Might just be Koletnik, he looked great and thoroughly outboxed a guy who stood toe to toe with Maidana and was robbed against Alexander. It's either that or Maidana I think, and although he answered a lot of questions about his durability in the Maidana fight, his footwork was mediocre and his defense was pretty bad. Opinions?
I think he looked overall best against Paulie tbqh, he fought as a spoiler against Kotelnik who spoils himself and the whole fight was just...echhhh. With Paulie we saw him shut out/outbox a guy noted for his outside skill and speed, his accurate and stiff jab, plenty of counters, and a body shot that should have been a KD tbh. He didn't look that great against Maidana. I think he left his body attack behind too soon, didn't jab as much as he could have, and squared up way too much. He fought more like Pacquiao in some ways, actually. And he shouldn't.
Kotelnik was made to order for him though. His style does nothing to exploit Khan's flaws, he didn't punch with him, didn't put him under any mental pressure and wasn't proactive. He'd just wait for Khan to finish, by which time Khan's fast feet would have him out of harms way. Fighters like Kotelnik, Clottey etc will always have problems with volume punchers who move due to their style and disposition. Kotelnik was still a impressive win which looks even better now, but the Maidana win is Khan's best by far.
Khan looked really good early against Maidana but was on the run after the tenth round. The Malignaggi fight might be his best. He dominated from bell to bell.
I noticed that too, Khan fighting squared. Roach must of been pissed. I actually thought him fighting a guy like Maidana might have spooked him. Maidana was looking to KHO, plus, fighting dirty(Maidana) did not help Khan in any way. Khan had to survive those last 2 rounds. No doubt, the sloppy fight performance we saw like JML vs. Mtagwa. Hopefully, this was a learning experience for Khan to get his act together. He should of boxed Maidana. Cayo made the same mistake and got KTFO.
You have to say he did a tremendous job on Kotelnik. Kotelnik just beat Alexander who was tipped to emerge as the top guy at 140. Khan dominated Kotelnik from start to finish. It's clear that Khan fares better against counter punchers than he does against pressure fighters. It's all about the styles.
So like....how did Kotelnik managed to get robbed in the fight vs Alexander....Alexander was getting hit real easy by someone who aint that fast and aint quick om his feet....and Alexander is definitely a boxer who throws volume punches and likes to stay on the outside....
I have to agree with that...but you have to remember...he's a guy who wanted to prove to his critics that he had a chin and heart...i mean if he just jabbed and worked on the outiside like he did against Malignaggi/Kotelnik...people would have said he was afraid etc if he won an easy UD which he should have done in my opinion...but he was out to prove a point in this fight and now he's got that point across, i hope he doesnt fight like that again and goes back to how he was against Kotelnik/Malignaggi....
Honestly, who cares what people say? He should always be working to correct his weaknesses and refine his style.. Mixing it up with a puncher is a bad idea unless you can hit faster and harder and have a better chin. Khan was fast enough that he could mix it up and get out good, but he took punishment for no reason. It's good that he proved his beard though, now lets see him against a guy with power and boxing skill. Because Alexander fought like an idiot. Having a low lead against a guy with a better jab than you is a bad idea. abandoning a body punch that was working is a bad idea. Not throwing one of your best punches at a guy whose guard is susceptible to it(his uppercut) is a bad idea. Throwing as much leather as you can against elbows and gloves is a bad idea.
Yeah, Paulie was another great win. It helped that he had no power as well, so Khan was a lot more relaxed in there, than compared to his fight with Maidana, where he made twice as many mistakes.
His best performance and his best win are two different things in my eyes. His best performance was clearly dominating and stopping Paulie; a guy who is difficult to look good against and nearly impossible to stop. His best win is definitely Maidana. He showcased his skills in the first half of the fight and his heart and desire in the second half. It obviously did not go the way they drew it up, but it captivated the audience and elevated him into the "want to watch" category.
Yeah it's meant to be a two part question. Great answer too, I might rewatch the Paulie fight tonight, I remember being suprised about how easily Khan managed to handle Paulie though.