Hunter: Watch Khan flourish with me

By Boxing News - 03/06/2013 - Comments

khan45By Scott Gilfoid: Virgil Hunter, the trainer for former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (27-3, 18 KO’s), doesn’t think Khan should be getting criticized for getting blasted out and facing soft touches ever since. Hunter believes that Khan is a huge, huge talent, and that’s been through a gauntlet to get where he is today.

Khan faces 2nd tier fighter Julio Diaz (40-7-1, 29 KO’s) on April 27th in the second fight of Khan’s three-fight contract with Showtime at the Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. This fight might not count as part of Khan’s three-fight contract, even though Showtime will still be televising it.

Hunter said to the telegraph.co.uk “Leave the kid [Khan] alone…watch him flourish under me.”

The rest of what Hunter had to say was blather about how hard Khan had it coming up, and how the fact that he got a Silver medal in the Olympics shows that he’s a good fighter. Hunter doesn’t understand why Khan’s opponent, Diaz, is being criticized by boxing fans.

Hunter considers him a good fighter. Hunter doesn’t comment on the fact that Diaz isn’t even ranked in the top 15 by any of the sanctioning bodies, and why Khan decided to fight him rather than someone ranked highly like Ajose Olusegun.

I guess that’s probably the reason why boxing fans are shooting darts at the quality of Khan’s opponent because it’s the second straight 2nd tier fighter that Khan is facing.

If Hunter doesn’t understand that then that’s disappointing because boxing fans are naturally going to speak up if they see a top contender facing guys that aren’t even ranked in the top 15. I mean, are fans supposed to just sit there and not speak because it might hurt Khan’s feeling when he faces lower level opposition.

I don’t see Khan doing any flourishing with Hunter. I know Hunter did a great job with Andre Ward, but the chances of succeeding with Hunter are remote at best because Khan will have to continue to be steered around the good fighters to keep from him getting knocked out.

As soon as Golden Boy Promotions takes Khan off the soft diet he’s been on since he was starched in the 4th round by Danny Garcia last year, it’ll be curtains for Khan, and I guess Hunter will get the hook that time comes. It’ll someone else that Khan will likely see as the magical bottle that will turn his career around. I wonder who it’ll be next time. My guess is Robert Garcia out of Oxnard, California.



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