Amir Khan's stance and footwork

He's FAR too upright and keeps his chin in the air. Doesn't bend at the waist or knees at all either.

One thing i did notice was that he didn't go as over the top on his combinations in this fight. In the past he literally walks forward with his chin in the air almost throwing both of his hands at the same time. It leaves him WIDE open for a counter-puncher with composure and timing (Garcia). Seriously, he'd often have his front foot off the floor whilst throwing a stupid 5 or 6 punch combination but he seemed to plant his feet more last night and stuck to 2's and 3's.

He still had his chin in the air though and didn't show anything in terms of improvements on the inside, although tbf he didn't have to because he was predominantly out of range. I know he won every round and got the stoppage against an undefeated fighter, but i wasn't massively impressed tbh. He has a long way to go for me and he's in a division with some massive punchers who would take his head off. Matthysse, Rios, Alvarado, Garcia and Marquez would all decapitate him in brutal fashion.

 

I think that's slightly unfair. I thought he improved his inside game slightly. He threw some nice uppercuts and left hooks to the body and head whilst on the inside last night; he didn't just sit there getting hit by uppercuts all night. I agree with everything else you said. Especially the chin in the air thing. There was at least 3 occasions last night he would have been KO'd by Garcia had he hit him with the same punch Molina did.

 

Perhaps i've been slightly harsh, but there's just SO much technically wrong with Khan that you could go on all day. His speed is genuinely blinding. I've seen alot of live boxing in the flesh and he is the fastest fighter i've ever seen. Seriously, he's faster than most bantamweights and he's so reliant on his handspeed. It's the reason he's got as far as he has because he makes so many fundamental errors that - i fear - are now so ingrained in his style that he can't change.

Garcia would have KO'd him last night, agreed. I just don't think Khan can stay away from Garcia for 12 rounds as Garcia has excellent timing, is calm, composed under pressure and times that left hook very, very well. He really sits down on it and gets some leverage behind it aswell and is too calm to be flustered by Khan's speed.

He still has to do a ton of work on his inside game. He throws uppercuts from out of range aswell and leaves himself off balance and open to counter-shots. Alot of fighters see his speed early though and become reluctant to load up on counter shots because they're scared of his speed. As i mentioned, Garcia is very calm and composed under pressure and would never become hesitant to pull the trigger. Rios, Matthysse and Marquez is the same story for me.

 

Can't disagree with much of that. The problem for me with Khan last night was his tendency (still) to feel the need to open up with flurries that leave him off balance every time he gets hit. It's a useless strategy. I felt he could have survived the Garcia knockdown if he had tried to survive rather than trade. He chose to trade and therefore got knocked out. Silly.

The problem will always be that puncher; the Garcias, Rioses and Marquezes who can hit you and hit you hard and accurately. Khan HAS to stop being reckless, he MUST keep his chin down and he MUST box from the outside and not leave himself off balance. As you said, maybe his problems are too well ingrained.

 

Regarding the Garcia stoppage, I think Khan's biggest problem that night -- and many other nights -- is that his defence was his legs. His method of avoiding shots is to put the earmuffs on and circle the ring. Garcia unfortunately took away those legs after that first knockdown, and I think Khan knew he had no where to run and could only resort to standing and trading.

 

True but could he have not at least tried to defend himself against the ropes at least rather than leaving himself wide open?