Khan-Peterson: Another safe fight for Amir

By Boxing News - 10/28/2011 - Comments

Image: Khan-Peterson: Another safe fight for AmirBy Scott Gilfoid: As you can see by the matchmaking recently being done for IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KO’s), his handlers aren’t too interested in risking his neck by putting the shaky-chinned Khan in with someone that can punch.

Khan hasn’t fought a fighter that can punch since he was staggering around and needed saving in his fight against Marcos Maidana last December.

I still think Khan would have been knocked out in that fight had the referee working the fight Joe Cortez not stepped in so many times to break the one-way action when Khan was getting the living daylights pounded out of him while trapped against the ropes.

Khan has since fought an old Zab Judah and the light hitting Paul McCloskey. Now Khan is facing another soft puncher in Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KO’s) on December 10th at the Convention Center in Washington, DC.

This is a fight that Khan and his promoters wanted rather than putting Khan in with Maidana in a rematch that boxing fans really want to see. Khan instead will be fighting Peterson, one of Timothy Bradley’s leftovers.

Bradley easily beat Peterson by a lopsided 12 round decision two years ago. When I say lopsided, I mean it. That was one of Bradley’s easiest fights in recent years. Why Khan would want to fight someone that was easily beaten by Bradley is the real question.

Peterson was exposed and now Khan is facing him rather than Maidana, the WBA regular light welterweight champion. If Khan’s objective is to win fans, it seems to be that the Maidana rematch would be the smarter move.

The Peterson bout looks more like a cherry picking fight to me. I’m sure Khan will win, but so what? Who cares? Peterson was already beaten by Bradley. Where’s the victory in beating leftovers.

It just makes me think that Khan is being carefully matched to keep him moving forward until he gets a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr, and is easily beaten but well paid.



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