A smarter Khan... Unbeatable?

[Dr Rumack]

I'll briefly synopsize Khan's weaknesses, and limitations before I fully address this post, and Khan's ability to remain unbeaten from here on out:

1.) Defense. This is where Khan's issue starts, and ends. It's all traced to this aspect, or lack thereof, of his game. There are three main types of defense: Using your feet to move, and dictate range (Sergio Martinez); "ear muffs," or having a high-guard, and basic blocking with your gloves, forearms, and elbows. See Joshua Clottey, Arthur Abraham; Head/upper body movement. This is the hardest form of defense to implement. See James Toney. Then you have guys like Hopkins, Pep (very similar to each other in defensive styles), and Mayweather, and Whitaker who use ASPECTS OF ALL THREE. NOTE: There are different defensive strategies, and skills - using intangibles, and intelligence (Hopkins, and Pep), but these are the basic approaches.

While Khan understands how to throw up the ear muffs, and use his feet to dictate range, he is completely helpless when it comes to utilizing head, and upper body movement. This in turn, prevents him from standing strong in the pocket, and fully taking advantage of his hand-speed; he is unable to TRANSITION FROM DEFENSE TO OFFENSE, and vice versa. He is either 100% offense, and committing himself to the attack, or he is moving away, and/or throwing the earmuffs up. Indeed, Khan has no head/upper body movement. . And he can't slip punches. . He can only use his foot speed to move away (very tiring), or throw earmuffs on/high guard up, which saps stamina as well from absorbing shots.

2.) Counterpunching. See above paragraph. Khan's lack of defense inhibits him from standing in the pocket, within punching range, slipping punches, and returning fire. He either has to commit himself 100% to his attack, or 100% to his defense.

3.) Inside fighting. While many boxers today (even great, world class ones, who I would rank above Khan right now) lack this tedious, detailed, and brilliant skill - Khan really has no in-fighting ability whatsoever. . . he is absolutely clueless. All of the most complete boxers possess this ability, though. Infighting involves more than simply getting within the other boxer's range, burying your head into his chest, and turning over short, crisp, accurate, powerful hooks, and uppercuts. Indeed, it's more than just offensive infighting - it's defensive capabilities too like knowing how/when to tie your opponent up. If Khan could just develop some basic infighting abilities, he would be able to preserve so much more stamina (by not getting on his bicycle full-speed), and prevent his opponent from teeing off on him while he just stands there with earmuffs on. . .

Khan develops some infighting technique, we'll see him stand in the pocket, slip punches, and then fire back. . . We'll see him transition from offensive output, to defensive prevention.

So, in conclusion, we see that Khan's defensive ineptness coincide, and directly are directly tied to his inability to counter-punch, and fight on the inside. Which in turn, prevent him from TRANSITIONING FROM OFFENSE TO DEFENSE! (and vice-versa).

Good post. It's the absence of infighting ability that makes him perennially beatable in my opinion. He will inevitably run into guys who're not afraid of his power and who will keep walking him down. His only response is to run and you can't run forever.

[Southpawology]

The kid doesnt have a chin. It doesnt matter how smart he is because it's inevitable that in some point during the fight a hard shot is going to land on that brittle chin and then its bambi on ice part....6??

[New England]

Just watch the Kotelnik fight and you will see Khans best defensive performance since he turned pro. He is too arrogant to change his style in the long term. He might do well in his next fight but he will revert back to being a showman and he will get knocked out again.

Danny Garcia is a horrible boxer and Khan should have made him look like a club fighter instead he played right into Garcia's game plan and got what he deserved.

He has the natural ability to win against any fighter but the same can't be said of his brain.

that "horrible boxer" beat the f#cking tar out of amir khan.


you cant say "well, they fought in their primes, and garcia won, but khan is better."

that's not how this game works. winning the fight means you're better. until khan avenges the loss (which he almost certainly won't,) we've got a perfect standard upon which to judge the two fighters. they fought. they were in their primes. khan was beat up badly and stopped.

[Brother Jay]

You can never take out the chance of a good shot landing. Amir Khan will never be unbeatable, sorry.

No one will ever be unbeatable.

Any given Sunday and all that ...

[NearHypnos]

He lost to PEDerson...not by knockout. Khan is a pretty good fighter, but that's all he'll ever be. This type of topic is more reserved for guys like Judah who have legit power and rare athleticism/speed, AND coming from a southpaw who just happens to be a f ucking headcase. Amir's attributes are good no doubt, but they aren't even the best at 140 or 147. Amir Kahn is like Berto... they look good when they're throwing.. but not when the other guy throws back. I'm giving him a pass on the chin a bit because the guys who have hurt him are big punchers landing home run shots. His chin could be a lot better...but we have to kind of think about that too. I worry more about guys like Berto (he survives but he's gone down to guys like Quintana and Guerrero who isn't exactly a big puncher)

[Walt Liquor]

Khan really got his as$$ whipped v garcia. I just rewatched it this am. Embarrassing.

[Brother Jay]

Khan really got his as$$ whipped v garcia. I just rewatched it this am. Embarrassing.

^^^ completely agreed

[UglyPug]

Good post. It's the absence of infighting ability that makes him perennially beatable in my opinion. He will inevitably run into guys who're not afraid of his power and who will keep walking him down. His only response is to run and you can't run forever.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, kind sir!

I am probably the biggest Amir Khan fan on this forum, short of the great WAZAA (known for exposing BIG POPPA PUMP). . .

So I have probably scrutinized Khan's weaknesses more than anybody.

His main issue is his inability to transition from offense, to defense, and vice versa. He is either committing 100% to his offensive attack, or 100% in defensive posture. This is a very ineffective way to fight. An analogy would be like a car getting 10 MPG, whene it could be getting 30 MPG (Khan does have great stamina).

He lacks the ability to stand in the pocket, and utilizing head/upper-body movement, and slip/dodge punches, pick off shots, etc., and then fire back. . Usually boxers as athletic, and speedy as him, are much more fluid, and natural. Khan is so stiff, and rigid.

His only means of "defense" is standing stationary with his earmuffs on, or like you said, getting on his bike, and using his foot speed to skeet around the ring. But this is very taxing, and not effective - either getting energy sapped by absorbing punches with ur guard up, or wasting energy by skeeting around the ring on your bike.

This all ties in with his lack of infighting skills (offense, and defense). Which in turn coincides with his lack of defensive measures, and counterpunching. . . Hahah I could literally go on forever analyzing his weaknesses, citing parallel examples, etc.

[UglyPug]

that "horrible boxer" beat the f#cking tar out of amir khan.


you cant say "well, they fought in their primes, and garcia won, but khan is better."

that's not how this game works. winning the fight means you're better. until khan avenges the loss (which he almost certainly won't,) we've got a perfect standard upon which to judge the two fighters. they fought. they were in their primes. khan was beat up badly and stopped.

Lol, nah mate. . . Khan was beating Garcia's ass, and was way too ****y. . He overcommitted himself by trying to lead with uppercuts, and launch 8-10 punch combinations. It's clear that all Khan had to do with stick with 1-2's, and occasional 1-2-hook/1-2-hook-2's and it'd have been 12 rounds of easy work.

He actually tries to entertain the fans, though. . . That's why I don't understand the hate he gets. . .

Anyway, Garcia caught Khan, and Khan never regained his legs. . Although he was actually much more lucid, and on the way to recovery when the referee stopped it. Ref should have stopped it after the first KD when Khan was basically out on his feet. . . BUT LOL, Khan was STILL able to fight back, despite being half-way unconscious. . That's how terrible Garcia is - all he could do was wail away on Khan with his guard up. . COuldn't even score a PROPER KO on an unconscious man!

Khan will never get the chance to avenge the loss, because Garcia won't rematch him. He knows he caught his lightening in a bottle. . . ANd with the help of the ref, sealed the lid on it. . . Despite Khan being able to bring him two times what he could make short of fightign pac/floyd. Hahaha, I'd bet anything he won't even fight another top 140 pounder like matthysse. He'll fight Khan's leftovers, and other older guys that still have a name like Morales/Judah.

[GrandpaBernard]

Khan reminds me of Judah. He'll keep reinventing himself and always fall short against the good fighters