Is McCloskey awkward enough to hurt Khan?

[johnswan1]

Khan is a very fast starter and I think there's a good chance McCloskey will be overwhelmed in the first few rounds.

But, if Khan becomes reckless early on or doesn't get McCloskey out of there early, does anybody here think McCloskey could be awkward enough and have enough power to hurt or even stop Khan?

I don't think the Maidana fight said a lot about Khans chin. He got caught in the tenth round and was on queer street but did really well to hang on as he did. All that did was re-enforce what we already knew - that Khan has a lot of heart and excellent conditioning.

Maidana doesn't fight clever though and as strong as he is I think it's clear it doesn't have a great boxing brain. The punches that have rocked Khan in the past have been punches he hasn't seen coming.

McCloskey is a southpaw and seems to be able to throw unpredictable punches from unusual angles. I don't think he needs to be the biggest puncher in the world to hurt Khan and it'll be interesting to see what he can do if he can get inside him.

As good a boxer as McCloskey is, I don't think he's got much of a chance of outboxing Khan and feel the key for him is to get inside and catch Khan with short punches on the inside when Khan rushes in with combos.

Easier said than done, but I think McCloskey has an interesting style to test Khan with and although he has just 12 stoppages in 22 wins, none of his past five fights since stepping up to British and European level have gone the distance.

How many southpaws has Khan fought and who was the last one?

This has the potential to be more competitive than people think. It's unlikely that if "Dudey" can pull the upset it will be on points so anybody thinking of a flutter on the Irish underdog may well be better off looking at the 10/1 available about a stoppage victory as opposed to the 7/1 available on the win.

[Gazmac81]

cant see much that will trouble Khan here although think Mckloskey will last till later rounds if not the distance,

one thing i will say though is that Khan could have been stopped by Maidana but what you notice in the big Fights overseas is that the Ref lets them go at it, whereas i would expect over here that if khan lands a few and Mcloskey is on the ropes the ref will prob jump in,

Its all too common over here,

I hope Mckloskey knocks him out though , i wont be paying for this one though

[Hagler2002]

Maidana's power is overrated imo, if McCloskey can take this into the second half of the fight I give him every chance.

John Breen is a shrewd man, he will have a game plan to beat Khan, the question is can McCloskey implement it.

[freddydoesdallas]

I think it all depends on how focused Khan is. If he has been able to brush of all of the dramas from the training camp up to the ppv saga then he won't. If he's not at 100%, i think he can catch him and hurt him.

When does Roach arrive?

[JC]

Looks like he's already here http://news.boxrec.com/news/2011/khan-p ... eo-footage

[gazza8]

quite simply


NO

[maxicarter]

Maidana's power is overrated imo, if McCloskey can take this into the second half of the fight I give him every chance.

John Breen is a shrewd man, he will have a game plan to beat Khan, the question is can McCloskey implement it.

Can't remember ever seeing a big outsider with the bookies looking & sounding so calm. Just got a sneaky feeling he might do it, especially after all the TV stuff with the Khans

http://www.brandhatton.com/VideoNews/18 ... itics.aspx

[boxingchat]

Any chance McCloskey had evaporated when his team agreed to a 12:30 weigh-in. Khan is big and struggles with the 140 limit. What idiot allowed Khan to get on the scales 3 and a half hours earlier than the WBA rules state? Madness, Khan will be 11 stone come fight time and strong as an Ox. Why someone hasn't used the rules to their advantage is a mystery, smacks of inexperience and naievity and I think that is the factor that will cost McCloskey his chance, slim as it was, to hold Khan off for 12 rounds.

[Ramon3MR]

One of our writers is based in Ireland and says he's seen a few of McCloskey's fights. He says he's got some talent but isn't world champion material.

[crusader]

I believe McCloskey can hurt Khan. I think people are seriously going overboard on how much improvment Khan has shown in the chin department. Last time out was the first time he had been hit clean in a while and he was out on his feet for the entire tenth round. Khan is not above being hurt by average hitters and if McCloskey lands flush I wouldn't be surprised to see Amir dancing again.

That said, I expect Khan to outclass McCloskey without too many problems. I don't think McCloskey will get in with punches that are hard enough to seriously unsettle Amir. Khan will be too fast and skilled.

[Londonirish]

I believe McCloskey can hurt Khan. I think people are seriously going overboard on how much improvment Khan has shown in the chin department. Last time out was the first time he had been hit clean in a while and he was out on his feet for the entire tenth round. Khan is not above being hurt by average hitters and if McCloskey lands flush I wouldn't be surprised to see Amir dancing again.

That said, I expect Khan to outclass McCloskey without too many problems. I don't think McCloskey will get in with punches that are hard enough to seriously unsettle Amir. Khan will be too fast and skilled.

[McCannW14]

I believe McCloskey can hurt Khan. I think people are seriously going overboard on how much improvment Khan has shown in the chin department. Last time out was the first time he had been hit clean in a while and he was out on his feet for the entire tenth round. Khan is not above being hurt by average hitters and if McCloskey lands flush I wouldn't be surprised to see Amir dancing again.

That said, I expect Khan to outclass McCloskey without too many problems. I don't think McCloskey will get in with punches that are hard enough to seriously unsettle Amir. Khan will be too fast and skilled.

From what Ive seen of McCloskey he looks wide open and make a lot of defensive error.


I reckon Khan can expose thiose errors inside 3 rounds.

[crusader]

I would be very impressed if Khan stopped McCloskey inside three rounds. Khan has not been one to score early destructions since he moved up to world class opponents.

If a stoppage comes I think it will be around rounds 6-8. If it took Khan three rounds or less it would be a testament of how much he has improved.

[nh1]

[/quote]

From what I've seen of McCloskey he looks wide open and make a lot of defensive errors.

I reckon Khan can expose those errors inside 3 rounds.[/quote]

Absolutely.

[Hagler2002]

McCloskey won't even try to engage for the first 3 rounds, he may well get stopped trying to do this but I'm of the opinion that Khan for all his fast hands has no stamina and no punch power at world level.

If Dudey can take what he has to offer early doors he can win the fight.

Personally I'm having a small punt on Khan rnds 1-3 and McCloskey 7-12

The main bet this weekend is Berto to smash Ortiz.

[Crease]

John Breen is a shrewd man

Agreed. And he should have advised McCloskey against this upcoming fight happening.

McCloskey is gonna be exposed against a top fighter and he will get beat handily. Kahn will exploit McCloskey's limitations... And Paul has a few.

[Crease]

This is one of those fights which I can't that both fighters are capable of winning.

I don't think McCloskey has the tools to beat Kahn.

[Hagler2002]

John Breen is a shrewd man

Agreed. And he should have advised McCloskey against this upcoming fight happening.

McCloskey is gonna be exposed against a top fighter and he will get beat handily. Kahn will exploit McCloskey's limitations... And Paul has a few.

And your opinion of Khan been a top fighter is based on what exactly? Because the Maidana form line got blown to bits last weekend and he's hardly fought any live opponents since he got smashed to bits off Prescott.

[DIRT SUGAR]

What a load of crap. Khans beat Kotelnik who went on to give Alexander fits, Malignaggi who only loses to top guys and Maidana who many expected to blow Khan away. If that's how some of u want to play it then McCloskey was exposed against a past it Lauri who was battered easily by our top ten stoners like Hatton and Witter years ago and made to look very average until Lauri took his eye off through ball. Geez give Khan a break, the lads doing well for a 22 year old! Know stamina at world class someone said!? Do me a favour.

[Re-up Gang]

watch early for khan jabs.
if the jabs are missing, that is mcloscky making him miss, then khan is in for a very tough night.
if mcloscky getting touched with khan jab from the 1st round then its an easy night for khan.

jus remember to watch for khans jab, it will tell us early how this fight is gonna go.

[Dioufy]

Awkwardness is Mc"Clusk"ey's only advantage. But Khan will figure him out after 3 rounds then Khan will overwhelm him in 7 or 8. People after this fight will, in hindsight, see how one-sided this actually is. It's a mismatch, IMO.

[Fatsam]

I agree, mid fight stoppage win for khan i think.

[WildWaylon]

I would love to see Khan do the "Prescott Dance" again, but I doubt it will happen. Khan stoppage 7 or 8.

[DIRT SUGAR]

Khan in one or two. McCloskey's wide open and Khan's handspeed will take him out of the fight very early.

[Dioufy]

Khan in one or two. McCloskey's wide open and Khan's handspeed will take him out of the fight very early.

That is also quite the possibility. I remember Lynes hitting McCloskey clean enough in the 2nd, and wobbling him.