How Far Can Khan Go Once He Stops Fighting Fluff Opponents?
May 22nd, 2009
By Chris Williams: After 21 pro fights it’s surprising how little quality competition that lightweight Amir Khan (20-1, 15 KOs) has faced up to this point in his career. Of all the opponents that have been fed to him, I only rate Breidis Prescott as being the one true threat and he ended up knocking Khan out in the 1st round last year in September.
Khan was wise to choose Kotelnik, because if he had chosen the other champions in the light welterweight division Timothy Bradley, Juan Urango and Kendall Holt then Khan would have been in trouble trying to win a title against the likes of them.
I can’t see Khan beating any of them even on his best day. The timing of Khan’s departure from the lightweight division seems rather odd to me. Had Khan stuck around for a little while longer he would have been faced with having to look at the prospects of taking on tough fighters like Paulus Moses, Ali Funeka, Anthony Peterson, Joan Guzman and Urbano Antillon at some point.
Those kinds of fighters are many times better than the fodder that was fed to Khan during his career. Khan would have been severely tested by any of them and if Khan’s chin was as bad as I think it is, he would likely lose to all of them.
This is why it seems to be good timing on Khan’s part that he disappeared suddenly from the lightweight division just when he was finally going to be forced to fight some quality fighters for once in his career. If Khan can win the WBA light welterweight title over the light hitting Kotelnik, it buys Khan a little time.
Khan could then fight a non-mandatory challenger in his first defense and I suspect that Amir would take from the bottom of the head, choosing the number #15 contender Norio Kimura rather than a more highly ranked fighter like Nate Campbell that boxing fans would like to see.
Kimura would an easy fight for Khan because he has no power to trouble Amir. Then Khan could take on either Dimitri Salita, the current number #1 ranked challenger for the WBA belt, or Marcus Maidana, a knockout puncher with big power. Let me guess which one Khan will try to fight.
At some point if Khan is able to get by Salita and Kimura, he will be finally be looking fighting opponents like Victor Ortiz, Campbell and Lamont Peterson. My guess is that Khan will then vacate the title and move back down rather than take those fights and rick getting knocked out once again.
I can’t see Khan beating any of them or Maidana. Forced with losing his title by a likely knockout, Khan will probably move down in weight and start picking and choosing opponents in the lightweight division, trying to get in position where he can get a title shot without having to face dangerous threats like Funeka, Guzman or Michael Katsidis.
Tags: 9 Responses to “How Far Can Khan Go Once He Stops Fighting Fluff Opponents?”
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Am telling u guys Khan will become one of the best welter weights in the world, the guys just a kid. Even if Khan does beat a gd fighter, no one can except it. when he thought BARRERA everyone was like hes gon aget KO, if u watched the fight and use all know BARRERA would have been KO. I think the BRTISH H8 BECASUE HES NOT WHITE. look at a guy called JOHN MURRAY the most overrated fighter in britain and he hasnt evn thought anyone up to standard. but yet he his still like because he his white. a just hope khan wins and gives all you racist out there a slap in the face.
I think that if khan beats kotelnik he’ll have to fight either ortiz or maidana as there fighting for the WBA interim title and thus one of the two will be khans mandatory!When froch beat pascal he had to fight taylor because he was froch’s mandatory challenger.
iam from the north east of england an would just like to add that amir khan is not hated in this country for his race when he represented us at the olympics
he was the pride of our country..so for people on here to say that is rubbish,amir khan has took abit stick because of his chin an questionable defence…..he is my favourite fighter coming forward his combinations are reminisent of sugar ray lenoard but he needs to tighten his defence working with roach will help him to do so..
but as for the colour of his skin that doesnt matter…..
aff: how can u say khan if an i say if he wins which i dont fink he will be britons youngist ever champion every well every true boxing fan nos the youngist is Teddy Baldock the Bantam Weight Champion he won it (at 19 years 347 days old) Great Britain’s youngest ever boxing World Champion and the only British boxer to win a world title during the 1920′s with a record of 73wins/37kos/5losses
Big poppa idoit slike you should not be allowed to post here if all you can do is play the ever boring race card. and Aff omg you really are a fruit & nut Earl,limmon and gomez they couldnt punch their way out of a paper bag and yet they still had khan rumbled. also noone was giving him a title shot what a joke statement that is, why not fight the best in his division, ah yes like khan said (Bunce boxing hour) he could not beat them atm. khan is a joke fighter with more glass in his chin than a chandaler the sooner he gets ko’d again and retires the better for the much skilled prospect like murray,gavin they are the cream of british boxing and not the babysat khan.
your arguments dont stack up u just seem like a mega khan hater how the f**** do u know khan cant beat this one or that one,are you a fortune teller? maybe but u certainly shouldnt be writing boxing aricles,u rating presscott above barrerra,funny that barrerra is an all time great,khan will take the belt to become one of britons youngest ever world champs,as for presscott it will happpen,also for the lightweights khan willl be back,no one was giving him a title shot so he moved up got one,holtt,bradley dont want any piece of khan,khan will ko all of em
Khan is underated and hated because of the colour of his skin! He is much better than the current crop of olympic boxers! A good so called british ex olympic boxer that came to mind is Lennox Lewis! However he aint british. He won a medal for Canada and not great Britain!
I think khan is very under rated as a fighter now.
I used to think he was over rated, but now people just focus on the fact he tried to trade with a huge puncher… while he was cold.
In reality, khan has a load of talent and he has one of the best trainers in the world. I wish him all the best.
Can I just point out that Kotelnik chose Khan and not the other way around. Kotelnik chose Khan because he is the easiest and the most profitable guy to fight. His other choice was Victor Ortiz.
Kotelnik has fought two mandatories and has a voluntary defense available so he chose Khan for the reasons outlined above.