Paulie Malignaggi and Amir Khan fight this weekend. Khan is favored to win and it is his American debut so he will trying to make an impression. What can Malignaggi do to thwart Khan's plans and come out the victor?
I have been thinking about this fight and what Paulie can do as far as a gameplan. So far I am not satisfied that he can beat Khan running the scenarios through my head. Paulie will try to jab and move and Khan is simply faster than him at this point and will lose either by counter or by lead in this scenario. What I think Paulie can do is make the figth ugly much like he did against Cotto. That means a lot of clinching and hitting off the clinch, which honestly isnt his style. Paulie is susceptible to fast shots. If he relies on his legs like his "new" trainer who reverted him back to his old style does I dont see how he wins a decision. If he figths ugly, clinches and fighhts off the clinch he may be able to win some rds. I think this is the srtyle that can ultimately beat khan for anyone. I dont give Paulie much chance in this fight. I think Khan will legitimately stop him on frustration and accumulation around rd 7.
mmmm i like Paulie, hes quick but has zero power, has experience going for him, i really dont know much about Khan but i think hes overrated, maybe Malignaggi will send him back to the UK with a loss
Control range and pace with his jab and footwork. He can't allow Khan to control range being the man with longer arms and more power. He'll have to flurry, tie up and roll out. Keep Khan off balanced and unable to open up from lack of opportunities. If he can do this he could out box Khan. With that said I see Khan catching Paulie who seems to think he's gonna go for the "KO"......"OK":roll: He should stick to outpointing his opponent with quick feet and hands and hope his skills are superior.
oh the other hand maybe he can hurt khan and get a TKO, in his last fight he hurt Diaz but didnt know how to finish him, and with Khans chin i think theres a small chance for him
The problem with this scenario, which is the way Paulie likes to view himself, is that he doesnt have an advantage in any area here. Khan is faster, has more pop and through more punches. Paulie isnt better on his feet or faster. So he really need a plan B to his usual style. I am a big Paulie Fan, but his usual style will not be successful vs Khan.
I actually think Paulie has a better chin and he's more versatile. Not that he's a better fighter...he just may have a tad more craft to his game that makes him a bit more seasoned. Paulie has a style that is difficult for anyone but for someone who is a boxer/puncher he has got a great shot. I see the speed and patience as Khan's key to winning this one. he can't get over anxious and try to KO Paulie with one shot......if he does that he'll be missing a lot and gettin pecked to death by a thousand "pitty pat" punches in return.
It's true that Khan is faster than Mali, throws more punches, and seems to hit harder, but skills-wise...I'm not sure. I think Mali has to fight him on the outside with his quick jab and movement, but he has to try and time him for a big shot. Seeing as he's not a puncher, he needs to use Khan's own momentum/energy against him -- in other words, he needs to hit Khan when Khan is in the middle of throwing his own punch. If he can time that and land his own right hand, then, MAYBE even he can buckle/hurt Khan. The timing has to be spot on, though...and even if he does hurt Khan, I can't see him finishing him off. It's tricky, but if that strategy doesn't work, then he'll just have to test his skills and experience, hoping to bemuse Khan with constant movement and different angles. The jab should be key.
Stand in front of Khan, trade up close and try and be one step ahead in these trench like conditions. Khan is like a hyper-active little kid in there, just throws the same type of combinations over and over again and overwhelm with volume. Malignaggi should be able to read the samey nature of Khan's output, and counter-punch and get underneath. Just be in Khan's face and tire him mentally and physically. He can't pose on the outside and try and box Khan at distance, or at least he shouldn't in theory. As I've said a few times, I'm not sold on Khan at all. Too tense, rigid, and lacks improvisation I feel. If Paulie can get him doubting himself then the fight is there to be won cause he's more streetwise than Khan and seems to have more variety, and this will come out in the latter stages.
Im in the minority in that i think Malignaggi stands a good chance, maybe not of winning but certainly he can put up a good fight. I don't see him getting KOd, if neither Cotto nor Hatton could do it I don't see Khan doing it. In terms of the fight itself, anything Khan lands Paulie will laugh and shake it off, this could be disheartening for Khan. Khan's dramatic 'rebuild' under Freddie Roach so far looks like he simply keeps his hands high, his chin down and throws mostly straight shots so as not to open himself up. Paulie doesn't have great head movement but he can get in close and roll real good. He should be able to roll right under Khans straight shots, land a few body shots, or come up and land a straight right of his own. That being said, we haven't seen enough of this 'new' amir khan to know what tricks he has, but either way i can see malignaggi making it interesting at least.
He has the better jab and at least comparable speed. Keep on the move, jab and clinch, try and outmanoevre him inside. He has a good shot at winning this IMO. If Khan fights how he fought Kotelnik, he'll lose. It's a question of how much he's improved.