I remember after he beat Maidana he was very highly thought of even by the Americans who gave grudging respect. Of course it was all downhill after that, with Peterson (admittedly on juice) then getting ko'd by a Garcia who literally just stood rooted to the spot spamming slow wide left hooks I'm pretty sure if khan had half a braincell and was a bit more defensive he could have done better in his career.
The trouble with Khan is that I am sure his trainers have tried to get him to be more safety first. The reality is that Khan loves fighting and loves throwing combinations. He cannot help himself. No trainer would be able to change what is in his nature. The best laid plans disappear when he gets clipped or his opponent calls him a *****.
At least with Vladimir klitschko he was able to use his height and reach to his advantage and keep people on the end of a long jab all night. Khans hand speed wouldn’t have been enough but I see where you’re coming from. Like h fury khan was better suited to the amateurs imo
Most of Khans success has come from him on the front foot throwing fast combinations. Defensive wouldn't have suited him
Khans main asset is his offence and ability to confuse his opponents with ridiculously fast combos. Had he been on the back foot you would have taken all that away. Khan just isn't a defensive fighter, it's not in his nature.
Khan's career is just a whole bunch of wrong decisions and misdirection. But the guy attracted the world's best trainers who saw the obvious potential. Khan just isn't very intelligent, even in boxing terms and that's been his overall downfall
In the latter half of the Peterson fight Khan was getting pushed back and mauled against the ropes and Peterson was a B-level guy. Khan just doesn't have the skill/footwork to do 12 rounds on the backfoot and against any kind of puncher he'll still lose concentration and get KO'ed.
Khan lacks the physical and mental attributes to effectively implement a "safety first" style. He lacks physical strength and is vulnerable to being mauled up close. His footwork is average, and despite his blinding speed his reflexes are not great either and he's very hittable when in range. His ring generalship and ability to adapt are also average for a world-level fighter. This is before even getting to his well-documented achilles heel (punch resistance). He also had a huge fighting heart in his prime, the downside of which was that he would fire back when under pressure. I think Khan made the most of what he was given. He was most effective as a front-foot speed demon; offense was his best defense. With that style there was always a decent chance he'd get clipped, but with his heart/recovery as often as not he could weather the storm like he did with Maidana. At his best he could overwhelm opponents in the first few rounds, build a big lead on the cards, and then ride it out till the end. It may not have been conventional, bu it would still be a tough task for most world class fighters.
Problem is he doesn't have half a brain cell. Maybe a quarter one. A crystal chin plus a very very low boxing IQ is a terrible combination.
Regardless of the chin, he had poor concentration and a less than average boxing brain. I believe his concentration skills could have been worked on which would have seen him progress or last longer in the elite level. That all said, he was a good fighter to watch who gave value for money. The man had a good career.
He achieved more in his career that many fighters only dream of. Some call him thick etc etc but he is still getting paid millions to fight absolutely anybody at the moment!!! Wish I was as thick!!!
Almost no where. Khan has chin and only a small ring IQ. Virgil Hunter is one of the worst things to happen in his career. He isn't a thinking fight. He's alreaction and premeditated combo. He was his best under Roach. Who got him using his and hand AND footspeed to raid in and out. Hunter has got him holding his feet trying to turn him into a defensive whizz which isnt going to happen
