Duke McKenzie Breaks Down Khan vs McCloskey Posted on April 15, 2011 Primetime caught up with former IBF Flyweight and WBO Super Bantamweight Champion Duke McKenzie to discuss this weekend’s eagerly anticipated Pay Per View spectacular. “The Key to this fight is focus, when you’re World Champion it’s sometimes easy to take your foot off the gas. Often it’s not winning the belt but keeping hold of it that’s hardest.” “Khan, at 24 years old, is just back from topping the bill at the highest level – the MGM Grand, and it just doesn’t get bigger than that. Training in L.A, Amir is training with the world’s elite fighters. There’s a lot of fantastic up and coming fighters in that gym and then, of course, there is Manny Pacquiao and Freddy Roach. Khan will be in there raising his game every day just to live with those fighters and it is going to make it hard for McCloskey to live with him this Saturday.” “Freddy Roach may be the best trainer in the world at the moment and he is working for Khan. What Roach does best is mould fighters and that is exactly what he’s done here. Roach has ironed out all the rough edges and Khan now keeps his hands up and his chin down.” “McCloskey may just be out of his depth, this is a fighter that has the potential to make Khan look like a Sugar Ray Leonard, which is exactly what I expect. But anything can happen in boxing and Khan needs to keep his eye on the prize.” “McCloskey needs to throw out the form book; if I was training Paul I’d be telling him you have to fight a completely different fight. You have to fight in a way you’re not accustomed to and in a way Khan won’t expect. He will need to fight for all three minutes of every round and for every second of those three minutes. McCloskey needs to make this fight as ugly and as dirty as possible and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few infringements and professional fouls in there. McCloskey cannot go in there and try and out box Amir, it’s just not going to happen, and he doesn’t have the power to KO him. Khan is not a ‘chinny’ boxer and being knocked out by Prescott was no disgrace.” “A lot of this fight comes down to levels, for McCloskey this isn’t just another level it’s a whole new dimension psychologically and that won’t really hit him until he steps through those ropes. Khan has fought better boxers, harder punchers; orthodox and south paw, and always found a way to win.” “There are no real weaknesses for McCloskey to find here and this should be a routine defense. In his last fight Khan went up against the noted puncher of the division and what did he do, he walked right in and decked the puncher. We are seeing Khan mature into a man and a champion. You can see a physical change in Khan, he stronger and he’s planting his feet better.” “The thing that is most impressive with Khan is his speed, most people don’t realize it and even most opponents don’t realize it until they’re in the ring with him. If the opponent through a punch Khan will throw 3 or 4, if his opponent throws 3 or 4 Khan will throw a dozen. He has these little ‘piston’ like punches and while he may not be a KO artist he hits hard enough to make his opponent flinch, he commands respect.” ”“Khan will be looking to make a statement to the rest of the division and McCloskey needs a miracle in line with the one Spurs needed last night – well they didn’t get it. A good night sees Khan winning in 6, a bad night sees him winning in 10 but mark my words it will be a Khan victory!” http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/news/boxing/duke-mckenzie-breaks-down-khan-vs-mccloskey/
Weird i just disagree with so much of that. Khan will fight for 3 minutees of every round - well sort of but he does use the ring uses his legs give his opponets a little breater especially when hurt hes not PacMan or Kasidies in the pressure stakes Kkahn isnt a chinny fighter - he is his chin is his biggest flaw he did well to stand up to Maidana but he was hurt more than once and was 1 shot away from being stopped and has been down against Limmond etc Paul M doesnt have the power to KO khan i think he probably has enuff to do it and his odd angled shots might cause kahn trouble early still think kahn wins around 6
I wonder if Duke has worked out which Klitschko is which yet? :yep Khan is getting way over-hyped here and I think McCloskey is getting over looked. Like Zulander, I don't agree with much of what Duke says in that article. Of course Khan is favourite and he should win, but I can't see it being a completely one sided beat down that some are suggesting. Khan's preparation hasn't been ideal either.
I think people are seriously overlooking McCloskey in this fight. Sure, he's an underdog, but I'd say a 4/1 underdog rather than the 8/1 that's currently knocking around.... and definitely think that 7/2 for a Khan decision is excellent value. If Khan gets McCloskey out of there within six I'd be both surprised and impressed - unless McCloskey completely tanks in there.
Agreed but there is always the chance that McCloskey could freeze on the night. Hope not though because if he doesn't I think it could well be a close fight at least early on. Also, wtf has Duke been smoking? His comments were dreadful here. "Khan's always found a way to win.. he isn't chinny.. he walked straight through Maidana" :think
McCloskey deserves a bit more respect, in my opinion. Duke and others have just completely written the bloke off. I don't even think Salita took this much hammering before he fought Khan. He's undefeated, a former British and current European champion in this weight division. Of course he's stepping up level, something that Khan himself has only done very recently.
I really think that Duke, like a lot of us, was convinced that Khan would get K.O'd by Maidana if he was caught like he was. So logic in his head tells him that Khan must have an iron chin :bbb
I was surprised at how bad Salita was myself. I wasn't expecting him to be much good, having read the Boxing Monthly issue immediately before containing interviews with both Arum and DiBella, who were very critical of him and his closest advisors. At the very least though I was expecting him to extend Khan into the mid/late rounds before being pulled..... or even go the distance in a brave showing. Khan just doesn't blast people out like that, even a smaller, chinny guy like Lawton went four rounds.