The Curse of Khan

By Boxing News - 07/16/2012 - Comments

Image: The Curse of KhanBy Rimar Cry: Following Khan’s career is like reading a classic curse fable. He’s a young man gifted with almost legendary speed and accuracy, but an inherent weakness so severe that it renders him impotent.

I’m not just talking about his chin now, that’s too obvious. Khan has two other flaws that are even more of an Achilles heal than his fragile jaw.

The first, and most striking, is his delusional attitude. Talking about himself in the 3rd person like he has superpowers and skills that far exceed his also very talented peers. Mayweather’s name is banded around with an utter lack of respect. I’m not a Mayweather fan boy, but Floyd has earned his reputation and deserves respect. Could Khan have soaked up Cotto’s big shots over 12 rounds? Not a chance!

Second, but equally important, is Khan’s inability to deal with pressure. Some boxers become focused when the going gets tough. They find another gear when they feel endangered. When Sergio Martinez got knocked to the ground by Pavlik and Macklin, he jumped to his feet and switched into predator mode. Khan can’t do this. When Khan gets hurt he looses focus and runs away, instead of getting angry and going for the kill.

In truth, talk about Khan’s natural assets of speed and accuracy is mostly hype. That doesn’t mean fictitious. He’s definitely fast and skilful, but not nearly as much as he’s credited for. Most of that speed comes at great expense, with a lack of power behind the flurries. He scores points with empty shots that increasingly fail to gain respect from his opponents.

Amir Khan could easily be king again, but not with the mentality that has developed under the tutelage of Mr Roach. I think that relationship has all but expired. Khan’s been hyped by the Wildcard into believing he’s a Mayweather slayer, capable of outgunning just about any opponent. As we saw on Saturday, the truth and the fairy tale are somewhat different. Khan has flaws so severe that continuing in the sport may not be possible.

The bottom line: Khan can’t take a direct shot on the chin even from less than stellar opponents. We know this 100% now. If Khan rethinks his strategy and becomes a defensive boxer he may be able to regain a top position at 140. He needs to acknowledge his shortcomings and start fighting off his back foot, instead of leaping forwards. His speed and accuracy could make him a formidable defensive fighter, but he needs to leave the macho toe to toe stuff behind and concentrate on precision, meaningful, counter punches.



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