Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Broner/Malignaggi, Khan, Maidana, Rios & More!

06/24/201306/24/2013 Vivek Wallace

broner0009 Jamison G. (Hollywood, FL): I thought Adrien Broner’s performance was pretty average. I don’t see the hype in him at all. How did you rate his performance overall last Saturday night?

Vivek W. (ESB): Seems fight fans around the globe are pretty quick to swing on that proverbial ‘pendulum’ for a fighter, be it for the positive or the negative. When a fighter knocks someone out, that person instantly becomes the “new” KO artist. When a fighter is knocked out, that person instantly becomes an “exposed” fighter. Many compare Broner to Mayweather. Others say Mayweather’s the last person in the world he needs to be compared to, as he simply isn’t that good in their mind. Those two widely contrasting perspectives would symbolize precisely why I don’t like to get caught up in the hype, as the truth is always somewhere in between…..not to the extremes that supporters, as well as haters pursue.

continue

Does Marcos Maidana vs. Amir Khan II Make Sense For Both?

06/13/201306/12/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

maidana65 After Amir Khan had won his bout against Marcos Maidana via a 12 round unanimous decision in 2010, many boxing fans demanded a rematch. Towards the end of the fight Maidana seemed to have hurt Khan, and was certainly comfortable coming forward. There was an entire community of boxing fans convinced that in a proposed rematch, Maidana would have sent Khan to the canvas.

Back then, it would have been impressive and shocking to most boxing fans, but today, after Danny Garcia had shown that Khan’s chin is not made of granite, it would simply pave the way for the critics to claim that they had known that Khan was an average fighter all along.

continue

Schaefer: Khan and Alexander on board for December 7th fight

06/07/201306/06/2013 Michael Collins

khan4532 Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is saying that he’s got an agreement from both Amir Khan and IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander for a fight on December 7th in Dubai. Schaefer is still working out the details of the fight and he still needs to iron out the venue, but he’s got the hardest part out of the way in getting both guys to agree to the fight.

Schaefer’s grand plan is to have Khan fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year if he gets past Alexander. That’s a big if. Khan looks almost like he’s on his last legs in losing two out of his last four fights and barely beat Julio Diaz in his last fight.

That would have been three losses in Khan’s last four fights. I actually had Khan losing that fight but it shows you how vulnerable Khan is that he couldn’t even beat a fighter like Diaz without controversy.

continue

Khan to face Devon Alexander on December 7th; Mayweather a possibility if Amir wins

06/02/2013 Michael Collins

khan43 - Copy Former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (28-3, 19 KO’s) will be battling IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander (25-1, 14 KO’s) on December 7th in a fight that could take place in Dubai. If Khan wins the fight, Golden Boy Promotions will look to match him up with WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in early 2014.

Richard Schaefer, the CEO for Golden Boy, told the dailymail.co.uk “Amir needs one fight at welterweight along with a title to set up the match with Floyd…[Alexander] has agreed to the fight. We will be finalizing and signing the contract in the next couple of weeks…if he defeats Devon…the next step for him would be against Floyd.”

continue

Khan: It’s difficult seeing Peterson coming back from his loss to Matthysse

05/19/2013 Michael Collins

peterson453 (Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) Amir Khan thinks it’s going to be difficult for IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson to come back from his 3rd round TKO loss to Lucas Matthysse last Saturday night. Peterson was annihilated by Matthysse in a three-knockdown loss at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

As soon as the fight ended, Khan immediately started chirping about how he thinks he can beat Matthysse and it was quite amusing to listen to him considering he just struggled to beat Julio Diaz.

Khan said to Sky Sports News “It’s hard to see Peterson come back from a devastating knockout like that…the 140 division is the most exciting division and it’s made me want to stay in it. I’ve said I’m going to move up to 147, but I’ve not made that move yet. I want to mix it up with these guys.”

continue

Khan wants Matthysse fight; thinks he’s got the style to beat him

05/19/2013 Michael Collins

matthysse100 (Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) Amir Khan liked what he saw of Lucas Matthysse last night in his easy 3rd round TKO win over Lamont Peterson at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, Khan saw things in Matthysse’s fighting style that he feels would enable him to beat the Argentinian and he says he’d like to fight him.

Khan said “I’d love to fight Lucas Matthysse. My style would definitely suit Matthysse and I’d beat him. This wants me to stay at 140.”

Khan is moving up to 147 in his next fight, so it’s easy for him to say all this stuff now about wanting to fight Matthysse when it doesn’t look like it’s doable.

continue

Is Amir Khan shot or simply a fighter in transition?

05/16/201305/16/2013 ESB

khan#2 - Copy By Jack Scales: Amir Khan’s most recent performance against Julio Diaz, was in some respects typical of the Amir we have grown to know and appreciate over the years. As usual he displayed tremendous valor and the fans were treated to an engaging contest that provided terrific value for money.

Complimenting this was a new found maturity that revered trainer Virgil Hunter has instilled in Khan. This was evident in his uncharacteristic reaction to the knockdown he suffered in round four. Instead of his usual response, which has typically been to bounce back up immediately and engage in a costly brawl, on this occasion he maintained his composure and boxed sensibly.

continue

WBC drops Khan from top 15 welterweight rankings

05/14/2013 Michael Collins

khan1 khan1 For some reason the World Boxing Council (WBC) has dropped Amir Khan from their top 15 welterweight rankings after his struggle to defeat 33-year-old Julio Diaz last month on April 27th. Before that fight the WBC had elevated Khan to #2 in their welterweight rankings despite the fact that Khan had never fought at welterweight before and had lost two out of his last three fights.

It was hard to understand what the WBC saw in Khan to put him at #2 at 147 because normally fighters that has lost 2 out of their last 3 fights aren’t given a bump in the rankings.

continue

Amir Khan vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2014?

05/07/201305/06/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

floyd#15 After this past Saturday night, when Floyd Mayweather Jr. made his fight against Robert Guerrero look like a sparring session rather than a world championship bout, the mystery of how to beat Floyd remains in tact.

Every fighter has promised to do what Floyd’s previous opponent failed to deliver, but thus cycle has been ongoing for all of his 44 fights. Of course knowing Mayweather Jr., he is as much a businessman as he is a fighter, and he knows how to make them most of his promotional effort.

One of the main names mentioned for Mayweather Jr. as the next potential challenger is Saul Alvarez, but it seems as though Amir Khan in more on the Money Team’s radar as this point in time.

continue

Khan sees Mayweather as too skilled for Guerrero; thinks he’s got the style to beat Floyd

05/07/201305/04/2013 Michael Collins

Amir Khan is hoping to get Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring in the near future, possibly in September if Mayweather gets past Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero tonight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Khan likes Mayweather in that fight due to his skills.

Khan said as quoted by thesun.co.uk “Guerrero’s a tough guy but skill-wise he’s not in the same league as Mayweather…I have a great team around me and we have a game plan for defeating Mayweather.”

continue