Is Amir Khan World Class Operator?

[FLINT ISLAND]

I have to ask this..............

He was a World Class / Olympic Class amateur.................

But he was dropped in a amateur fight after he won Olympic Silver..............ok fair enough everyone gets dropped

Then he turned pro and looked sensational blowing away low rank opponnets - very talented and fast and looked powerful

But then he was nearly beaten KO'd British / Commonwealth Champion - Willie Limond

He was hurt and dropped by Michael Gomez...............a old man Michael Gomez who looked very slow that night

Back to looking sensational blowing away Osin Fagan - so clearly a very talented fighter

He was smashed out qucikly by Bedis Presscott - who is a unknown quantity.....................

Then he went to Freddie Roach and was supposed to have made big improvements

Then he beat a geniune World Class Operator and modern great in Barrera...............BUT...........Barrera was clealry past it and Barrera's performance was hampered by a vision blocking cut and he was stopped on the cut

Amir Khan is very talented in ways like his fast hands, etc...........thats obvious

But you need more than that to be a World Class performer

Is he a true World Class operator?

I only ask as I still think he has yet to properly prove it

And on Saturday he is about to jump in with someone who is a World Class Operator

[Jeff Thomas]

World class fighter with World class vulnerabilities.

[sweetscience]

World class fighter with World class vulnerabilities.

i think that about sums it up

[FLINT ISLAND]

Maybe he is like a Terry Norris - a talented World Class fighter - but with a glass chin - so he either knocks you out or gets sparked out himself

I once seen Simon Brown KO terry Norris with a Jab !!!!

And Julian Jackson sparked him real qucik too.............

[Jeff Thomas]

Maybe he is like a Terry Norris - a talented World Class fighter - but with a glass chin - so he either knocks you out or gets sparked out himself

I once seen Simon Brown KO terry Norris with a Jab !!!!

And Julian Jackson sparked him real qucik too.............

He couldn't carry Norris' Jock Strap.... at least not yet. Norris was chinny but he was an incredibly talented fighter. Had he had a decent chin he might have been a mega-mega star.

[FLINT ISLAND]

Maybe he is like a Terry Norris - a talented World Class fighter - but with a glass chin - so he either knocks you out or gets sparked out himself

I once seen Simon Brown KO terry Norris with a Jab !!!!

And Julian Jackson sparked him real qucik too.............

He couldn't carry Norris' Jock Strap.... at least not yet. Norris was chinny but he was an incredibly talented fighter. Had he had a decent chin he might have been a mega-mega star.

I agree - Terry Norris was a proven pound for pound elite fighter - just with a bad chin.

[tonyevs]

And Terry Norris had a real good world class punch.

[caffrey]

plus fighters who got hit by julian jackson didnt usually get up,even though he got knocked out a couple of times i still think norris had a better chin than kahn s got.Im reserving my judgement on whether he is a world class pro till saturday night

[craigjenkins05]

But then he was nearly beaten KO'd British / Commonwealth Champion - Willie Limond

bit off topic but dont think limmond ever held a british title???

khan is only world class against a figher lacking in power

[Hagler2002]

When he beats a legitimate World class fighter then I'll make a decision.

[alexpaterson]

We will find out on Saturday night atm i think he isnt he hasnt fought any body of note except a faded and a half bling MAB if he wins then he definetly is world class if he gets beat well he is still 22 and has plenty of time to come back and prove his worth at the world level again

[jamesmcdonnell]

When he beats a legitimate World class fighter then I'll make a decision.

Precisely.

[Wales]

World class fighter with World class vulnerabilities.

My favourite michael gomez quote, ever.. well, maybe not ever, I did like "fornicating hit im bri, for fucks sakes nail the pudendum" at a small hall show on a sunday afternoon in wigan.

[forcefraser]

I think Khan is a world class boxer, his speed is unbelievable. Freddie Roach says he has never seen anyone as fast as Khan.

The problem is I don`t think he is a world class fighter and therein lies the difference. You can box fast and classy as you want, but if you can`t fight at the same level, you are gonna get found out at the top level.

Take Barrerra, Morales, Marquez etc, they can box, but they can also fight. They are warriors through and through, they take one to give one. They have solid chins and go into the trenches. They are world class fighters.

Point in case being Carl Froch. I have no doubt that Khan is technically a far superior boxer than Froch, but Froch is a far superior fighter due to his resiliance, his chin, his mind set and his refusal to lose.

I believe that Khan has all the heart in the world and all the skills, but for me he lacks a real knockout punch and I just don`t see him going into the trenches and coming out a winner against genuine top level opposition.

[Asterix]

World class speed.
World class jab.
World class technique.
Very good footwork.
Good power.
Poor ring smarts.
Poor head movement.
Awful chin.

[whiskey]

Very fast.

However - No gameplan, gets drawn in very easily, picks his punches badly and gets tagged way too much for someone with a glass jaw. An opponent with a tucked up tight defence and big countering punch would give him fits.

Kotelnik is a very technically sound fighter when he gets to the 3rd round onwards he will win this i think.

He was floored by a man with 1 ko win from 10W (Rachid Drilzane) he went the distance with a washed up St Clair.

That said he's been brought along at an even pace and working with Roach can only benefit him so long as he loses his cocky streak and thinks more.

In his defence he is only 22 years old and has now amassed 20-1 fight record with a few reasonable names on there. If he was promoted by Hennessy or Bob Arum, he'd probably be dead now though.

I do think he's exciting, i'll give him that. But it's more to do with his frailties than anything else. But he's defo not PPV material yet.

I'd say he's top 8 at 135lb.

[alexpaterson]

Very fast.

However - No gameplan, gets drawn in very easily, picks his punches badly and gets tagged way too much for someone with a glass jaw. An opponent with a tucked up tight defence and big countering punch would give him fits.

Kotelnik is a very technically sound fighter when he gets to the 3rd round onwards he will win this i think.

He was floored by a man with 1 ko win from 10W (Rachid Drilzane) he went the distance with a washed up St Clair.

That said he's been brought along at an even pace and working with Roach can only benefit him so long as he loses his cocky streak and thinks more.

In his defence he is only 22 years old and has now amassed 20-1 fight record with a few reasonable names on there. If he was promoted by Hennessy or Bob Arum, he'd probably be dead now though.

I do think he's exciting, i'll give him that. But it's more to do with his frailties than anything else. But he's defo not PPV material yet.

I'd say he's top 8 at 135lb.

His gameplan will improve under Roach and he wont get hit as much also they have done a lot of leg work so he will absorb a punch a little better but he still has a very bad chin but he will oly get better under Roach

[hitman_hatton1]

Maybe he is like a Terry Norris - a talented World Class fighter - but with a glass chin - so he either knocks you out or gets sparked out himself

I once seen Simon Brown KO terry Norris with a Jab !!!!

And Julian Jackson sparked him real qucik too.............

He couldn't carry Norris' Jock Strap.... at least not yet. Norris was chinny but he was an incredibly talented fighter. Had he had a decent chin he might have been a mega-mega star.

norris had serious skills.

khan is all flurries compared to some of the stuff norris used to fire in.

[Bard of Boxrec]

What the hell does 'world class vulnerabilities' mean?

You can have all the offensive tools in the world but if you are poleaxed by the first guy that fights back that doesn't make you world class...

In its broadest sense, World Class is being competitive with the best. Let's see how Khan stacks up on Saturday...and no, Khan is not world class if he is the recipient of a bogus premature stoppage win, which I am thinking is increasingly likely to happen.

[hitman_hatton1]

Very fast.

However - No gameplan, gets drawn in very easily, picks his punches badly and gets tagged way too much for someone with a glass jaw. An opponent with a tucked up tight defence and big countering punch would give him fits.

Kotelnik is a very technically sound fighter when he gets to the 3rd round onwards he will win this i think.

He was floored by a man with 1 ko win from 10W (Rachid Drilzane) he went the distance with a washed up St Clair.

That said he's been brought along at an even pace and working with Roach can only benefit him so long as he loses his cocky streak and thinks more.

In his defence he is only 22 years old and has now amassed 20-1 fight record with a few reasonable names on there. If he was promoted by Hennessy or Bob Arum, he'd probably be dead now though.

I do think he's exciting, i'll give him that. But it's more to do with his frailties than anything else. But he's defo not PPV material yet.

I'd say he's top 8 at 135lb.

[hitman_hatton1]

World class speed.
World class jab.
World class technique.
Very good footwork.
Good power.
Poor ring smarts.
Poor head movement.
Awful chin.

i don't think his technique is all that.

he wings away and leaves that chin out to dry.

i wouldn't put him in the good power department either.

he's never put anyone away and really hurt em.

[Autobarn]

at risk of simplifying, i think khan will either be a haye or a mac. he'll either be able to cope and ride out the rough moments and use his more dynamic qualities to close strong...or he'll fold in a situation that promises to be "competitive."

i just hope kotelnik fights with urgency, takes that body, slows him down and hammers that chin...to give us some idea.

[Asterix]

World class speed.
World class jab.
World class technique.
Very good footwork.
Good power.
Poor ring smarts.
Poor head movement.
Awful chin.

i don't think his technique is all that.

he wings away and leaves that chin out to dry.

i wouldn't put him in the good power department either.

he's never put anyone away and really hurt em.

I think his poor ring smarts lets down his technique.

[lirva]

World class fighter with World class vulnerabilities.

i think that about sums it up

What is a world class vulnerability, as opposed to a vulnerability?

[Wales]

Stop being pedantic, we all know what world class vulnerability means and the point that was made when saying it.