Khan-Malignaggi: Can Paulie shock the world and beat Amir?

By Boxing News - 03/06/2010 - Comments

Image: Khan-Malignaggi: Can Paulie shock the world and beat Amir?By William Mackay: With two months to go before the May 15th bout between WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s), few boxing fans are giving the 29-year-old Malignaggi much of any chance at beating Khan in this fight. It seems that few people think that Malignaggi can win this fight despite how unproven Khan still is as a fighter. To be sure, Malignaggi will have to likely fight the perfect fight to get a win over the speedy 23-year-old Khan, but it’s within the possibility. Khan has already proven to be vulnerable in his 1st round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in 2008.

Khan has also been hurt in other fights in his short five year career. Malignaggi could take advantage of Khan’s new style of fighting in which his trainer Freddie Roach has turned Khan into a jabbing and moving robot to keep him from getting hit and taken out. With Khan throwing far less combinations than he used to do, he’s become a much more average fighter and beatable against an opponent that puts pressure on him and can connect with more shots.

The only thing that Malignaggi needs to worry about is getting hit with one of Khans big right hand shots. Amir has developed this punch during the past few months and seems to be able to generate a lot of power with it. Khan used his right hand early to drop his last opponent Dimitri Salita in the 1st round and then later take him out in the same round.

Khan will probably be like a kid in the candy store and will go back to his right hand to see if he can reproduce the same results against Malignaggi. Khan is beatable against a big puncher, and unfortunately for Malignaggi he doesn’t fit in that category. However, Malignaggi is capable of throwing hard when he puts everything he has in his shots. I’d suggest Malignaggi train hard at putting more power in his punches, and then look to time Khan to try and take him out.

If this fight goes to a decision, I doubt Malignaggi will get the win because Khan will be hard to hit with his constant movement. Malignaggi could open some eyes with his own hand speed. He’s not as fast as Khan, but I think he’s probably the fastest fighter that Khan will have faced up to this point in his career. Malignaggi’s hand speed could give Khan problems, especially when Malignaggi starts countering him.

It’s one thing having good hand speed, but it’s often tough for a fighter when he has to fight someone who also punches fast. The fighter that wins isn’t always the one with the faster hands. Malignaggi moves better on his feet than Khan, has a better sense of the flow of a fight and seems to more coordinated.

Khan just seems like a young guy that’s been blessed by fast reflexes but still doesn’t know how to use them for his benefit. Although his trainer Freddie Roach has taught him some things, Khan still seems uncoordinated and clumsy looking as he moves around the ring. Malignaggi hurt Juan Diaz in his last fight, so it’s possible that he can hurt or drop Khan if he connects with anything hard.



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