Bad Left Hook, Global Boxing News and Commentary

By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. The Cruelest Sport decided to watch the 10th round of the Amir Khan-Marcos Maidana bout four times, in slow motion, last night in an effort to analyze what appeared to be an obvious mistake that no one has pointed out yet. Before getting to that, however, some fascinating things occurred during those three dramatic minutes. Here are a few examples: Khan did not attempt to throw a punch for at least one minute and thirty seconds, according to the HBO clock. He did, however, shove or push Maidana away from him no less than four times. Read more...

By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. Amir Khan underwent a trial by inferno against pitiless Marcos Maidana last night at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, notching a unanimous decision in a spiteful war that left both fighters battered, spent, bruised, and ennobled. Both men punished each other–with a fervor–throughout the fight. It looked like it might be a short night when Khan, now 24-1 (17), dropped Maidana with about 20 seconds remaining in the first round, stabbing a perfect left to the ribs that crumpled Maidana to the canvas, his face contorted in pain. Read more...

By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. Amir Khan faces the hardest-hitting test of his young career when he faces Argentine mauler Marcos Maidana tomorrow night at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. There is an air of uncertainty about this bout that makes it intriguing. Can Khan stand up to a few hard shots from Maidana? Will Maidana be able to land anything significant or will he be outboxed from bell to bell? Can Maidana overcome a wide gap in skill with heart and power? Read more...

By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana, two of the top junior welterweights in the world, finally meet in a potentially explosive bout on December 11 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Khan, who won a Silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, will be looking to silence critics who have accused him of ducking not only Maidana but punchers in general in the wake of his humiliating first-round KO defeat at the hands of commonplace Breidis Prescott two years ago. Indeed, that Khan has been hesitant to meet Maidana is less rumor than an almost-fact—about as close to the truth you can get in boxing. Read the rest here...

By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. Amir Khan stopped Paulie Malignaggi in 11 rounds before a lively crowd at The Theater in Madison Square Garden and already the peanut gallery is choking on its shells. Khan has been called, presumably without tongue in cheek, "a dominating 140-pounder" by RingTV.com. Sigh. Perspective is as lacking in boxing as honor is among thieves, but it is that much to expect a little rational discussion once in a while? Khan is a good fighter. But Malignaggi was, after all, as high as 4 ½ to 1 against on some books, and has scored only five knockouts in his entire career. The Cruelest Sport did not even bother to post a preview for this fight because, you know, 4 ½ to 1 fights are generally not meant to be competitive and why waste time pretending a lame donkey is Seabiscuit? Read the rest here...

By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. Over the last few years, and perhaps since network TV drew the curtains on boxing, HBO has proactively attempted to manufacture stars via careful matchmaking and PR blitzes before, during, and after a bout. Usually the beneficiaries of this treatment were picked because of potential, background story, personality, or because of ties with ubiquitous managers, but they were always picked, for better or worse, by HBO suits. Read the rest here...

By Andrew Harrison (Safe Side Of The Ropes) One of the chief criticisms levelled against Britain’s Amir Khan, is that the lightning quick light welterweight titlist has avoided big hitters like the plague, since Breidis Prescott almost decapitated him in Manchester 20 months ago. This Saturday’s fight with Paulie Malignaggi will do nothing to help his argument either, with the brash New Yorker falling very comfortably into the ‘feather fisted’ variety of fighters (read more).