Amir Khan: Credit where credit is due
July 25th, 2011
By Byron Wallin: WBA and IBF unified light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KO’s) put on a masterful display last Saturday night in defeating the over matched former multiple champion Zab Judah (41-7, 28 KO’s). Whilst that may sound like a contradiction it itself, please allow me to explain further.
However, I did not predict that Khan would have such an easy nights work. He simply outclassed Judah making it almost impossible for him to lay a glove on Khan at any point in the fight. This being the same Judah who gave Floyd Mayweather Jr a stern test in the past by being able to dominate Floyd for the first few rounds. Judah simply was not at the races and decided to take the easy option out of the fight rather than continue his futile attempt to actually hit Khan with anything meaningful.
I must admit I have never been a very keen supporter of Kahn despite being a Brit myself. Particularly during the phase after he lost to Breidis Prescott where Khan seemed content to pick off feather fisted fighters or those who were well passed their sell by date. However my opinion of Amir did change drastically when he finally signed to fight and subsequently defeated his mandatory challenger, the ultra dangerous knockout artist Marcos Maidana. Khan showed real heart and courage in that fight, taking some monstrous punches that have resulted in some visible permanent alterations in the shape of khan’s nose which was badly damaged in the bout. This fight went some of the way to proving to me and others around the world that there is more substance to Khan than the protected hype job I initially thought him to be.
I am still by no means an Amir Khan fan. There is an air of arrogance surrounding Khan that I feel is most unnecessary at this point in his career, as he still has plenty left to prove. I also fear he may now decide to take some easy fights in order to ensure nothing derails his future dream bout with Mayweather. However, he has done it before, so hopefully he can prove me wrong once again.
Feel free to follow me on twitter @ByronWallin.
Tags: 18 Responses to “Amir Khan: Credit where credit is due”
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To be fair I dont think Khans chin is that fragile as everyone bangs on about, he got put down with a brillaint punch (he is only human!), and i dont think he should of been able to contiune for the 2nd knock down because he looked like he didnt know were he wa…anyway he proved his chin is durable against Maidana, its old we should move on…just a bump in the road to a glittering career i think…
kHAN IS A HARD WORKING YOUNG-MAN, HE IS A REAL CHAMPION.
there was NO low blow it was on the belt line and NOT in the BALLS Judah could not win this fight that is why he was hand picked to lose.Judah had/has NOTHING.Khan is the Meal ticket that they are all backing Arum HBO ect. he is the Money he will not be allowed to lose until he is no longer useful
Agree with Bearcat..Hatton was a mouse..
Byron, you are not the only one who had wide grins and smiles because of that outrageous prediction of “brutal knockout” by that sarcastic “wannabee sportswriter”. In fact he shows off his thick skin by writing another senseless article after the fight bashing Kahn just to save his face. I really wonder why the management of your sports web Boxing News 24 don’t realize that this writer is only fishing comments and bringing your organization way below the level of Eastside Boxing, Yahoo Sports, Boxing On-line etc., whose writers are all professional. I like your organization the way I like other boxing website for I myself is a boxing enthusiast. Boxing News 24 have great articles and good writers and I hope the two or three of your writers will learn how to integrate to your kind of fold to make your website at par with the others.
Judah had nothing. I thought Judah would pring it early but run out of gas. Khan dominated, low blow or not judah wanted out. I think it was right on the belt, eather way this is boxing, when the ref is counting you better get up.
Khan is fast with his hands and he moves backwards and forwards well. He doesn’t have a great versatility of technique nor of lateral movement, nor is he a confident inside fighter. If he can dominate a fighter with his jab then he can win fights. But you could say the same of Pacquiao and he’s been incredibly successful (mostly down to being a southpaw, however). His style is still essentially an amateur boxing style – fast straight punches. He will be tested when he finds fighters who neutralise his jab and close distance. When this happens his confidence is sapped instantly. For me, he doesn’t have the brains or the versatility of style to ever be a great fighter, what he is, is very fast and long and that will get him only so far.
people can have there opinions on khan but u have to respect the fact that he is going after the best fighters out there. So as long as he keeps winning guess can keep talking.
@ Bryon
I dont know which zab Judah you watched but he never had sound defense, ever.
@ skelly
Nice comment
not gonna comment on this article, however im sick and tired of hearing garbage out of judahs mouth, if mayweather is so out of khans league y did he last twelve and only 5 with khan , laughable he was getting back in the fight lmao judah shut up and stick to your re-tweets
great article, khan deserves credit for his last couple of fights!
@bacon 30% punches landed for a high output fighter is pretty outstanding, especially against someone with a usually sound defence like Judah.
I’m a Khan fan also. But he needs to double back and rematch the guy that knocked him out(Prescott) before he starts talking about he is a lb for lb king. Mayweather could not get away with this BS.
khan threw over 200 shots and landed about 60 hardly a masterful display
By the way, this is a very well written article. In quoting the great Iron Mike Tyson, ” a champion goes out on his face”. We all cannot beat everyone forever, and every champion will eventually loose, but we do expect champions to go out in a blaze of glory. “Its a British thing”, to go out like Henry Cooper, or Ricky Hatton, or Naz did, to fight to the last minute and if its your time, to go out with honor, on your shield. Zab should have gone on, until he had to be carried out on a stretcher. We expect greatness from champions.
great article i agree with everything u said good job
Khan is still not, and never will be as good as, or as exciting as the great British light welter, and welter champion Ricky Hatton. Nor will he ever match the great Naseem Hammed. He just hasn’t got it and will never be as good as Naz or Hatton.
nice article ! down with scott gilfraud