The Wildcard style not working for Khan: Inside game = eating uppercuts and bodyshots

You don't need to be a good inside fighter to be successful and I would not advise Khan to learn inside game. I think he should focus on winning fights from distance.

Lewis wasn't a good inside fighter and he was very successful.

Andy Lee can't fight on the inside to save his life and is doing pretty well.

Khan just needs to know how to negate inside fighting. Unfortunately for Khan, standing on the ropes with high held gloves does not negate inside fighting.

I think Khan has probably learned as much as he can from Roach but still the weakness remains and we see the pattern in fights vs Maidana and Peterson. He should think about Emmanuel Stewart, who would be delighted to have him.

 

i think hes been too focosed on winning from distance thats his problem, he couldnt fight ANY other way man.. what do you mean negate inside fighting? thats basically what he was doing wernt he? just too blatently.. negating is negating, being negative and spoiling!! or neutralizing.. same thing really... Khan needs to learn how to fight on the inside and not get bullied around, he gets ****ed up on the inside... i don't see how he can fight any better from the outside.. except if he learned how to punch harder..

The difference with Lewis is that he could punch, and Lewis could fight better than Khan on the inside, that uppercut that done Tyson is an example..

 

It's a shocking tactic, full guard and put head down it's ridiculous really is and Maidana did ok but Peterson really exposed it bigtime. I thought it was a temporary stop gap before working on it over course of time. Roach needs to take blame if he's not looked to improve inside game but suppose he was hoping ref would help Khan out by breaking at every turn.

 

Lewis generally held on the inside, check out the first few rounds with Tyson. Of course he started being more comfortable once Tyson was softened up. Lee also holds for his life on the inside. Wlad is another example. Khan needs to learn this tactic, complete spoiling on the inside until the referee breaks. Its really Emmanuel Stewarts speciality - legal spoiling tactics!

 

Seeing Bowe celebrating after the fight, and considering how the fight went, was anyone else reminded of how good of a fighter he actually was??... a big heavyweight who could fight just as comfortably on the inside as he could on the outside.

 

Bowe was class, wish he was in his prime now so he could beat the brothers. Class fighter when he was on form.

 

Yeah but that ain't really learning anything is it... its not like Khan ain't capable, why learn to spoil when u can learn to fight and become a better fighter..

 

Yeah i c that.. he was a class fighter, that Mitchell fight before Khan reminded me of them days!!

 

The biggest issue is Khan Jab, he isnt educated on it, he dosent know how to keep a guy who adopts a high pressure game like Peterson off him, instead he runs off....whilst he is quick against a smart fighter you will get caught.

Khan though whilst ive been critical of him in the past, can improve...he already done once...now for Amir 3.0. Many fighters have come back from adversity a brilliant case is that of Wladimir Klitshcko.

Time to dust himself off, and really grasp the fundamentals of boxing, rather than rely on his physical which is insane speed, and size for his weight class.

Learn to jab and stop the pressing fighter coming forward.

Learn not to jump and smother your own attack


Whilst dancing away is fine, when it time to stand learn to place his feet and let textbook combos off then dance, and not run around then decide to rush in...it going to be caught out.


Holiday, back in Gym on the 26th Dec...get a fight for Feb/Mar against Peterson or Prescott.

 

Good post shaun, those deficiency's definitely seem to be an aspect of Roach's coaching style that need to be improved upon, although it could be argued that maybe Khan, Pacquiao, Linares etc themselves are not suited to fighting inside, or like you said "they have not learned how to fight inside". Either way it needs addressing.

Pac in particular has been fighting bigger guys but got away with it due to mobility, power and accuracy. You can see both he and Khan like to "reset" before firing off combinations and struggle more when they have to think on their feet. I'm not sure if they are sticking rigidly to Roach's teaching methods or if it is a natural flaw/weakness for each fighter, maybe a bit of both.

It's difficult to imagine that maybe Linares, Pacquiao and Khan simply faced opponents in their last fights who stylistically were suited to fighting them and exploiting their weaknesses, ie - De Marco's pressure and southpaw stance as well as Linares' bad cut, Marquez's counter-punching genius and Peterson's reach and bodywork.

It does seem that a blueprint of sorts can be utilised against Freddie's fighters at the moment but maybe we cant pin all the blame on him as he couldn't do anything about Linares' blood loss or Pacquiao's technical difficulties against Marquez. Last night I think Roach saved Khan with some fantastic advice in the middle rounds when he was in big trouble. He seemed frustrated at Khan and told him Peterson was wide-open to uppercuts as he came in, maybe Khan should have picked up on this himself but regardless he went out in the next few rounds and punished Peterson, taking the pressure off himself in the process. Great spot there by Roach just when Khan needed it.

 

Yeah as soon as Khan started throwing the uppercuts Roach told him, the complection of the fight changed immediately. It was an extremely good spot. Khan should have thrown more of them. But ultimately, not being able to cope on the inside is what lost him the fight and Roach wasn't really telling him how to deal with Peterson on the inside from what I was hearing.

 

I think Khan will revert back to his original style when in trouble whoever trains him, it his just his natural instincts at play.

 

Agreed the Pacquiao style isn't suiting him. When he jumps in and unleashes a real fast flurry he seems real off balance and misses so many shots. Like you explained, he had no defence (or offence) when he got caught on the ropes and kept getting slammed by uppercuts.

I dunno, I think I'd prefer to see him work behind the jab a bit more at range, which he has shown he can do. A more Steward style could suit him.

Not saying he should leave his trainer though!

 

It's difficult to know what information is being relayed in the corner at times but it did seem like the whole uppercuts idea was to keep Peterson from getting inside but I could be wrong.

From what I remember (only watched it once), Peterson was getting himself inside at times and PAUSING for a few seconds (setting himself), an ideal time for Khan to work the body or throw uppercuts IMO, but Amir was too busy covering up or just leaning on the ropes resting to take advantage.

I think if he throws in those moments things would've been a lot easier for him but he may have left himself open, who knows.

 

I heard Roach's interview and he sounded bad last night, he was stuttering and slurring i think it must play a part in his corner work between rounds.