By William Mackay: It was laughable hearing WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan saying that Floyd Mayweather Jr will probably duck him the way that he’s ducking his close friend Manny Pacquiao.
It’s like Khan is trying to shame Mayweather into fighting him rather than just letting him decide on his own whether Khan is a worthy opponent to fight.
I honestly don’t see that Khan deserves a fight against Mayweather yet. I know Mayweather is fighting WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz on September 17th, but Ortiz proved himself worthy of a bout against Mayweather by beating Andre Berto, the previous World Boxing Association title.
That to me seems worthy of a fight against Mayweather. Ortiz took some hellacious shots in the Berto fight and got up off the canvas twice to beat him.
Unlike Khan, who was running, holding and shoving Marcos Maidana during the last three rounds of their fight, Ortiz stood in front of Berto and beat him at his own game.
Ortiz didn’t grab Berto by the neck to pull his head forward all night, and didn’t grab to try to survive the way that Khan did in his life and death battle against Maidana.
The Maidana fight is clearly Khan’s biggest win of his career and he didn’t look nearly as impressive in that fight as Ortiz did in his fight against Berto.
Here are Khan’s other important fights during his career:
Andriy Kotelnik
Marco Antonio Barrera
Paulie Malignaggi
Zab Judah
Paul McCloskey
This is a pretty weak bunch if you ask me. Judah was a good fighter six years ago, but he’s not the fighter that fought Mayweather in 2006. And really Judah’s best years were between 2000 and 2003. After that, his career has been a mixed bag.
Kotelnik has no power and is mostly a jabber, and that’s not a fight that should put Khan in with Mayweather. Malignaggi is a non-puncher and was tailor made for Khan. McCloskey has no power, no hand speed and no real offense. Barrera was old and way over his weight class by the time Khan fought him.
I’m sorry but Khan still doesn’t deserve a shot against Mayweather in my book. Maybe if Khan would fight Maidana or Breidis Prescott again and beat them conclusively, I’d change my mind. But I see Khan’s win over Maidana as tainted because of how the referee constantly broke up the action in the last three rounds of the fight when Khan was badly hurt and taking punishment.
That seemed very strange to me, like he saved Khan from getting knocked out. And now with Khan targeting the winner of the Lucas Matthysse vs. Erik Morales fight, I really don’t think that’s the right choice to get a Mayweather fight.
I don’t think Khan will fight Matthysse if he wins and will instead go after someone like Lamont Peterson, who can’t punch at all.
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