He's 21 years old. He has another 15 years of career ahead of him. Of course he's being protected! I wouldnt have it any other way. You dont wanna ruin a talented young prospect like that by throwing him in the deep end at such a young end. Khan should spend a couple of years cleaning up the domestic/UK scene and properly learning his craft before sticking him in with world class fighters.
You could have just added this to the conversation we were already having about this but I digress. Whilst I don't necessarily disagree with what you are saying Khan, by his own admission, wants to be the yongest British world champion so he should be taking on the appropriate challenges. You can't have it both ways.
Not much left on the domestic scene for him to clear up. There is Thaxton which would be a nice domestic match but mean little else. In terms of Europe there is only Romanov and Khan beats him easily. So they will need to move him up. Besides getting rounds under his belt and testing his stamina he will get lttle else out of fighting domestic cans.
yeah good point I'd failed to notice the number of khan threads popping up. I'll try and get it merged or sumthing. Anyway point is I hear people talk about him fighting for a title by the end of the year? What? Did I hear that right? Thats so stupid, what would that prove? He's better than Naseem Hamed coz he can win a world title younger? Hamed is a popular figure but Khan shoul really ought to try and step out of his shadow, because being british and muslim he'll be marketed as "the next naz" and thats not what he wants. I doubt Naz wants it either. Lets look at the current champions at 135lbs? Juan Diaz is the consensus man to beat, but right now he would probably beat Khan, with ease too. So would the other Diaz. And the other one. And wouldn't put him in with Casamayor just yet, Joel's way too experienced. I'm hearing him mentioning names like Hatton and Witter. No Amir, naughty boy, thats career suicide. Ricky Hatton would smash Khan, Khan's not even approached anyone of Hatton's calibre or experience. No need for it when he has such a big future. But when Khan has gone through Thaxton, Romanov, Arthur, Mitchell and all the other euroean guys he'll be ready to take those guys. Infact he probably oblierate Katsidid in 12 months. the only thing that appears as a weakness is he's very inexperienced and very young, he gets over-enthusiastic and makes schoolboy errors. Keep him learning, on the british level, and in a few years time he will be a monster. Start throwing him in with the dogs now and he'll get KO'd. Willie Limond, who's a good fighter to be honest, showed that, and they should learn their lesson. If Khan takes him time I can see him winning titles all the way from Lightweight to Middleweight in the next 10 years.
I think he brings the Naz thing on himself when he says he wants to beat Naz's record. People look into it and think he is comparing himself with Naz. Two completely different boxers. One a proven great fighter the other still has many more years and fights before he gets to that level.
Well some (speed dependant) fighters peak at a young age so why hold them back? no way Khan is still fighting at 36
lol I can see it now... "in the red corner weighing 11st 6lbs, aged 36 the former lightweight, light welter, welter, light middle and middleweight WBU champion of the world. Amir 'no weaknesses' Khan.
My thoughts exactly. I don't believe his sort of skills have a very long shelf life, and I would guess that he is closer to his peak than many would have us believe. By the time he has fully matured, toughened up and turned into a generally better fighter, his hand speed may have diminished. I don't want to see Khan go down the same route as Ricky Hatton. He had too many easy fights and by the time he got the mega fight with PBF, he was past his best.
Had Hattons WBU reign been a more prestigious title run we would be looking at an ATG now despite the PB loss. Instead we have a British gr8 who's world claims are not as impressive as they could have been.
I'm sure Khan has said himself he is going to retire from boxing early - whilst stiil in his 20's anyway.
All thanks to FW. I am sure Hatton would have faced anyone but FW was more concerned about protecting his unbeaten status. Good job he gave FW the ultimatum and got himself a crack at Tszyu otherwise he would still be defending the WBU title on FW shows (or maybe FW would have got him the WBO belt by now). He has done the same with Calzaghe. For years JC was festering away fighting FW handpicked opponents. He steps up to fight Lacy and shows why he will go down as ATG. He looks a better more motivated fighter against the likes of Lacy and Kessler. I think Khan will get a title later this year or early next year then be happy making a couple of defences a year for 5/6 years. Nice easy money for the lad to retire on.
The fact is he needs sterner tests before he steps up to world title level. He has beaten most of the domestic scene with ease but any fighter who is at the level he and his fans believe he is needs to face various different styles of boxer. The fact that he has notr fought a dangererous puncher of any kind or note will constantly dog him through his career until he puts the issue to rest. He does have the beating of the likes of Thaxton and Romanov but without facing them or those types we will not know how far he can truely go. The last thing he and his fans will want will to be protected to such an extent that when he does step up into the real elite he will be blow away. A fighter can only learn by testing themselves against serious threats. Less acomplished fighters of moderate quality in his own weight class in this country have had to face punchers so why not Khan? As for Hatton being protected. It is very true he only fought against people who he was expected to beat but many of those opponents came to the ring with very serious threats in one way and another. In Khans fights you can only ever see one outcome because the fighters have been perfectly matched for him. St-Clair would be a threat to most young prospects but against the tall attacking well skilled Khan it was just a formaility. If the guy wants to earn real universal respect and not some sports network hype put into peoples ears by ITV and the Sun then he needs to face guys willing to cause an upset.
thats true but whats annoying me is not that he's not fighting top class but the way he is getting big headed after beating fighters who are hand picked
