Amir Khan routs Andriy Kotelnik to claim WBA junior welterweight title
by Scott Christ on Jul 18, 2009 7:26 PM EDT
in Boxing Results and Post-Fight Analysis
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Andriy Kotelnik's caginess and smarts proved no match for the overwhelming handspeed and improved discipline of Amir Khan, allowing Khan to win the WBA junior welterweight title by landslide decision at a packed M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.
Khan (21-1, 15 KO) used a ton of movement, a lot of jabs, and some rather pitty-patty punching, to be honest, to keep Kotelnik (31-3-1, 13 KO) from ever getting untracked in the fight. It was easy to score, fairly easy to watch, and while the shift in style takes away some of Khan's more exciting elements, they also clearly make him a fighter better-designed to survive against top opponents. He only left his chin exposed a few times, and though Kotelnik hit him occasionally, he doesn't have one-punch power by any stretch and only seemed to buzz Khan one time.
I'm not trying to downgrade Khan's win at all. He clearly outboxed and outsmarted a really good fighter today, and Freddie Roach has certainly made him a better fighter already. It's clear as day. Roach deserves a lot of credit for what he's done already with Khan, whose physical gifts make him a great "reclamation project." And he dominated Kotelnik for the most part.
But he also never put a single dent in Kotelnik, and his style compared more to that of Paulie Malignaggi than a guy who has real power thanks to his incredible handspeed. This is the road he must travel, though. Everyone in the world knows about his dodgy chin, including Khan himself, no matter how much you hear that he sticks it out there in sparring to prove to other fighters it's not so bad. His punch resistance is terrible for a guy as good as him, and to make his bones in this sport, he's going to have to play keepaway.
With his speed, the stamina he showed in this fight, and his ability to make guys miss and keep them off of him with a long, piston-like jab (even if it's not landing much), he could have a renewed, yet different bright future.
Congratulations to Amir Khan on winning his first world title, and thanks to those that joined us for the round-by-round.
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Khan will eventually have to face someone with KO power and when that happens… he will lose.
"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."
welll....
he took the shots there pretty well, and considering Willie Limond put him on the floor, that was a huge improvement. His chin looked a lot better at 140 so I don’t necessarily think so.
Also, he showed the skills and smarts to outbox most at 140 regardless of KO power, I think.
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
I don’t think taking shots from a guy who is featherfisted( 37%) KO ratio is indicative that he takes shots well. He got buzzed several times.
"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."
If he fights like he did tonight, most guys won't be able to catch up with him
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I really only thought he was buzzed once, and he recovered really well.
by Scott Christ on Jul 19, 2009 6:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I meant
he took the shots There in that fight pretty well, and his chin was clearly much better than before with another feather fisted guy in Limond. Not saying its now an iron chin, but it held up ok and he came back well most times Kotelnik landed clean shots. Buzzed maybe once or twice I thought.
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
ah
my comment at the bottom was supposed to be in reply to yours dude
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people. (Sugar Ray Leonard)
I was at the fight last night, good atmosphere towards the end but everyone was saying it was packed but we got upgraded (from £40 tickets to £100 ones) and they had to close the whole top section of the arena. Can’t even sell tickets in his own backyard it seems. Lots of trouble in the crowd also.. Great night though, thought Anthony Small looked brilliant.
That isn’t his own backyard not a lot of Manchunians follow or like Amir Khan our champion is still Ricky Hatton.
Amir Khan is more popular down south. In fact he was scheduled to fight in London but when the fight got delayed due to Kotelniks injury they had no choice but to change the date and the venue due to the o2 venue in London being busy the rescheduled date.
Amir Khan vs Ricky Hatton is being mentioned a lot and if that fight materailises it’ll be the last fight Amir Khan ever has in Manchester considering the Hatton faithful don’t like him as a potential competitor to their hero.
by MannyPacquiao on Jul 19, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Be that as it may, his hometown of Bolton is just 10 miles away.. Manchester must class as his backyard then?
I know Hatton is loved in Manchester and I think if they did fight (don’t think they will) then the trouble that would be seen between the asian lads and the hardcore Hatton fans would eclipse anything seen last night.
It’s such a shame the tension you can feel when he fights, I don’t know if it was the same with Naz but there’s undeniably something there, what do you think? Did you see the Small – Hall fight?
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