Khan-Marquez May 15th in Vegas

[Chambers2]

Decent fight ...I'd have preferred the Maidana fight though.

[stujones]

I'm wondering if this means that Khan has to vacate - will this be for the WBO Lightweight title?

Probably not, but I would imagine Marquez only wants Khan for the belt - he can be Mexico's first four weight world champion.

If Hatton can get someone half decent in his return..... what a mouth watering end of year prospect would be.... Hatton (assuming he wins his comeback) vs the winner.

[Datsue]

I am the world's biggest Marqy-Marq fan. I hate this fight for him, & can only see him losing a decision in which he chases, chases, chases some more & gets jabbed to death. Styles make fights, as they say.

If five years back a tall rangy featherweight who doesn't really have much more about him than being tall & rangy (oh okay Matilda, if you must: he has a nice jab, ability to back-pedal at a high rate of knots & decent handspeed. Remind you of anyone?) managed to give Marquez a Hell of a time -- & I am talking about Chris John here -- what makes anyone think Marqy-Marq is going to have anything other than a nightmare with a naturally bigger, even faster light-welter in Khan, now that JMM is a stone heavier & yards slower than he was in his prime? Marquez is going to have to get luckier with the right hand than he's ever been, because he sure as feck isn't going to be winning any rounds as Khan sprints away from him, sticking him to death with the jab.

Props, as they say, to Amir, for taking this fight. His team have been canny as feck at spotting people he can beat since the Prescott loss. Did he take on new management or something, or is the lad smarter than he looks?

[Twinkle Toes]

It is very much a calculated fight, but it is to be expected with his first US fight.

[winkveron]

It's still a good match up. Before the Floyd fight people were saying Marquez was one of the top pound for pounders, so it's not going to be an easy fight for Khan.

[MrBoxingUK2]

I'm wondering if this means that Khan has to vacate - will this be for the WBO Lightweight title?

Probably not, but I would imagine Marquez only wants Khan for the belt - he can be Mexico's first four weight world champion.

If Hatton can get someone half decent in his return..... what a mouth watering end of year prospect would be.... Hatton (assuming he wins his comeback) vs the winner.

nt a chance this happens at lightweight. khan struggles to make weight there. he's way too big for lw

[nuclearfist78]

the fight has been changed to Marquez - Katsidis, who u gonna pick? I pick JMM by KO by round 7 or 9.

[MrBoxingUK2]

the fight has been changed to Marquez - Katsidis, who u gonna pick? I pick JMM by KO by round 7 or 9.

yeh just seen it boxrec have it down as 27th march in california. jmm ud

[MrBoxingUK2]

the fight has been changed to Marquez - Katsidis, who u gonna pick? I pick JMM by KO by round 7 or 9.

yeh just seen it boxrec have it down as 27th march in california. jmm ud

maidana facing cayo on the undercard.

[Datsue]

the fight has been changed to Marquez - Katsidis, who u gonna pick? I pick JMM by KO by round 7 or 9.

yeh just seen it boxrec have it down as 27th march in california. jmm ud

Fantastic.

Also: Cayo will beat Maidana. He's like Khan -- a great big long mobile lightwelter -- except I haven't seen him knocked out yet.

[leforge]

the fight has been changed to Marquez - Katsidis, who u gonna pick? I pick JMM by KO by round 7 or 9.

yeh just seen it boxrec have it down as 27th march in california. jmm ud

maidana facing cayo on the undercard.

Do you think we see that in UK? Also any news on who Khan will fight?

[leeharding]

yeh just seen it boxrec have it down as 27th march in california. jmm ud

maidana facing cayo on the undercard.

Do you think we see that in UK? Also any news on who Khan will fight?

khan a lww marquez a lww wat aload of bollocks fight at ure own weight instead of fighting smaller people

[bennie]

The word is Amir Khan goes from humble Bolton boy to Las Vegas headliner when he defends his WBA light-welterweight title against lightweight star Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 15.
It is Khan’s US debut.
The 23-year-old Lancashire lad has just linked up with Golden Boy Promotions in America, headed by former boxing great Oscar De La Hoya, and this is the dizzying upshot. Khan takes on an established ‘name’ who adorns the world No. 1 spot at lightweight and went 12 brisk rounds with pound-for-pound No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Junior in his very last outing in September, which is more than Manchester’s Ricky Hatton could do in December 2007. At 36 the classy Mexican’s record reads like a “Who’s who” of modern boxing greats: Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Joel Casamayor, Manuel Medina…
Both Marquez and Khan have beaten Barrera.
Marquez held the magnificent Pacquiao, boxing’s Bruce Lee and pound-for-pound No. 2, to a controversial draw in a 12-round classic at the MGM Grand back in May 2004. To me he was absolutely robbed of the win, despite a disastrous start when he was down three times in the first round. Marquez is a smooth-boxing yet surprisingly aggressive exponent and he came back and held his own for the next 11 but “Pac Man” is phenomenally popular in Tinsel Town and the Las Vegas judges came up with what amounted to blatant fence-sitting. (Las Vegas remains Las Vegas to this day – its decisions often reviled.) Pacquiao then blatantly avoided Marquez over the next four years, showing why when they finally met again in March 2008 at the Mandalay Bay and Pacquiao surfaced on yet another ‘Las Vegas decision’, this time a split decision - the same Pacquiao later to destroy De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Hatton, respectively. If Pacquiao – and Mayweather – was unable to put a real dent in Marquez, you can be sure Khan fails to as well.
Marquez never really got close to the slick, so-much bigger “Pretty Boy” four months ago, although he got close enough to go down in the second round. He might be vulnerable early on but bounced up and continued pursuing the 40-0 Mayweather to the final bell to concede a wide, unanimous decision. With 50 wins of his own, Marquez can really fight but he turned pro in 1993 when Khan was still only seven and one wonders if all those years, some on the gruelling Mexican circuit, all those big fights, are beginning to show. He cuts up and swells up easily these days and – more ominously – is NOT a light-welterweight. Frankly, he looked fleshy at 142 pounds against Mayweather, just two pounds over the same light-welterweight limit at which he tackles Khan. He also looked slower than normal. Marquez has ‘grown’ naturally through the divisions, dominating the featherweights for many years before tackling Pacquiao, the second time, at super-featherweight, after which he moved to lightweight and picked Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor to pieces for world lightweight belts, prior to the Mayweather humbling. As the latter affair showed, Marquez is small and slowish at anything above lightweight.
On the contrary, Khan was up at light-welterweight in the amateurs and is lightning-fast, so fast, in fact, referees are often forced to intervene because the other guys are too preoccupied with defence to punch back. Joe Calzaghe used the same trick. Khan can whack a bit but is not a puncher, not at this level, anyway, and here is where we really get down to the rub, for, despite his Mexico city upbringing, his left hook to the liver, his punch-picking, his “Dinamita” tag, his big-hitting younger brother (Rafael), Marquez, like Khan, is not a big puncher. Indeed, Team Khan chose Marquez before mandatory challenger Marcos Maidana of Argentina, a barely known challenger with a better-known record of 27-1 (26), a challenger who can knock you out. We all know Khan’s chin was severely exposed less than two years ago by the tall, long-armed Breidis Prescott of Colombia in just 54 seconds (yes, 54 seconds, and you can add two heavy knockdowns to those seconds, one of them when he fell like he were shot). Pointedly, the Englishman has never looked to settle the score with Prescott, despite plenty of chances. Even a former stablemate of his took on and licked Prescott just two months ago.
Nevertheless, Khan came back from Prescott to bust up Barrera in five rounds early last year in Manchester - although Khan’s own family would admit Barrera was not the same man outscored over 12 rounds by Marquez in Vegas in 2007 – and then looked sharp in outscoring the talented but light-hitting Andreas Kotelnik of the Ukraine for the major WBA belt in the summer, also in Manchester. He did the 12 rounds in a canter. He blew away New York’s Dmitiry Salita in 76 seconds in his first defence in December in Newcastle – another non-puncher - after which he ‘fancied’ a new challenge, this one.
He is still only 23, to remind you, 13 years younger than Marquez.
A skilful, sharp-hitting, long-armed stylist, very much in the De La Hoya mould, very much a new Golden Boy, with golden-coloured shorts to match, the champion’s ability is in no doubt, if not his durability. To me, Amir is hungrier than Marquez, who must have picked up a nice payday for Mayweather - bigger, busier and quicker. He looks ready for his first truly ‘big’ fight. He looks ready to win on points.

[Wales]

is this not off in favour of JMM kastidis then?

[gobbles]

is this not off in favour of JMM kastidis then?

I don't think Marquez has decided who he wants. He has the option. Khan might get Nate Campbell if Marquez goes for Katsidis.

[chris s]

is this not off in favour of JMM kastidis then?

I don't think Marquez has decided who he wants. He has the option. Khan might get Nate Campbell if Marquez goes for Katsidis.

According to another site Marquez is going for Khan, and Guerrero stepping up to Katsidis on 27th March

[DG.]

He will become known for fighting over-the-hill legends and hand picked opponents. I really don't want to dislike Khan as I think he has a very exciting style so I hope he mans up.

Never bothered Hatton.

[Wales]

Boxing is fast becoming a sport where the fighter who holds the cards handpicks his opponents. Nature of the beast.

[tonyevs]

My goodness there are some monumental whingers on here. If you don't think a Khan v Marquez fight to be a great match-up, you are a moron.

JMM has one of the careers of the last decade, has fought everyone, can bang and only last year was in a war with Diaz. I know FMJ schooled him, but that was based on weight and handspeed, not any discernable signs of him slowing down.

I've no idea if the fight will happen, but if it does, full props to Khan. It makes far more sense than a Maidana fight.

You have the nerve to label somebody a moron if they don`t think Khan v Marquez is a great match-up ... then in the next paragraph state ..

I know FMJ schooled him, but that was based on weight and handspeed

two of the very things that Khan has the most over Marquez

Marquez is at his very limit at lightweight .. sure he dismantled Diaz .. but Diaz was later schooled by Mallignali


We can see why Khan left fWank. The big tests were about to happen ... Maidana or Bradley but no. Khan jumped ship for safer ground in the shape of old former greats moving up from featherweight.
Its a colourful match-up for sure. A great match-up? ...... you got to be joking

Boxing is a joke when a proven contender is over looked for the simple reason he is too dangerous ... where did it all go wrong :(

[leeharding]

He will become known for fighting over-the-hill legends and hand picked opponents. I really don't want to dislike Khan as I think he has a very exciting style so I hope he mans up.

well said

[Poncey]

I'm wondering if this means that Khan has to vacate - will this be for the WBO Lightweight title?

Probably not, but I would imagine Marquez only wants Khan for the belt - he can be Mexico's first four weight world champion.

If Hatton can get someone half decent in his return..... what a mouth watering end of year prospect would be.... Hatton (assuming he wins his comeback) vs the winner.

Both fighters will lose their belts apparently

[Autobarn]

so is it still khan v marquez?

i predicted that if khan beat kotelnik, they would do everything to duck maidana. i didn't predict the absurd lengths and the apparently mad scramble that would ensue.

for instance, golden boy getting khan. golden boy who got a piece of maidana after the argentine stopped their hype job victor ortiz. maidana is khan's mandatory, and thus golden boy have been trying to line up everyone but khan. i recall it was maidana-bradley, recently. (off now?) before that it was maidana-devon alexander. i believe maidana is down to fight someone else. golden boy are giving khan a free pass by probably retarding the career of maidana.

so khan won't defend his title. but he would vs the great, undefeated, salita. thanks for that offering. we pay £15 for that mismatch, or any other khan fight. yet this kid who wants to e on Sky PPV, and also HBO, won't take on a big punching, dangerous contender in maidana. in other words he won a title, but he isn't good enough to actually keep it.

i will laugh if the marquez fight has unraveled, and i will laugh at the strained attempts to place khan in so-called "big fights." he can't fight the rival champs (too talented or hungry - i mean these are even-looking fights so no way can these happen). it's all bollox really, but i'm sure most of us expected this.

victor ortiz couldn't get by maidana, and thus became a fraud prospect. if khan beat maidana, perhaps ppl would have been convinced that amir was for real?

[alexpaterson]

Katsidis deserved the shot more than Khan, im going for Katsidis but that is going by I think JMM is on the slide down but he may surprise me.

[gobbles]

If Khan beat Maidana, how many on here would just say it was a mismatch because Maidana lost to Kotelnik?

[tonyevs]

If Khan beat Maidana, how many on here would just say it was a mismatch because Maidana lost to Kotelnik?

none. but would you like people to?