De La Hoya thinks Khan can become a legend
May 10th, 2010
By Scott Gilfoid: Oscar De La Hoya sees himself in World Boxing Association (WBA) light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s), according to the Sun It’s hard to imagine what he sees, because Khan still is almost totally unproven at this point in his career and has already been knocked out once against Breidis Prescott despite not having faced the cream of the crop in either the lightweight or the light welterweight divisions. De La Hoya, still, sees something in Khan that reminds him of his younger days. By the way, De La Hoya’s company Golden Boy Promotions just so happens to promote Khan.
I could see it if Khan had actually beaten someone by now, but the dude still hasn’t fought anyone after six years as a pro. He went after Andriy Kotelnik and picked up the WBA title, but he pretty much picked out the weakest fighter of the light welterweight champions to do that. It isn’t like Khan went after Timothy Bradley when going for a title.
At this point in De La Hoya’s career, when he was 23, De La Hoya was unbeaten and was fighting guys like Julio Cesar Chavez and Darryl Tyson. De La Hoya didn’t lose for the first time until 1999, when he was beaten by Felix Trinidad in a close 12 round majority decision defeat.
De La Hoya says “Not too many fighters can win multiple championships in multiple divisions. Amir Khan has the ability to become a super champion, a legend. And that’s what really attracted me to him. He has that ‘it’ factor – Talent, passion, the looks and the charisma.” A legend? I’d like to see that happen. I’m not holding my breath waiting for Khan to win another world title.
Oh, I guess he can if he spots someone that is vulnerable and there for the taking. But the problem is there aren’t any vulnerable champions right now in the light welterweight division. If Khan wants to win a second and third time, he’s going to have to probably move back down to lightweight to make it happen, because I think he’ll get smoked if he fights Devon Alexander and Bradley, the other light welterweight champions.
Tags: 35 Responses to “De La Hoya thinks Khan can become a legend”
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To be a legend you have to realy earn that title,The likes of sugar ray leonard, roberto durran. and antonio barrera are true legends and amirs got a lot to do to even begin on that road. And do not say hes already beat barera what he beat was a fighter at the end of a magnificent carreer just waiting to be taken out by someone not to be mentioned in the same sentance.Just like in the wild west when a renouned gunfighter was called out by a upstart and had reached a time when he could no longer produce it there for ending up beaten .You only have to of seen the morralis V barreera contests when both were in their prime to know excactly what i refer too.
Oscar fought arguably 4-5 truly GREAT fighters in his career – he beat veterans like Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker (in a VERY close fight)once they were past their respective primes. He got beat up by Bernard Hopkins (admittedly biting off more than he could chew), Floyd Mayweather and a juiced up Lightweight in Manny Pacquiao. He lost to non-greats such as Shane Moseley (twice)and Felix Trinidad and barely survived against Ike Quartey. He hand picked his opponents from about 2000 on, selecting only fighters who played into his style (Arturo Gatti, Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga, walk-to-you-sluggers he could look great against and make maximum money. He wouldn’t go anyway near Felix Sturm after he received a gift decision against him in 2004. While he was arguably the best of what, in retrospect was a mediocre class of fighters, I think greatness is a label too easily bestowed. Especially to Oscar. The one thing I do give him credit for is that we is arguably the first fighter who kept EVERYTHING he made, that is a far greater feat than anything he did inside the squared circle. Oh, by the way, his “Music” career by itself wipes out anything he did good in the ring LOL!
@BigDog
If your definition of a loser is a Gold Medal winning multiple champion with one of the most successful and powerful promotion companies in boxing with a net worth over $200 million, a HOF career, beautiful wife, every PPV record you can think, millions of fans around the world you can call me a Loser all day long.
he’ll never get past ortiz now. he doesnt have his head gear on and ortiz punches way too hard for khan. he would knock khan out now.
Who the f**k is Amir Khan
Kotelnik beat your main man maidana!! Plus bradley is one of the most over rated fighters in the sport to date, Khan ko’s him in 3-4. I think khans a muppet, especially after he called out his ‘friend’ ricky when he thought he was washed up after defeats from mayweather and his stable m8 pac-man, but still stick to facts. The lads got skills and he will ko mouthinaggi, my prediction is he fights ortiz after that and makes that quitter live up to his name then the real tests begin for him, until then as a fighter i withold judgment, as a man though, punk!!
never going to be a legend.. he’ll lose to alexander and then go home and fight murray lol
Future Legend
Im a big Amir Khan fan but unless he shows us that he can take atleast some of the power of a big name i cant see how he can become a legend.
With a chin i have no doubts that he could but schooling somebody with your speed counts for nothing if you end up on your back before the fights over.
But then if his defense keeps improving and he shows he can stand an amount of punishment then surely the world will be his oyster.
the new limey lip, Time will tell if he can back his mouth up.I am looking forward to seeing him on National T V.
yeah right….didn’t he also say that Victor Ortiz was the future of “Golden Boy” in the weeks leading to the Maidana fight?…we all know how THAT turned out…I believe DLH should elaborate more on each of the Golden Boy prospect’s / contender’s individual and unique qualities as opposed to COMPARING THEM TO HIMSELF; so, easy on the EGO there Oscar, remember that as a boxer you’re RETIRED now…
Amir Khan has a the skillz to be good . .. not great!! A loss to Malignaggi would be HILARIOUS and devastating to Golden Boy!!!LOL
Maidana is WAY to overrated..
He’s been knocked out of joe public in bolton town centre, hit on the chin game over
legend?……
People still write what Dela Fishnet says?
OSCARITO IS WRONG, HAS BEEN WRONG AND AS LONG AS HE CONTINUES TO BE A PROMOTER WILL CONTINUE TO BE WRONG…DEAD WRONG!!!…PITIFUL
all khan will be is a legend amongst the guinness book of cowards
oscar thinking to much. he also thought he can beat pacquiao on steroids.ha ha i love oscar but i have to admit that he’s wrong on these.
Steve e ,dude i didn’t say khan is not a good fighter,i just said that he,at least not yet,is to be compaired to De La Hoya,to be totaly honest with you i think and hope he will do great in this sport,but right now he just don’t have the cridentials to be a legend,all we have to do is wait and see,i wish khan the best!
yes you can`t compare khan to DLH yet but give the guy a break one ko loss to a big puncher because he was too keen delete all fighters who got knocked out and the record books would be nearly empty one of my favorite boxers was known for having a weak chin (tommy hitman hearns) that slight vulnarability makes for an exciting fighter that said khan has got a long way to go good luck amir
whatever! a legend? come on
TO BE A LEGEND KAHN NEEDS TO PROVE THAT HE CAN TAKE A BIG PUNCH IN THE FACE…
khan, that guy is not that good, Juan Manuel Marquez is a legend pound for pound
Khan a legend? What a joke,a bad one too! To compare khan with the golden boy is like compareing the space shutlte with an old wagon!
This is all marketing hype, he´s just pumping up a guy in his company before his first fight in the US, a bit of a confidence booster or a pep talk.
It’s a love affair in the making. Watch out AK!
This is worse than that time he wanted to become a singer…DLH slippin’?
LOL!!!!that made my day…
Khan may be a legend for the fights that are given to him …
BLAH!BLAH!BLAH! Never be commpared to The Golden Boy, he just not on the Level! Maybe later on in his career, but for now he has a few test(bouts) in from of him. Lets go from there, ok Oscar……..
D.ROTe
Is Oscar going to get Khan a chin transplant?
If Hatton makes a comeback and Khan gets by Mallinagi lets see then get together, It would not be hard their both with GBP
I’m bored to listen Delahoya. He never pridict anything right.
@ Dave you obviously know nothing about boxing and should be band from any boxing sites. The Light Welterweight division is absolutely stacked with talent