By Eric Thomas: Dmitri Salita (30-1-1, 16 KO’s) wants a rematch with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, who stopped Salita in the 1st round on December 5th in England. Salita, 28, was undefeated at the time that he, with his number #1 ranking in the WBA, stepped up and was viciously smacked down by Khan in one round blowout. Salita was dropped in the opening seconds of the fight and ended up getting knocked down multiple times by Khan.
Amir Khan
Amir Khan boxing news
Malignaggi: “I’m going to enjoy sinking my punches into Khan”
By Sean McDaniel: In a press release sent out yesterday, former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) said he can’t wait to fight WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s). The two fighters will be meeting on May 15th in Khan’s U.S debut fight at Madison Square Garden, in New York. Malignaggi, who isn’t known for having much power, says “I believe I’m the faster fighter. If I get hit on chin, I’m not going to wobble. If Amir Khan starts wobbling, I hope they have a pillow for him in the corner, because he’s going to sleep. I’m going to enjoy sinking my punches into Khan. Some fights are just business, but not his one. I’m going to enjoy every punch I land.”
Khan discusses how he picks his opponents
By William Mackay: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) revealed a strategy of picking fighters on the downsides of their careers in an interview at GQ magazine. Khan, 23, said “You have to know the best time to have these big fights in your career. If you look at Oscar De La Hoya, he fought all the best fighters when they were on the way downhill, and not at their best. I want to catch these guys when they have come off their peak. But I have to be careful because there might be a younger version of me coming up who wants to do exactly the same to me.”
Hatton thinks Khan will easily beat Malignaggi – News
By William Mackay: Ricky Hatton believes that World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) will easily beat former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) when they meet up on May 15th in Madison Square Garden, in New York. In his column at the Manchestereveningnews.co.uk, Hatton says “Having beaten Malignaggi comfortably myself, I do not envisage any problems for Amir and expect him to win easily.” Well, Hatton has been wrong before, so maybe he could end up on the wrong side of this pick as well.
Mitchell thinks he won’t get a chance against Khan unless he loses again
By William Mackay: Lightweight contender Kevin Mitchell (31-0, 23 KO’s) thinks that WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) isn’t interested in fighting him, because if he was he would have fought him already. In an article at Sky Sports, Mitchell spoke on a number of issues besides this, mentioning that Khan is facing an easy opponent in Paulie Malignaggi and getting really well paid for the fight. Mitchell says “The only time I’d get to meet Khan is if he got beaten and wanted to up his profile. If Khan gets beaten again, then no one will want to know him. They’ll know he’s not the real thing.”
Malignaggi says he will no longer play it nice with Khan
By William Mackay: Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) says he’s not going to be playing it nice with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) on May 15th in their title fight at Madison Square Garden. On Malignaggi’s Twitter page, Malignaggi had this to say: “I tried to be Mr. nice guy and respect Amir Khan and his perverted ways. But that is now out the window, like when round four comes and he hasn’t knocked me out.”
Khan says he has the “speed and power to stop” Malignaggi
By Jim Dower: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) thinks he has the hand speed and the power to take out his opponent Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) when they face each other on May 15th at Madison Square Garden, in New York. In an article at the Vancouver Sun, Khan says “We’ve got a game plan me and Freddie [Roach, his trainer] have been working on. We’ve got a plan A and a Plan B and if Plan A doesn’t work, then Plan B is going to work. Paulie is quite awkward and he can get a fighter quite frustrated. I’ve got the speed and the power to stop him. We just have to stick to the game plan.”
Khan-Malignaggi: Will Amir impress or fall on his face?
By Jim Dower: WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) has a high profile fight coming up next week against former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) on May 15th at Madison Square Garden, in New York. Khan, 23, looked sensational in defending his WBA title for the first time in stopping Dmitri Salita in the 1st round last time out in December. Khan will be looking to put in another Salita-like performance when he steps in the ring against Malignaggi on the 15th.
Malignaggi: “If Manny won’t take the test, I’ll take it” – to fight Mayweather
By William Mackay: Former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) is interested in stepping in and taking on undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. for his next fight, if Mayweather’s preferred opponent WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao won’t agree to take the Olympic style random blood test that Mayweather is insisting on before he’ll fight him. Malignaggi says he wants to see Mayweather fight Pacquiao and is even urging Pacquiao to go ahead and take the blood tests so that the fight can be made.
Khan says he’ll be ready to fight Mayweather and Pacquiao in 12 months
By William Mackay: With only 23 fights as a pro, WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) believes that he’ll be ready to fight both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao by next year. This is kind of amazing, given that Khan was knocked out in the 1st round by Breidis Prescott in 2008, and has been carefully brought along since that time, facing fighters like Oisin Fagan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Andriy Kotelnik and Dmitri Salita. All good fighters, to be sure, but not exactly the type of opposition that would make you think that Khan will be ready to face fighters like Pacquiao and Mayweather.