By Scott Gilfoid: Paul McCloskey (22-1, 12 Ko’s) gave it his best shot in his fight with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KO’s) last Saturday night, making Khan hit air for most of the fight and tiring him out by the 6th. Had the fight continued into the second half, I have no doubts that McCloskey would have had an excellent chance of tapping Khan on the chin and knocking him out.

Unfortunately, the referee and doctor stepped in and ruined McCloskey’s big dreams of victory by stopping the fight after a minor cut was opened up above McCloskey’s left eye from Khan ramming heads with him. At the time of the stoppage, McCloskey was looking good, making Khan miss and clubbing him with hard left hands. Khan was throwing a lot of useless flurries, throwing with no power and terrible technique. McCloskey foiled 90% of Khan’s attacks by leaning away and using a lot of good head movement.

McCloskey was setting a trap for Khan, taking him into the deep end of the fight to drown him the way that Marcos Maidana was doing in the last three rounds. Some people complain that McCloskey wasn’t in the fight and that he wasn’t throwing punches. Let me tell you that was all by design. McCloskey was letting Khan shoot up his fireworks early so that he could jump on Khan when he tired out later in the fight.

McCloskey should feel really good about his performance in that fight. I just wish Khan would give the guy a rematch that he so clearly deserves. I don’t figure McCloskey ever getting another chance at Khan. It’s sad how the doctor took away McCloskey’s one and only chance of beating Khan and taking his title.