By Dan Ambrose: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan may have a ton of speed going for him in his match-up with former International Boxing Federation light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi for their May 15th fight, but Khan’s chin is a major liability for him coming into this fight. Malignaggi may or may not have the power to test Khan’s glass chin, though, but he needs to try his best to test it.

Malignaggi probably won’t be able to outbox the much faster Khan unless he can hurt the British star and put him down on the canvas a couple of times. Malignaggi’s whole game is the box, move on the outside and peck away at his opponents with fast single shots. At time, Malignaggi will open up with some combinations but he rarely does that when he’s facing an opponent with speed and power like Khan.

But for this fight, Malignaggi needs to change his game up dramatically and focus on head hunting as much as possible. He also needs to tryu to load up with his shots to catch Khan as he comes in trying to land his trademark flurries. Khan fought scared in his fight against former World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik last year in beating him by a 12 round decision to take his title.

However, against Dmitri Salita, Khan’s first title defense of his WBA crown, he came out firing away in the opening round and immediately put Salita on the deck with a big right hand. Khan continued to unload on the slow and badly over-matched Salita until the fight was eventually stopped by the referee in the same round. The combination of that win and the lack of power of Malignaggi will cause Khan to want to come out fast trying to try and score a fast knockout so he can impress the American fans at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Khan has a lot of pressure on him, because this is his debut fight in the United States and he wants to become really popular there. The only way that Khan can become popular in the U.S. is if he comes out quick against the weak punching Malignaggi looking to take him out as fast as possible. This in turn will give Malignaggi a chance to catch Khan with a big punch if he’s ready for Khan and loads up as Khan comes in trying to land with his fast combinations. So can Malignaggi stop or put Khan down?

I think he can, but he’s going to have to give up that hunt and peck style and come out looking completely different. Malignaggi has nothing to lose if he does look to slug with Khan, because I don’t give Malignaggi any chance if he tries to box the fast Khan. He’ll get beaten up by the younger Khan if he tries to box him from the outside. That won’t work at all and I think it will go badly for the American.