By Jake Donovan
Ever since his title winning effort over Andriy Kotelnik two years ago, Amir Khan has claimed to be the best junior welterweight on the planet.
With each passing win, his massive herd of supporters have been every bit as vocal in echoing such sentiments.
This weekend offers the chance for the confident Brit to truly put something behind his words, as he takes on Zab Judah at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/PT).
Standing in the way of such a boast becoming a definitive reality has been Timothy Bradley, an undefeated American who entered the title fray a year ahead of Khan and has repeatedly bumped off top competition.
However, Bradley’s career progress has come to a screeching halt thanks to an ongoing promotional contract dispute with Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing, both of whom claim there’s still time left on the clock.
Until it gets sorted out, all Bradley can do is sit back and watch the parade go by, his top spot (which isn’t definitively his to begin with) in jeopardy as the best of the rest in the division march onward.
Leading the charge is none other than Khan, perhaps the only other junior welterweight in the world who boasts a resume that matches – if not trumps – that of the sculpted American.
The great debate began just two years ago, when Manny Pacquiao laid claim to the lineal junior welterweight crown with his rousing second round knockout of then-reigning king Ricky Hatton, only to immediately bolt to the welterweight division.
At the time, Khan had yet to make his mark and in fact was still in the recovery stage of his career after getting blitzed in less than a minute by Breidis Prescott just a year prior. [Click Here To Read More]
Ever since his title winning effort over Andriy Kotelnik two years ago, Amir Khan has claimed to be the best junior welterweight on the planet.
With each passing win, his massive herd of supporters have been every bit as vocal in echoing such sentiments.
This weekend offers the chance for the confident Brit to truly put something behind his words, as he takes on Zab Judah at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/PT).
Standing in the way of such a boast becoming a definitive reality has been Timothy Bradley, an undefeated American who entered the title fray a year ahead of Khan and has repeatedly bumped off top competition.
However, Bradley’s career progress has come to a screeching halt thanks to an ongoing promotional contract dispute with Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing, both of whom claim there’s still time left on the clock.
Until it gets sorted out, all Bradley can do is sit back and watch the parade go by, his top spot (which isn’t definitively his to begin with) in jeopardy as the best of the rest in the division march onward.
Leading the charge is none other than Khan, perhaps the only other junior welterweight in the world who boasts a resume that matches – if not trumps – that of the sculpted American.
The great debate began just two years ago, when Manny Pacquiao laid claim to the lineal junior welterweight crown with his rousing second round knockout of then-reigning king Ricky Hatton, only to immediately bolt to the welterweight division.
At the time, Khan had yet to make his mark and in fact was still in the recovery stage of his career after getting blitzed in less than a minute by Breidis Prescott just a year prior. [Click Here To Read More]
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