Skill wise how great was Amir Khan?

He had incredible speed, and very good offensive skills, but poor defensive skills. His speed was truly great, not his skill, or any other attribute.

 

^^ This is spot on.
He's not that skilled, relies purely on bamboozling his opponent with his hand speed and fast combos. I always thought he still fought like and amateur. Once he starts to get hit he just panics and doesn't know how to back up.
Basically his "backing up when hurt" strategy is just running with a scared look, which makes things worse because he signals this to his opponent who will then go after him.

 

Khan can't think in the ring and has no elite skills....but he's won plenty of elite victories.

It's wild. Few have overachieved as much as this guy, and he'll fight a goddamn Lion if they paid him to.

I only wish the Charlo sisters, GRJ, and basically everyone hiding on PBC had his guts.

Someone earlier in the thread just dismissed the Barrera win, but smoking a 35yr old Barrera who was 66-6 when you're 22y/o and coming off an ugly TKO isn't a bad win at all. Then he moves up in weight and takes out undefeated Kotelnik, undefeated Salita, dismantles Malignaggi better than Cotto could, and wins a classic against absolutely in prime Maidana (who goes on to take Floyd to the ****ing edge) were 4 great victories. Dismantles Zab and wins a clear decision over a totally prime and totally roided out Lamont PEDerson only to be screwed in corrput D.C. He was red-hot

He was boxing the ears of Danny Garcia, i mean tuning him up, before Danny decapitated him. And make no mistake, Danny wins that fight 10/10x they fight because he's made to take out a guy like Khan.

Builds back up and then wins 3 in a row vs Collazo, Algieri and Alexander. Devon Alexander's dismantling was a masterpiece pitched by Khan. These were the last prime years of Amir.

I've always thought if Lamont PEDerson doesnt get popped for roids and the rematch had happend (instead of Garcia) that Khan would have won that fight easier than the first time around and it would have been him in with Mayweather and not Maidana. That fight would have been super interesting. Mayweather wins it of course but it's close. Maidana really earned a decision in that fight and Mayweather was off that night. Khan was razor sharp in the undercard against Collazo.

The only fight Khan missed in his career was Timothy Bradley. Bradley wins that one too in a tough and probably classic fight.

 

lol Manny would have destroyed the feather-fisted Paulie and fought Cotto in 2009 anyway a fighter that would have beaten Khan and Paulie.

 

His KO ratio in title fights was poor.

 

This.

People need to let this go... Khan had talent but he wasn't skilled. Footwork, flurrying, and defense among other things were greatly flawed. And his hand speed is overstated because he often reeled off combos with little to no purpose, which also failed him at times because it allowed his opponents to get his timing that much sooner.

Fast hands and the guy had guts for sure and made exciting fights but deeply flawed in terms of skill.

 

All is correct. Specially defense he doesn't blend defense with his offensive skills. I mean he just throws a flurry and forgets a counter is coming his way and gets caught flush..

YES. he does at times remember his defensive cues like to keep his hands up and ride a shot. But at other times he's just oblivious. Maybe kid is having tunnel vision to just wail away and gets clipped lol..

 

No

 

Khan is the perfect fighter to charm casuals. They think speed is skill. As has been said a few times in this thread, if anything, his ring IQ was defective.

Never corrected flaws. Head was too available. Rushed into shots. Didn't take his time when floored. Wasn't good at clinching.