Is Khan Ducking the Top Lightweights?
April 9th, 2009
By Dave Lahr: Many in the media have been quick to put a positive spin on lightweight Amir Khan’s (20-1, 15 KOs) recent announcement that he will be moving up to take on World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs) in a title challenge on June 27th. However, what appears to be lost in the movement to put a positive light on Khan’s choice of fighting Kotelnik instead of a top lightweight is that Khan is seemingly sidestepping around potentially tough bouts against lightweights like Edwin Valero, Ali Funeka, Michael Katsidis, Juan Diaz, Breidis Prescott and Paulus Moses.
That seems a little farfetched to me, because how much better will Khan’s chin get over a years’ time? If Khan does beat Kotelnik, it would mean that Khan would have to defend it against even harder punchers like Marcos Rene Maidana, Victor Ortiz and Randall Bailey. Valero may punch hard, but I think Maidana and Bailey punch just as hard and Ortiz almost as hard as Valero.
Khan would have problems being able to take their shots and I think he’s kidding himself if he thinks he can hold onto a light welterweight title for long enough for it to matter. That’s the problem for fighters that jump around different divisions to try and hide weaknesses like poor chin.
A fighter like Khan can get away with it for a fight or two, but eventually he’s going to get knocked out again when he has to face a big puncher. I hate to think that this is how Khan’s career may be conducted in the future with Khan being shuttled from division to division seeking out the easiest fight possible to prevent him having to take on a big puncher.
I think his stock will decrease in doing this because it will seem so obvious to everyone what he’s doing. Khan is being pushed ahead of more deserving light welterweights in the WBA light welterweight division like Maidana and Ortiz, both of which have worked their way into a top spot by knocking out most of their opponents. It’s not fair to them that Khan is being pushed ahead of them due to his bigger name.
Even worse is the perception that Khan is ducking the best lightweights in order to get this undeserving shot at Kotelnik. I wouldn’t mind Khan moving past the lightweights if Khan had fought Maidana, Bailey or Ortiz and beaten them, but he hasn’t in this case. Instead he’s just straight to a title shot against Kotelnik without having to earn his way into the position the hard way.
Tags: 6 Responses to “Is Khan Ducking the Top Lightweights?”
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i agree with alot of the ocmments about khan hes fights from now on will always be carefully selected after many occasions where any clean shot landed sends him to the deck. barerra should get the rematch how can you praise him for that fight you can praise him for 30 seconds after the cut barerra had no hope and khans performance was made to look great as his opponent couldnt see. he doesnt deserve the fight and is cannot beat half the lightweights in the top 15.
It’s all very well people slating Khan for getting this fight ahead of others in the WBA light-welterweight division, but can we honestly say that all those rated in the WBA’s top 15 are more worthy of a shot than Khan?
If you think the answer is yes, I suggest you take a look at the WBA’s top 15. Look at who it includes, and just as importantly, who it does not. The WBA don’t rate Timothy Bradley, Junior Witter, Kendall Holt or Juan Urnago in their top 15. Boxing politics I know, but it’s a joke top-15 nontheless.
There’s no doubt Khan’s team have picked a light-hitting opponent (Kotelnik has just 13 KO’s from 31 wins), but he’ll still be punching harder than a number of Khan’s previous opponents and is a far better boxer than many of them. In fact, he’s a far better boxer than most people seem to be giving him credit for fullstop.
Kotelnik has never been knocked out. His only 2 defeats have been narrow ones – to Junior Witter by a closely scored UD here in the UK, and to Souleymane M’Baye by SD in France (M’Baye’s home territory). He’s fought in Poland, Hungary, France and Venezeula, in addition to 3 fights in the UK, so travelling to defend his title won’t bother him. He struggled on home territory against Marcos Rene Maidana last time out, but I don’t expect Khan to pose more of a problem to Kotelnik than Maidana did recently. Maidana would be a handful for many top light-welterweights.
khan is too quick for old Barrera, he will beat him again. khan too young, too strong / fast.
Andriy Kotelnik seems like a lucky world champ, khan will skool him,
if khan is only going to fight this dude, and then comes back to light weight then its perfectly normal, i.e ricky hatton moving up & down weight.
good luck to him, but he better return to light weight and fight the knock out king & lightweight no.1, 2, 3, 4, period,
This is a stepping stone to a big money swansong for Ricky Hatton after his coming defeat to Pacquio.
hes now gonna be a light welterweight champion after he beats kotelnik, theres harder fights in that division that the lightweight, hes 22 and isd a long way off fighting at the hightest level,
Its a shame that boxing is more about how many fans you have than actual skill. At the end of the day Khan is a big name in the media, the media have made him this big name.
Its his fame which is getting him the fights. Its the same with all of boxing. Your name is worth more than your punch.