By Cliff Rold
Fifty-four second bouts rarely lend themselves much room for analysis, so the grades can be applied early on:
Breidis Prescott: A
Amir Khan: F
With those two marks firmly recorded, the ‘what does it mean’ of it all can be squarely addressed.
For 25-year old Breidis Prescott (20-0, 18 KO) of Colombia, the win could be both a blessing and a curse. A review of Prescott’s previous outings is less than impressive, a collection of unremarkable foes lacking winning records. Coming into the bout on Saturday, Khan marked only his sixth opponent with a mark above .500. After this performance, all of that goes out the window. Khan had crept into most press and sanctioning body ratings throughout this year and Prescott’s win is likely to land him there as well. He’ll be blessed by the opportunities that could provide.
He could be cursed by the unwillingness of other Lightweights to fight him. He immediately becomes a high risk, low reward challenge whose management and promotional ties will be the key to advancing with Khan in his hip pocket. Given the troubles Khan had before Prescott (more on those below), the decision to take on a guy with an almost absolute knockout run is open to heavy second guessing. Matchmakers for other Lightweights will remember that and think twice.
Prescott joins a run of Colombians in recent years with rocks in their gloves, a collection that includes Jr. Welterweight Ricardo Torres and Middleweights Edison Miranda and Epifanio Mendoza. Whether he reaches the major title level of Torres, the near-major money level of Miranda, or will be forced to play the spoiler role Mendoza has grown comfortable with remains to be seen. For now, a crowded field at 135 lbs. adds another thrilling face.
Don’t let the result fool you though; the division didn’t lose a face no matter how distorted Khan’s was made to appear with each crushing Prescott shot.
Having experienced defeat for the first time, 21-year old Amir Khan (18-1, 14 KO) of the United Kingdom and his handlers will have to give serious thought to his career. The kid’s chin is a liability; there’s no getting around the facts. When he was seriously hurt by the pedestrian power of Willie Limond in 2007, it could be chalked up to an early learning experience. After all, he wasn’t the first young star-in-the-making dropped. Oscar de La Hoya got off the floor against the forgettable Narcisso Valenzuela and Giorgio Campanella; Muhammad Ali against Sonny Banks and Henry Cooper.
Khan’s war earlier this year with Michael Gomez saw him hit the deck again…but as had been the case with Limond, Khan rose, regrouped, and stopped his man. These were positive signs mixed with the negatives.
There was nothing positive against Prescott. Khan was hurt almost right away with a grazing left hook that scraped across his temple before a flush left and right hand had Khan stretched on the mat. He barely beat the count before being assaulted with another devastating left hook finished his night; the visual as he collapsed into the canvas to find head rest in a ring corner while a final right hand just sailed past his face was rife with frightening possibilities. Khan could thank gravity for the missed bombe and a more rapid return to consciousness.
However, this need not be seen as the end of Khan just as he appeared to be starting. First round losses can sometimes be overrated, a product of tension and a fighter not totally warmed to the task at hand. While Khan’s punch resistance is likely to remain his Achilles Heel, plenty of evidence exists to suggest he can overcome it.
Recent Jr. Middleweight titlist Kasim Ouma and current Jr. Welterweight titlist Kendall Holt both strapped a belt around their waist after disastrous outings recorded as “KO by 1.” Unlike Ouma and Holt, Khan has a proven ability to sell tickets, a Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympics, and a world of fights fans who will be curious about his next bout. They’ll ask “Will he rebound?” or “Is another disaster looming?”
There are worse positions to be in.
To make the most of a real bad day, Khan is going to have to change. He is too willing to come forward early and, with good hand speed and able feet, needs training that lends itself to more measured Boxing early on. Khan’s natural aggression and belief in exhibited power needs to be matured and controlled. Put another way, Khan needs to become more boring, maximizing his skill set in pursuit of longer outings.
Prescott just needs to keep on keeping on.
Both will be welcome returns for the eyes of fans in the near future.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
