BoxRec

As many have predicted, Amir Khan’s debut in the States comes against – not Argentine puncher Marcos Maidana – but notorious non-puncher Paulie Malignaggi in New York’s Madison Square Garden on May 15, and the question mark hanging over Khan’s chin looks more and more like a big black cloud.
Maidana is unknown in the States but we know him in Europe, where he is based (Germany), as a real banger at 27-1 (26) and the mandatory challenger to Khan and Khan’s WBA light-welterweight title. However, Khan is now promoted by the powerful Oscar De La Hoya out of Los Angeles and trained by the powerful Freddie Roach, and power and money talk; Maidana is fobbed off with one of those ghastly ‘interim’ title shots later this month in Las Vegas and Khan gets the green light to defend his title and his chin against the light-hitting, injury prone Malignaggi, who really cannot break an egg and bangs up his right hand when he tries.
His record of 27-3 (5) says it all.
We know Malignaggi in Europe, too. He fought on the Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano bill in Manchester in May 2008 and, in front of a crowd of 55,000, stunk the joint out against a man he had already licked in Lovemore Ndou. His right hand ‘went’ again but what do you expect from a boxer who thinks he can fight. He thus represents the perfect opponent for a quick, talented boxer like Khan, who likes to go forward and feast on anyone without a dig. Last time out in December, Khan destroyed Brooklyn’s non-punching if previously unbeaten Dmitiry Salita in 76 seconds in Newcastle, dropping Salita within 10 seconds and three times in all. Malignaggi, another Brooklyn fighter, will last longer on home turf but only succeed in making Khan look a million dollars.
Khan, 22-1 (16), linked up with trainer Roach in Hollywood after Colombia’s unknown Breidis Prescott crushed him in 54 seconds in Manchester in September 2008, dropping him twice. Khan fell like he were shot in one of the knockdowns. Prescott looked a million dollars himself but has since been exposed as quite ordinary, which only confirms how vulnerabe Khan really is. Roach said publicly he did not want Khan to fight Maidana but when it looked like Khan’s then promoter F rank Warren fancied it (allegedly), Roach (again allegedly) began whispering in a few LA ears and pretty soon Khan was not only LA-trained but LA-based, managed and promoted, and fighting Malignaggi.
There is no need for anyone to ask why.
OK, Malignaggi comes off a decent points win over the smaller and overrated Juan Diaz, which earned him this crack, but took a brutal 12-round pounding from Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto when he last fought in Madison Square Garden in 2006, to lose a landslide decision, and later soaked up an 11-round beating from Hatton before his corner slung in the towel. Durable, brave and great at selling himself, Paulie will do the hype, pack out the historic Garden and then willingly showcase the speed and aggression of young Khan, 23.
Malignaggi has the ‘nous’ to survive the inevitable lightning start from Khan, the blurring attacks, but it it is only a matter of time before Khan’s lead becomes unassailable and he forces either a late, mercy stoppage or a comprehensive decision.
Then, sadly, we can expect another non-puncher for the Bolton ex-pat.

I fancy Khan to win this! 8)

well maybe some people should go up to Malignaggi and p*ss on his shoes and say how do you like them apples? then see if he can hit.

there's nothing wrong with Khan's chin. Sure it's not the best, but it's not sh*t as people make out. Sick of pointing this out.

I think Malignaggi brings alot more to the table than just being durable, brave and good at selling himself. The guy is a former world champion. Juan Diaz might be overated and a bulked up lightweight (but then Malignaggi is a non-puncher so the weight shouldn't have been as big a deal as say if Diaz was fighting Urango) - however even after the Campbell set back Diaz did hold a fair win over Kastidis.... who of course is being called a dangerman for Mitchell and was running Marquez very close.

For a first fight in the states, this is very credible.

No mention of khan defending his chin in there?

i'd of liked him to fight Maidana but this fight has grown on me and a good test for khan and if he can get him out of there before hatton did he will get alot of deserved credit for it.

If Maidana keeps winning and becomes a name, am sure the fight will happen down the line.

sy86 wrote:No mention of khan defending his chin in there?

Think the OP is implying that he is defending his chin from being cracked by going after Malignaggi rather than Maidana

i thought this post would contain a technical masterclass from young Amir. you know, the gems of wisdom he has picked up secondhand from Eddie Futch by way of Freddie Roach. 'see, I used to fight with my hands down but what Freddie's taught me is to keep them wrapped round me chin (demonstrates amateur guard)'

Paulie Malignaggi: Money in the bank for vunerable Lightwelter champs the world over. He's so popular as a safe defence he'll probably get another 5 or 6 cracks before he's through.

I can sense a robbery in Khan's favour already. :(

malignaggi is easily the best opponent khan has fought. ok hes no puncher,but he is actve,world class,and a genuine light-welter. it wouldnt surprise me if he beat khan...cos im still to be convinced that khan is able to deal with genuine world class.

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:
there's nothing wrong with Khan's chin. Sure it's not the best, but it's not sh*t as people make out. Sick of pointing this out.

So why is it every time he's been hit on it he has fell over?

This will be a gift defence for Khan. No doubt about it. The bookies seem to agree too. Khan is 1/5.

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:
there's nothing wrong with Khan's chin.

I laughed

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:well maybe some people should go up to Malignaggi and p*ss on his shoes and say how do you like them apples? then see if he can hit.

there's nothing wrong with Khan's chin. Sure it's not the best, but it's not sh*t as people make out. Sick of pointing this out.

Yeh i agree, he's been hit with some solid shots on the chin and been put down or wobbled, but his chin isnt that bad. It's not the best but its not the worst. Thats what makes his fights more exciting anyway the fact he could get sparked at any moment.

Willie Limond was a non-puncher but we all know what happened there, so, so close. If Malignaggi connects at the right time who knows what could happen, I wouldn't bet on it but I wouldn't be surprised if Paulie managed to drop Khan

malignaggi's feather fists wont do nothing to kahn's paper mashay chin......this fight is a joke kahn should be fighting maidana!

I don't think Malignaggi will KO Khan, although I don't think it is beyond imagination that he will not hurt him. However, I think people are underestimating his boxing. Khan hasn't faced an opponent with his speed and as fresh, combined with world level experience (without being over the hill).

This is no forgone conclusion and will provide some answers.

lay off kahn,if he fought and stopped maidana hed be criticised for that somehow.
malinaggi beats most apart from the elite and is established at the weight.
hes avoiding ortiz,murray,thaxton,hatton,marquez and now maidana. its getting so boring

Is Maidana really unknown in the States though? I mean he absolutely battered the Golden Boy hype job Ortiz, surely that fight would have had some prime time exposure. With all the attention heaped on Ortiz I cant imagine the US public would just forget the guy that pounded him into submission, especially given Maidana's huge KO record.
Surely Khan would be less well known in the US than Maidana? I mean he's hardly beaten a big name over there yet, Salita was hardly a mega star and I dont think the American public would have been overly impressed with the Barrera fight.
Malignaggi is a bloody good opponent for Khan and I think if Khan wins he'll deserve some serious praise, but I honestly think fighting PM is more about building Khans profile than waiting for Maidana to become a big enough name.

it does my head in when people mention benn & hearn's jaw :!: them guys could go in the trenches with bangers & win & the people who could shake them were ko artist's.
hearns was ahead on pts in the 14 when stopped by leonard who was a big hitter but more rememberd for not being able to remotely hurt hagler the granite man.
also hearns was robbed in a rematch @ 12st earning a draw.
khans been hurt by non punchers & is being steered away from danger, how this is gonna make him a big star stateside i dont know
he does have a great uk following that maybe gbp are happy with??

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:well maybe some people should go up to Malignaggi and p*ss on his shoes and say how do you like them apples? then see if he can hit.

there's nothing wrong with Khan's chin. Sure it's not the best, but it's not sh*t as people make out. Sick of pointing this out.

Well then do us and yourself a favor by not pointing it out, because you are wrong. Khan has been dropped or hurt on countless occasions by unspectacular shots and notorious non punchers and much smaller fighters have put him down. Even the average hitting Craig Watson had him doing the chicken dance with headgear on after landing a glancing left shot in their amateur encounter.

Nothing that has happened in Khan's career suggests that his chin is decent.

caffrey wrote:lay off kahn,if he fought and stopped maidana hed be criticised for that somehow.

The fact is, he isn't fighting Maidana, so quit with the hypothetical ifs.

Or at least come up with a more educated defense of king Khan, other than some emo rant

In Khan's defence. Where are the threads that are questioning David Haye's next opponent - which will be a complete rollover for Haye? In comparison, Khan has a tougher fight with Paulie (although he will win it comfortably) than what Haye is getting with Ruiz. The point being, that Khan is the one guy who gets consistently singled out.

I personally think Khan would beat Maidana tomorrow - as he an over rated a crude brawler. Ortiz made Maidana look great in their fight - he abandoned his skills and engaged in an slugfest with Maidana.

I agree to a point Gasman about Khan being singled out, but I dont really agree with the Haye comparison. I don't think Haye would fight Ruiz if he didn't have to, but wasn't it agreed that Ruiz would step aside for Haye to fight Valuev, provided Ruiz got the winner?
I'm pretty sure Haye would rather be out there fighting Wlad Or Vitali but without that WBA strap Haye brings less to the negotiating table.

Khan should be fighting Maidana as a mandatory, Malignaggi doesn't even come into the fold. But Maidana has been paid off to let the fight happen, so Khans team have opted not to fight Maidana, whereas team Haye have to fulfill the Ruiz commitment to keep the title (as I understand it anyway).

However having said all that I think Khan will have more problems with Malignaggi than most people thing. It's still a very credible defence, it just doesn't look good that Khan is avoiding a big hitter, no matter how crude Maidana is.

Khan's obviously no Marvin Hagler in the chin dept but remember he handily beat Kotelnik for the title... the same Kotelnik who handed Maidana his only defeat. Kotelnik, while no puncher is a solid enough hitter and didn't trouble Khan overly.