guy who used to go in and fight with my heart, not using my technique even though I’m a very technical fighter – I wasn’t using my brain. Now I’m a better fighter, am using my brain, and I think about a fight shot-by-shot.

 

“I hit-and-move, don’t jump in with shots, and build my attacks properly. I still know that the heart is there and I can use it when I need it in a fight. I use my brain, my speed, and my power at the right time now – my patience is now a big thing.”

 

Certainly, Khan’s early fights showcased his blistering speed but there was also a scatterbrained air to his attacks during those formative years in the lightweight division. Khan would often whale away in the early days, punching from the elbows to force the intervention of the referee. However, Khan really sat on his punches during his last fight, that 1:16 minute win over Dmitry Salita, turning into shots and looking a puncher at the heavier poundage.

 

“That’s right”, said Khan when asked about his earlier stoppages, “the power wasn’t there but I can now see the difference in my power and speed, it makes a big difference. All these things come with experience, I’m now at the Wildcard, am older, have more fights, and have picked things up.”

 

Rumours abound that Khan’s power surfaced during a sparring session with Manny Pacquiao, a Khan body shot was said to have dropped the P4P king to the seat of his pants. “No, no truth to that, it is just rumours, you hear a lot of things in boxing that aren’t true,” insisted Khan.

 

“We’ve had some wars when we first sparred and maybe there were times when he wanted to go on the floor (laughs). Nah, our spars were two years ago when I first went there after the [breidis Prescott] loss so I’d like to spar him again to see how far I’ve come. If you look at Youtube you can see a video of when we sparred, and that session on Youtube was me on a bad day.”

 

Khan was keen to stress that he was facing better fighters than Malignaggi everyday in the gym. “I’m sparring good lads, up-and-coming guys who are stronger and hit harder than Malignaggi, they also have a higher workrate and more heart than Paulie,” blasted Khan.

 

“I’m doing well against these guys, hurting them, and they can see that my style has changed, that I’m hitting harder and picking my shots. If I go into the fight feeling like this then I don’t think Paulie will last more than a few rounds.

 

“Not only that, you are in the Wildcard Gym and you’ve got Freddie Roach watching you so these guys have a lot to prove. I have open training sessions, the people watch me spar and everything stops. You’ve got a hundred people watching you and these guys don’t want a hundred people to see them getting beaten up, they want to beat me up! My sparring partners treat it like a proper fight. They know I want hard sparring and for it to be like a fight.”

 

Many British boxing observers, this writer included, have warmed to Malignaggi, 27-3 (5 stoppages) over the past few years. Sure, his impossibly brave points defeat to Miguel Cotto helped, Paulie fought through a broken cheekbone in that one, but the real turning point came when we saw the real Paulie Malignaggi reveal himself in Magic Man, a documentary about his turbulent early life. Consequently, us Brits greet his verbal outbursts with a wry smile before garnishing them with a pinch of salt.

 

Paulie, though, pushed the envelope when wondering out loud if there was any truth to the rumours about Manny Pacquiao and performance enhancing substances. Paulie, ever the philosopher, then speculated as to whether this claim could be extended to the rest of Roach’s stable if proven to be true about Manny. Paulie just happened to be talking into a microphone when pondering these theories; Khan, who was rumoured to be close to signing to fight Malignaggi, was left simmering over this perceived lack of respect and the fight itself was made shortly afterwards.

 

“I felt sorry for people like Freddie Roach and the other trainers. It disrespects the trainers as Freddie and [conditioning coach] Alex [Ariza] put a lot of work into the fights. The work we do is very, very hard – I don’t think any other fighters could do it,” stressed Khan when discussing the highly conjectural controversy that swirled around the proposed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight.

 

“We’ve had upcoming boxers and champions come and do the training and runs that me and Manny do, they were dying and some have to give up as they can’t do it. I’ve seen people quit halfway through the sessions so it shows the intensity of what we do. How can people say we are on drugs or this and that?”

 

Amir was keen to stress that the recent form of Pacquiao was down to dedication, hard work, and the training set-up at Roach’s gym, with claims to the contrary the result of the oldest of boxing’s ills – jealousy.

 

“I feel it is jealousy to be honest. I’m happy to do a drugs test anytime, wherever and whenever, just to prove to people like Paulie that we are just hard working fighters and don’t cheat in this sport. We work hard and Manny works harder than anyone. Not only is it disrespectful, some people actually believe that stuff and think we are taking drugs. You get asked the questions and people wonder if your success is for real. I’ve never taken drugs in my life and it is a stupid thing to put into people’s minds.”

 

“It is not bulk”, he reiterated when discussing his own physical development under Roach and Ariza, “we just train so hard that it develops our muscles and we have to get our energy and calories to put that muscle on, it is hard, natural training and the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When I hear people like Paulie say stuff like that it just makes me want to beat him up even more. Paulie is not a likeable person, people in America don’t like him and not only do I want to knock him out but the people of America want to see him knocked out.”

 

A win over Malignaggi would see Khan consolidate his current position; he feels he is in a similar position Naseem Hamed, Khan’s idol, was in when ‘The Prince’ had his US unveiling against the well respected, though aged, Kevin Kelley, who also hails from the Brooklyn area.

 

“Naseem went to New York when he fought for his first time in America and he became a big attraction – I hope I can go the same way as Naz. I hope the fans are excited to see me fight and hope to put a good performance on – I want it to be perfect,” revealed Khan.

 

However, should Khan’s in-ring performance mirror Naz’s MSG showcase against Kevin Kelly, in which Hamed was given three counts en route to a stirring fourth round victory, the vultures will come out as Paulie, with all the best will in the world, is not a puncher; the slightest sign of a wobble against Paulie will see Khan hit with the ‘chinny’ stick all over again.

 

“Yeah”, agreed Khan when musing over the vulnerabilities he showed earlier in his career, “but with the way the camp has gone with Freddie, and now I’m a totally different fighter, I don’t think I’ll be making any mistakes. With this being my American debut, I don’t just want to win the fight - I want it to be won in a good style so that people recognise me.

 

“We have worked on a lot of stuff like my own movement and the fact he’ll hold when he’s under pressure and hurt. I can’t say exactly what I’ll do in the fight but I can say that we’ve watched a lot of Paulie and he’s got the same habits now as he’s always had and they’ll come out in the fight. Habits don’t go away - they are not like mistakes, you can correct those, habits come out in the fight when you’re under pressure.”

 

Amir understands that his 0:54-second KO loss to Prescott will live long in the minds of many critics, though he is always keen to stress that his lightweight career saw him fight a bitter battle with the scales and that he is a fighter reborn at 140lb, come May the 15th he takes the first step on the road to proving this claim to the American fans.

 

In part two, Khan talks about Marcos Rene Maidana, Timothy Bradley and the business of boxing.

[Wheelchair]

Talk all you like Amir. The bottom line is that once again you're fighting a non-puncher.

 

Maidana makes you crap your pants, why not just be honest and admit it.

[iamasadlittleboy]

...is amir gonna fight the winner of campbell v ortiz? (same card)

[Wheelchair]

Not if they look even remotely threatening he won't.

[iamasadlittleboy]

Not if they look even remotely threatening he won't.

 

Lets remember Golden Boy also promotes Ortiz....so it could be win-win for them...

[SeelowHeights]

With Wheelchair on this one. Wake me up when he fights someone with a decent one-punch dig.

 

If Khan doesn't win this within seven rounds, he's failed.

[Faulks]

By Terence Dooley, part two of a two part series

 

Amir Khan’s decision to fight Paulie Malignaggi in the first of what he hopes will be many US showcase fights was met with derision in certain quarters, many asked why Khan had opted to defend his WBA title against ‘Magic Man’ rather than the tough Argentine interim champion Rene Marco Maidana, who stepped aside in order to allow the Malignaggi scrap to go ahead, with Rene now taking on Timothy Bradley for the WBO title in July. Bradley, too, was seen as a viable first option for Khan by many boxing fans; Amir, however, is using his May 15th appearance at Madison Square Garden as a reconnaissance mission, a chance to test these new waters against a name foe.

 

“I want to hopefully beat Paulie in style,” explained Khan to BoxingScene.com. “I was asked a question about fighting Timothy Bradley and I said that I didn’t want to fight him in my first fight here in America but people took that wrong. I read a few comments and people read that wrong if they think I don’t want to fight Bradley because I think he’s better than me – I just don’t want to rush things. Where do I go if I come straight over and beat Bradley? There is nowhere to go from there. This is a business and I want to fight him when I’m ready, when I’m at my peak, and not in my first fight in America.

 

“I want to get the feel of it first and build my name up to make it worth more. Maidana is a fighter who can’t sell tickets and Golden Boy put these two fights (Maidana and Malignaggi) to me and there wasn’t enough in the Maidana one, I may as well have fought in England, so there is a lot more in this one. This is a business, if I fight Maidana in a few fights time then we’ll both have more recognition in the States, will have built it (the fight) up a bit more, and it will be a bigger fight. Only the boxing fans know Maidana, he isn’t a big name in the boxing game at the moment - why don’t we just wait one or two fights and then fight?”

 

Khan feels that his new approach is a sign of his mushrooming maturity, rather than a swerve, and that this new mindset is what he needs if he is to follow in the footsteps of fellow Brit Lennox Lewis, who worked his way towards unification by taking down names one at a time in the USA. Khan wants these fights to happen; he also wants to ensure that they come to pass at the right time.

 

“Maidana is fighting Timothy Bradley so I could fight the winner of that one before the end of the year. I’m not avoiding anyone. I am waiting for the best time and for when it makes sense as a business,” insisted Khan.

 

“People might say I’m running scared because Maidana hits hard but I saw his last fight [against Victor Manuel Cayo] and didn’t see anything special in that, he is very open and was also knocked down a few times by Victor Ortiz [when scoring a sixth round stoppage win]. Maidana is an easy fight for me. Andriy Kotelnik boxed Maidana the fight before I boxed Kotelnik and gave him a boxing lesson, people don’t like to bring that up but it happened - I gave Kotelnik a boxing lesson, I also hit harder.

 

“That fight will happen and it is a fight that will shut a lot of critics up. When I take those fights they will be big fights for big purses. You have to look at boxing as a business, it is a short career and a short window, and you put your body through a lot in training for these fights so you want the big fights to be big paydays. Oscar De La Hoya and Mayweather build their fights up.

 

“Look at Mosley versus Mayweather, that could have happened five years ago but it is happening now because it is worth a lot more than it would have been worth in the past. It is not about avoiding anyone it is all about waiting for the right time, same with me and Maidana and Bradley – I’ll fight the winner of their fight and then look at [Devon] Alexander.”

 

Khan believes that both Maidana and Bradley have been overrated in recent times on the basis of wins over flawed fighters such as Ortiz, for Maidana, and Junior Witter, for Bradley, he has also been given the inside track on Bradley by mutual sparring partners.

 

“A few of the people I’ve sparred with have sparred with Bradley and they’ve told me to take that fight now as I’ll take his head off, they say I’m faster than him and hit harder than him,” revealed the 23-year-old world titlist.

 

“These guys have got a bit of experience on me so I am not going to come over here and jump straight into the deep end. I have come over to the get the feel of fighting in America. I chose a guy like Malignaggi because he can sell a fight and it is a good fight to make my entry into the United States – I’ll look good.”

 

Maidana, seen as the kind of heavy hitting foe Khan needs to face in order to show durability and poise in the face of fire, bore the brunt of Khan’s criticism, Amir simply cannot see himself losing to a man who was defeated by Kotelnik, who, in turn, ceded the WBA title when losing handily to Khan last July.

 

“He is strong but you see every shot coming, he is not fast and he fights like a novice. Maidana gets his head knocked back and marks up; this guy Victor Manuel Cayo [who was knocked out by Maidana in the sixth round last month] can’t box as well as me so I couldn’t believe how awful he looked. If I was honest, after seeing that fight I’m disappointed that the money wasn’t right for the fight because if I fought him as my debut fight in America I’d do a job on him,” blasted Khan.

 

“All the fans and readers who are reading this article will understand, some might say, ‘Why’s he talking about the money and everything’, but most will understand that, as a prizefighter, I’ve got to work towards a prize and part of that is the big purses, the motivation behind everything is wanting the big glory but you want to retire with money in the bank.”

 

“You get so many fighters finishing their careers after tough, tough fights and they’ve got nothing, and no one wants to know them! You want to finish like Naseem [Hamed], even though he lost to Barrera, because he can enjoy his life now, he’s done the tough part for ten years and is now enjoying himself, same with Ricky Hatton. I’m not sure about Joe Calzaghe because he spent a lot of his time fighting in the UK. People like Oscar De La Hoya have had great careers but saw the way things were going and also had great business careers. My ambition, and goal, is to be the best in my weight division, number one, and then I can call myself a real world champion.”

 

Khan won his title in Manchester, made his maiden defence in Newcastle, and is now set to put the strap on the line in New York, with more US dates expected should he win this one; Amir, though, and contrary to sensationalist tabloid claims about him leaving the UK behind for good, still wants to fight in his homeland as often as possible.

 

“I’ve not forgot the UK”, he insisted, “a lot of people think I’ve left the UK for America but I will hopefully have my next fight in the UK and then go back and forth, mixing things up a little bit. I know that my true fans are from England. The Americans are big boxing fans but they’ve not all followed me from day one. I’ve got people at home who have followed me since the Olympic days - I’ll come back to fight in front of them.”

[Wheelchair]

“Maidana is fighting Timothy Bradley so I could fight the winner of that one before the end of the year. I’m not avoiding anyone. I am waiting for the best time and for when it makes sense as a business,” insisted Khan.

 

Translation.....

 

Maidana makes me crap my pants, I'm sh*t-scared of him. I'm hoping he'll move up in weight or something before I have to fight him. God, I hate talking about him, my bum goes all squirty at the thought of me being battered into submission by Maidana.

 

mlol/ mlol/ mlol/ mlol/ mlol/

[iamasadlittleboy]

“Maidana is fighting Timothy Bradley so I could fight the winner of that one before the end of the year. I’m not avoiding anyone. I am waiting for the best time and for when it makes sense as a business,” insisted Khan.

 

Translation.....

 

Maidana makes me crap my pants, I'm sh*t-scared of him. I'm hoping he'll move up in weight or something before I have to fight him. God, I hate talking about him, my bum goes all squirty at the thought of me being battered into submission by Maidana.

 

mlol/ mlol/ mlol/ mlol/ mlol/

 

personally i feel khan is also thinking

"I'm hoping that Barrera's recent announcement about a comeback means i can again fight the old dog, get another shocking officiating decision and another big fat pay cheque"

[LondonRingRules]

 

"I'm hoping that Barrera's recent announcement about a comeback means i can again fight the old dog, get another shocking officiating decision and another big fat pay cheque"

 

------- Don't personally care for Khan, but as a prize fighter, GB and Roach are doing right by his development.

 

Barrera lost because of a rules misunderstanding with nobody in his Don King equipped corner able or willing to properly advise him that all he had to do was claim he couldn't see and fight is ruled an NC.

 

I and I daresay 25% of most boxing fans know about this rule on headbutts, so no need to disparage Khan's win other than to note he was fighting a team of dolts propping up a legend being sent out to lose. Not a great win, but a legit win on the cards.

 

Interesting that nobody addresses Khan's legit complaint against Floydy for his libelous drug smears. His promoter is being sued by Manny lest you forget, so he's obviously kowtowing to the company guidelines.

 

Malignaggi could prove to be a stylistic nightmare for him, so this may not be dangerous for his chin, but it could prove to be disastrous on the cards if Paulie brings his A game and fights above his previous levels.

[donlevy]

Not if they look even remotely threatening he won't.

 

Lets remember Golden Boy also promotes Ortiz....so it could be win-win for them...

 

 

Probably the only reason Golden boy did sign Khan.Give him an easy title defense against Malignaggi to introduce him to the American Market and then have him fight heavy handed Victor Ortiz(who should beat Campbell).

 

 

They must look at it as Ortiz's easiest option of a title.

[Faulks]

 

"I'm hoping that Barrera's recent announcement about a comeback means i can again fight the old dog, get another shocking officiating decision and another big fat pay cheque"

 

------- Don't personally care for Khan, but as a prize fighter, GB and Roach are doing right by his development.

 

Barrera lost because of a rules misunderstanding with nobody in his Don King equipped corner able or willing to properly advise him that all he had to do was claim he couldn't see and fight is ruled an NC.

 

I and I daresay 25% of most boxing fans know about this rule on headbutts, so no need to disparage Khan's win other than to note he was fighting a team of dolts propping up a legend being sent out to lose. Not a great win, but a legit win on the cards.

 

Interesting that nobody addresses Khan's legit complaint against Floydy for his libelous drug smears. His promoter is being sued by Manny lest you forget, so he's obviously kowtowing to the company guidelines.

 

Malignaggi could prove to be a stylistic nightmare for him, so this may not be dangerous for his chin, but it could prove to be disastrous on the cards if Paulie brings his A game and fights above his previous levels.

 

What you honestly believe that LRR?

 

A guy with 72-73 (Sorry should of checked boxrec) pro fights doesnt know the rule?

[LondonRingRules]

What you honestly believe that LRR?

 

A guy with 72-73 (Sorry should of checked boxrec) pro fights doesnt know the rule?

 

--------- It's a new rule that was never an option in his era implemented enforced in his retirement.

 

Not all legendary fighters are the brightest bulbs. If Barrera had any brains, he wouldn't have signed with King. You'd think a guy with 72-73 (Sorry should of checked boxrec) pro fights would know about King, right?

[SeelowHeights]

Malignaggi could prove to be a stylistic nightmare for him, so this may not be dangerous for his chin, but it could prove to be disastrous on the cards if Paulie brings his A game and fights above his previous levels.

 

How?? ?//

 

Khan has fought light-hitting and quick cuties before, notably Martin Kristjansen.

 

If Paulie Malignaggi was getting outjabbed by a past-prime Ricky Hatton (who is shorter and slower than him), he sure as hell is going to get outjabbed by a fighter who is taller and has excellent footspeed in Khan. Khan's probably not as strong as Hatton, but he's got far faster hands and Malignaggi will have to come to him, which is also not his modus operandi.

 

Malignaggi isn't the defensive genius many rate him as - Hatton caught him with plenty of clear, flush shots. For me Kotelnik is defensively more solid as he takes a lot of shots on the guard.

 

Lastly, when Paulie has grossed numbers, he's had a big hitter against him. Migual Cotto on Parade Day, Hatton in Vegas (listen to the crowd, might as well have been at the MEN) and he faced Juan Diaz on Diaz's turf. So Khan's mantra that Malignaggi can market a fight smacks of the fight-dodging it has been shown to be. Malignaggi is hand-picked. Simple as.

 

Apart from some USA judging helping Paulie, I really am amazed that posters whose views I have plenty of time for are saying this could be tough for Khan. Maidana would be far tougher as we know he can change a fight with one dig. Alexander looks a right prospect, Bradley has speed in spades also (and Lamont Peterson was one decent match!).

 

But I repeat what I said before, if this goes beyond seven rounds, it is a poor performance by Khan. Malignaggi is tailor-made for him.

[Faulks]

What you honestly believe that LRR?

 

A guy with 72-73 (Sorry should of checked boxrec) pro fights doesnt know the rule?

 

--------- It's a new rule that was never an option in his era implemented enforced in his retirement.

 

Not all legendary fighters are the brightest bulbs. If Barrera had any brains, he wouldn't have signed with King. You'd think a guy with 72-73 (Sorry should of checked boxrec) pro fights would know about King, right?

 

Well as far as im concerned its tough luck. A guy with 72-73 (Sorry should of checked boxrec) pro fights SHOULD know the rules and so should his corner/.....

 

As for king im sure he threw him a meaty bone to take the fight, If there was ant meat left on the bone by the time MAB got to it is another matter

[Wheelchair]

 

Malignaggi could prove to be a stylistic nightmare for him, so this may not be dangerous for his chin, but it could prove to be disastrous on the cards if Paulie brings his A game and fights above his previous levels

 

There's nothing to suggest Paulie is capable of improving to a higher level than previously seen at this stage of his career.

[Faulks]

Personaly im looking forward to the fight, Yes theres all the arguments that Khan should be fighting Madina, Bradley or who ever but he's not so we're left with the big gob from Brooklyn v The big gob from Bolton.

 

Should be an entertaining fight i would of thought.

[Wheelchair]

we're left with the big gob from Brooklyn v The big gob from Bolton.

 

Is this fight or a spitting contest! LOL

[LondonRingRules]

Apart from some USA judging helping Paulie, I really am amazed that posters whose views I have plenty of time for are saying this could be tough for Khan. Maidana would be far tougher as we know he can change a fight with one dig. Alexander looks a right prospect, Bradley has speed in spades also (and Lamont Peterson was one decent match!).

 

But I repeat what I said before, if this goes beyond seven rounds, it is a poor performance by Khan. Malignaggi is tailor-made for him.

 

--------- There's a light years worth of difference between "could" and "would."

 

Maidana could prove to be easier to outmaneuver and outslick. Would you bet the farm on Maidana?

 

There's the difference.

 

If I were a Maidana fan, I'd be more concerned with him fighting Bradley in a fight he could easily lose if it were true that GB is wanting him to build a name.

 

There were precious few betting the farms on Braddock going into Baer, Douglas going into Tyson, or Spinks going into Ali. It's all too easy to say so and so beats this bum, but in the ring, you have to prove it, not a given skip through the park.

 

At the end of the day though, Khan has to answer the skeptics as to why he ain't backin' the smack talk instead of paying mandatories stepasides, so enter you and others.

 

I don't get too bothered about business decisions on largely unproven fighters. Khan and Maidana have arrived on the world stage and fighting a better class, so that's good enough for now. If Khan is in a superfight next year, all will be forgotten and Oscar knows it from experience. Maidana ain't currently that superfight and Paulie is the next best thing to that projected superfight buildup.

[SeelowHeights]

Apart from some USA judging helping Paulie, I really am amazed that posters whose views I have plenty of time for are saying this could be tough for Khan. Maidana would be far tougher as we know he can change a fight with one dig. Alexander looks a right prospect, Bradley has speed in spades also (and Lamont Peterson was one decent match!).

 

But I repeat what I said before, if this goes beyond seven rounds, it is a poor performance by Khan. Malignaggi is tailor-made for him.

 

--------- There's a light years worth of difference between "could" and "would."

 

Maidana could prove to be easier to outmaneuver and outslick. Would you bet the farm on Maidana?

 

There's the difference.

 

If I were a Maidana fan, I'd be more concerned with him fighting Bradley in a fight he could easily lose if it were true that GB is wanting him to build a name.

 

There were precious few betting the farms on Braddock going into Baer, Douglas going into Tyson, or Spinks going into Ali. It's all too easy to say so and so beats this bum, but in the ring, you have to prove it, not a given skip through the park.

 

At the end of the day though, Khan has to answer the skeptics as to why he ain't backin' the smack talk instead of paying mandatories stepasides, so enter you and others.

 

I don't get too bothered about business decisions on largely unproven fighters. Khan and Maidana have arrived on the world stage and fighting a better class, so that's good enough for now. If Khan is in a superfight next year, all will be forgotten and Oscar knows it from experience. Maidana ain't currently that superfight and Paulie is the next best thing to that projected superfight buildup.

 

There certainly is a difference between "could" and "would", but your post has not highlighted it. Moreover, it conveniently ignored the salient point that Malignaggi is tailor-made and that if a past-prime Hatton could belabour him into a TKO defeat, what would stop a prime, faster, taller Khan from doing so when the style clash is so obviously in Khan's favour.

 

Khan probably would outslick Maidana, but if Maidana gets through with a shot or two, he might well test Khan's chin and resolve. Malignaggi is a proven non-puncher with a right-hand of the consistency of shortbread (having had at least three operations on it).

 

Malignaggi brings absolutely NOTHING to the table that Khan cannot do better as he is shorter than Khan, slower than Khan, has a slightly shorter reach than Khan, and his jab is so 'brilliant' that a past-prime Hatton was outjabbing him. Khan, if he wants to prove himself, should face some punchers, get the odd whack, and come through.

 

Maidana is not a superfight. This isn't even a fight. At least Maidana is taking on good prospects and tough opponents (Kotelnik, an unbeaten prospect in Cayo, now Bradley), and often doing the job in style. I favour Bradley to beat him, but if Maidana wins, he'll deserve a lot of kudos for the win - and if Bradley wins in style, so will he.

 

As I said, this style is tailor-made for Khan. No risk, no chance of getting beaten, and little chance of getting outboxed. If this lasts more than seven, he has performed poorly in light of his considerable physical advantages and Paulie's known level.

 

Betting on Khan is easy money here. Only way he loses is a crappy American judge decision or a ropey ref.