Khan should have been like an old tommy hearns by now

[Bricks]

Back in Khans first fight Barry mcguigan felt compelled to say Khan looked a little like tommy hearns the way he boxed on his pro debut.

Ive always felt that comparison was a laughable joke. I never felt he could be the young hearns, but id did think he could be a poor mans old but still v useful hearns circa late 87-late 88 by now 7 plus years as a pro and if he could have half the brain of that hearns he would surely be the finished article and still an unbeaten star. IT hasnt happened

The sad truth is with his amateur pedigree, and fast lighning hands which go so well to the body as well as the head and the big broad shoulders and propensity to create excitement in the ring, Amir Khan should have been more like at least the fading Hearns of 87-late 88 in terms of having developed into a mature pro style with fast hands ripping foes but that vulnerable chin etc.

But none of it has happened for 7 years as a pro khan has fought a amateurish style wasting his natural stamina and energy bouncing around and jumping in rushed, damn is he rushed and thus negating the punch power that has never ever come close to what it should have been as a pro.

I said a long long time ago on these pages khan needed to develop control. make better use of his jab and handspeed and body punches and fight controlled, concentrte on defence and stop this juvenile rushing in , and look to counter rather than lead all the time.

He did the right thing in getting virgil hunter in. and he showed real glimpses of improvements in all these areas last night but he has a hell of a long long time to go. A real shame manny steward is not around he could have helped KHan. And theres no way a tommy hearns or mike mccallum would advise him or have their advice accepted so lets hope from my perspective he finally learns to sit on his shots, fight controlled, learn to counter more and just maximise that lightning handspeed without being rushed

[JLP]

Nah, Barry's comparison was shit, mate. As much as I like Khan, he's a completely different animal from Tommy. Amir is a pure fighter but he's not got a single analytical braincell in his head. He's just a wind him up and let him spin sort of guy. Hearns was a killer but he had a chess player's mind to go with that slayer's body.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Khan's debut remains the most impressed I have ever been of him. He DID indeed look like a killer during that first round blowout. Then, eh...

[loaded_gloves]

Barry also called Amir's opponent Vitali Martnyov 'a dangerous kid' and 'obviously a banger' before the first bell rang, Vitali stumbled about like a raw novice then proceeded to fall over from the first punch Amir landed.

Nothing Barry McGuigan says as a pundit should be taken seriously.

[Bricks]

Nah, Barry's comparison was shit, mate. As much as I like Khan, he's a completely different animal from Tommy. Amir is a pure fighter but he's not got a single analytical braincell in his head. He's just a wind him up and let him spin sort of guy. Hearns was a killer but he had a chess player's mind to go with that slayer's body.

But u guys must admit.....albeit in a cruder rushed slower manner going fwd....there is something of tommy hearns in Khans blistering fast hands especially on straight shots.....its the lack of analytical mind lack of ability to fight hard on the back foot like Hearns that i lament in the origional post.

[Quixall]

Can't see any comparison to Hearns......

Khan does what he does because he doesn't have the skill base to do anything else, otherwise he would have developed the skills and approach suggested. He has fast hands and can deliver a shot well, abeit without much power, but he is not an all round fighter and never will be. The in out pity pat style will see him beat most opponents that are at world level, but any real serious opponent, especially one with punch power will see Khan lose most times. He is what he is......

[loaded_gloves]

Khan attacks with amateur style flurries, whilst Hearns swung with skull-cracking sledge hammers.

Other than both men being vulnerable, albeit with Hearns being much harder to get to and vulnerable on a much, much higher level than Khan, I see no comparison whatsoever. Nothing!

[Bricks]

Im probably not getting my point across well enough here.

Hearns also had a vulnerable chin but heart of a lion, and no one can dispute Khan has a huge heart.

Hearns as an amateur also had this elongated pitty patty style (something like 17 ko/tko's in over 100 amateur wins). My fundamental point is I really expected Khan to develop into a puncher as he matured from ages 18 upwards. He has terrific handspeed perhaps more than any british fighter i have seen emerge in the last 20 years but he just has not developed a gameplan beyond plan A. He doesnt use his brain hasnt developed a tactical way of fighting in short his brain does not match his gifts and he wastes loads of energy in teh way a young hearns did.....he should have developed into a guy able to expend less energy by now and be more seasoned, able to block, defend without running, and able to fight on the inside. In fairness he has gone to Hunter who has a guy in Ward fighting economically, countering,and a defensive master......obviously we dont want Khan to be a stinker like ward but he should and could be so much better....

[Quixall]

Im probably not getting my point across well enough here.

Hearns also had a vulnerable chin but heart of a lion, and no one can dispute Khan has a huge heart.

Hearns as an amateur also had this elongated pitty patty style (something like 17 ko/tko's in over 100 amateur wins). My fundamental point is I really expected Khan to develop into a puncher as he matured from ages 18 upwards. He has terrific handspeed perhaps more than any british fighter i have seen emerge in the last 20 years but he just has not developed a gameplan beyond plan A. He doesnt use his brain hasnt developed a tactical way of fighting in short his brain does not match his gifts and he wastes loads of energy in teh way a young hearns did.....he should have developed into a guy able to expend less energy by now and be more seasoned, able to block, defend without running, and able to fight on the inside. In fairness he has gone to Hunter who has a guy in Ward fighting economically, countering,and a defensive master......obviously we dont want Khan to be a stinker like ward but he should and could be so much better....

You have explained it very well Mugabi......and i agree

I just don't agree when you say that his brain isn't equal to his skill sets. I don't think he has those skill sets to block, counter, satnd your ground, fight off the back foot, fight on the inside etc etc. I think he is decent at what he does, but he can't or couldn't emerge into a being a different fighter, aka the way Hearns did, because he doesn't have the skills to do so. He is good at certain things, ie, his speed is suberb, his acuracy is also good, he can deliver a shot well and has good timing, but for me he lacks the skill sets to make him a complete fighter and that is why he continues to fight as he does.

[Trojans44]

Can't see any comparison to Hearns......

Khan does what he does because he doesn't have the skill base to do anything else, otherwise he would have developed the skills and approach suggested. He has fast hands and can deliver a shot well, abeit without much power, but he is not an all round fighter and never will be. The in out pity pat style will see him beat most opponents that are at world level, but any real serious opponent, especially one with punch power will see Khan lose most times. He is what he is......

Good synopsis and the bit in bold I thin is the key point. I've several regular posters backtracking on Khan in a major way since Garcia, basically righting him off as rubbish. He's not rubbish, he's just very far for being the elite master boxer they thought he was. Khan has big wins ahead of him, he'll beat excellent fighters and win world titles. He may even smash Garcia to pieces; certainly he was dominating him till that left hook. I' not even sure the chin stuff is entirely accurate these days as we've seen evidence Garcia is a massive puncher. But he simply can't deal with an aggressive, intelligent pressure fighter that can close the gap. If you can get near Khan you'll probably beat him.

So not the no-hoper some claim, just not an elite operator. Still leagues ahead of any other Brit of comparable age in terms of achievement.

[Quixall]

Can't see any comparison to Hearns......

Khan does what he does because he doesn't have the skill base to do anything else, otherwise he would have developed the skills and approach suggested. He has fast hands and can deliver a shot well, abeit without much power, but he is not an all round fighter and never will be. The in out pity pat style will see him beat most opponents that are at world level, but any real serious opponent, especially one with punch power will see Khan lose most times. He is what he is......

Good synopsis and the bit in bold I thin is the key point. I've several regular posters backtracking on Khan in a major way since Garcia, basically righting him off as rubbish. He's not rubbish, he's just very far for being the elite master boxer they thought he was. Khan has big wins ahead of him, he'll beat excellent fighters and win world titles. He may even smash Garcia to pieces; certainly he was dominating him till that left hook. I' not even sure the chin stuff is entirely accurate these days as we've seen evidence Garcia is a massive puncher. But he simply can't deal with an aggressive, intelligent pressure fighter that can close the gap. If you can get near Khan you'll probably beat him.

So not the no-hoper some claim, just not an elite operator. Still leagues ahead of any other Brit of comparable age in terms of achievement.

Your statement here is spot on :

But he simply can't deal with an aggressive, intelligent pressure fighter that can close the gap. If you can get near Khan you'll probably beat him.