Retracting my view on the Khan fight

[Skav]

I only arrived home today and just got done watching the bout and it was quite close when re-watching it.

 

Maidana's constant pressure got to Khan, especially in the later rounds, and by the 12th anything could have happened.

 

I still think Khan won because the early rounds went against Maidana and I can see why people would want a rematch - it was a very entertaining scrap!

 

I doubt it will happen, GBP are probably going to take the "onwards and upwards" approach and get Khan in with someone else next.

[The_budweiser]

Re: Retracting my view on the Khan fight

 

I only arrived home today and just got done watching the bout and it was quite close when re-watching it.

 

Maidana's constant pressure got to Khan, especially in the later rounds, and by the 12th anything could have happened.

 

I still think Khan won because the early rounds went against Maidana and I can see why people would want a rematch - it was a very entertaining scrap!

 

I doubt it will happen, GBP are probably going to take the "onwards and upwards" approach and get Khan in with someone else next.

 

 

how did you score it skav? i had it a draw

[WelshDevilRob]

I had it 116-111 for Khan though could have scored the 10th as a 10-8 (though don't tend to score 10-8 unless a knockdown)

 

My full report on the fight is here.

http://www.ringnews24.com/index.php/blog/35-demo-content/1070-khan-triumphs-over-maidana.html

[Skav]

Bud, I haven't scored it yet, have not got the energy right now, admittedly I'm saying it was close off the top of my head.

 

I'll find it interesting when I score it. I may have some time tomorrow to do it.

 

Rob, excellent!! clap//

[Wheelchair]

I have yet to sit and score the fight properly, but on first viewing, I thought Khan won it clearly. Had it been a fifteen rounder though, he'd have been KO'd by the fourteenth.

[Wheelchair]

Here's Graham Houston's take on the Khan fight......

 

Just when I thought I had seen the fight of the year in Humberto Soto’s thrilling win over Urbano Antillon, along came something even better as Amir Khan weathered a late-rounds onslaught to win a unanimous decision over Marcos Maidana in their light-welter championship fight on HBO.

 

This was boxing at its most dramatic. Khan almost knocked out Maidana in the opening round and proceeded to pile up points with jabs and combinations only to get hurt and hammered in the 10th and 12th rounds.

 

Khan showed that he isn’t a fragile fighter. Maidana battered him with the sort of big punches that would probably have beaten down many world-class 140-pounders.

 

The 10th round was a nightmare for the British boxer as Khan, who had been boxing almost a perfect fight up to then, made the mistake of circling to his left to put himself in the path of one of the huge right hands from Maidana that had been whistling past his chin all night.

 

Any doubts about Khan’s heart and toughness were surely dispelled as he found a way to get through the round despite being caught by heavy right hands that seemed to be knocking him clear across the ring. “It’s amazing he hasn’t gone down,” exclaimed commentator Jim Lampley.

 

Not only did Khan survive the round he came back to land some clean punches in the 11th — including a lovely right uppercut — as Maidana seemed to need to take a breather.

 

Then Maidana came on again in the 12th, and it was disturbing to see Khan getting blasted by uppercuts as he stood with back to the ropes. Although Khan covered up he was getting battered, but, nose streaming blood, he still had his wits about him, and to his enormous credit he came back to throw punches from both hands in the closing moments of the fight.

 

There was no doubt that Khan deserved the unanimous decision but it had been a close shave. In one of the classic 15-round fights he might not have made it, but this is the age of 12-round bouts and Maidana ran out of time.

 

Khan showed the grit and instincts of a real fighter. Under siege, he was still able to survive. His fitness level must have been extremely high. Maidana’s heavy blows were knocking his head sideways and some of the Argentinean boxer’s hook to the body threatened to cave in Khan’s ribs, but Khan endured, forcing his legs to move him away from the peril of the ropes and out into the open plains of the centre of the ring, denying the hunter the chance to land the one or two big shots that could have brought the quarry down.

 

I’m not sure if the Khan camp will want to see Maidana again any time soon. Madiana is a formidable force, a natural puncher with a great chin and a big heart. When Maidana went down from a left hook to the body in the opening round the fight looked over, but by the third round he was starting to land enough punches to get right into the fight, and in the last few rounds Khan was in a race against the clock as the Argentinean fighter finally broke through with a sustained barrage.

 

Maidana has never scored a stoppage win after the eighth round, but now we know that his punching power has to be respected — even feared — right up to the final bell.

 

Naturally Maidana would love to have a rematch, and I am sure that the fans would welcome an encore.

 

Perhaps, in a return bout, Khan could do a better job of steering clear of danger, and box his way to a win without drama. Would his camp want to risk it, though? If I was guiding Khan’s career, I know I wouldn’t.

 

www.fightwrighter.com

[brooklynbrawler]

To be honest, I think Khan had the best possible outcome in this fight...

If he had boxed to a wide UD, never once in trouble, many people would still be questioning his chin, they would be saying Maidana was one-dimensional and never all that good.

Instead, it was a case of him hanging on down the stretch, proving he can take a shot and has heart, but still coming back out on top in the final parts of the 12th to end it in style.

 

As far as critics go, he's answered them imo, and he wouldn't have gained half as much respect if had simply made it look easy, which I'm sure he could have!

[Wheelchair]

Yes, it was good for Amir to get his chin tested, he should now have more confidence in himself, and not feel the need to run all night long.

[Skav]

Also looking back, that first punch he was hit with in the 10th did lack power due to fatigue from Maidana, however, he was also hit with some massive follow up punches and he also took those. I still think his chin has been tested and he has massive heart.

 

But I'm thinking that he isn't going to have a very long career if he keeps taking those kind of punches and going to war like that.

 

If he manages to stay unbeaten from here on, I predict his career will only last around another 5 years maximum and he could go the same way as Fernando Vargas - an early age retirement from his body becoming too old too quickly.

[brooklynbrawler]

Also looking back, that first punch he was hit with in the 10th did lack power due to fatigue from Maidana, however, he was also hit with some massive follow up punches and he also took those. I still think his chin has been tested and he has massive heart.

 

But I'm thinking that he isn't going to have a very long career if he keeps taking those kind of punches and going to war like that.

 

If he manages to stay unbeaten from here on, I predict his career will only last around another 5 years maximum and he could go the same way as Fernando Vargas - an early age retirement from his body becoming too old too quickly.

 

Khan doesn't generally ship a lot of big punches.

He took a few in this fight, and I'm glad he did, because I'm definitely onboard now (provided he keeps his mouth shut).

It's not every day he'll have to face guys who can punch as big as Maidana or Prescott, so if he works on his body and head movement, I don't see any reason he can't go on for as long as he wants to.

His speed will undoubtedly fade, but probably not until he's hit 30, then it will only be down to what he's learned in the meantime, as to whether he's good enough to continue on when he can't rely solely on his speed.

[iamasadlittleboy]

I had Khan by a couple of points (I gave Maidana the 3rd, 7th, 10th as a 10-8, 11th and 12th), but it wasn't one sided as many seem to be saying.

[Ton]

It was a good close fight! That first round knockdown and a gifted point deduction from Cortez on Maidana won the fight for Khan. It was a great bodyshot which put Maidana round, but if he had stayed up and the point not dedicuted by Cortez and we have split decision.

 

Khan was the winner no doubt, but it was a close fight and not one he would want again anytime soon.