By Jake Donovan
You know that myth about how a fighter is written off after just one loss?
Ask Amir Khan if there’s any truth to it.
Ten months after being mistaken for a ring apron logo, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist prepares for his first crack at a major alphabet title when he faces junior welterweight titlist Andriy Kotelnik.
The fight takes place this Saturday at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England. That would be the same M.E.N. Arena where promoter Frank Warren hopes to turn him into the building’s next house fighter, as he now plays the building for the third time in ten months.
It’s also the same arena that played host to his lone loss to date.
It was a night where Khan spent nearly as much time on the canvas as he did on his feet.
“Just how dangerous is (Breidis) Prescott?”
That was the question asked at the start of the broadcast. The UK-based prodigy would soon discover the answer that question, and in emphatic fashion. Khan hit the canvas twice, the second for the full ten count, ending his night in just 54 seconds.
The first knockdown came about 30 seconds in, when a left hook put him on Queer Street, with a right hand and follow-up left hook finishing the job.
Khan quickly arose, though in retrospect would’ve been much better served to stay down for the full mandatory eight. The fight continued, but two overhand rights and another left hook left Khan flattened in the corner, punch drunk and struggling to peel himself off of the canvas as referee Terry O’Connor counted him out.
No sooner than was his opponent’s hand raised in victory did the vultures circle in to gnaw at what was believed to be Khan’s dead carcass.
The kid was a bum, said his critics; his Olympic run and undefeated pro record were both nothing but mirages. He has no chin and will never pan out as a pro.
He lost. He’s done.
Ten months and two wins later, Amir Khan (20-1, 15KO) still commands center stage.
Of the two wins, his most recent came against faded legend Marco Antonio Barrera. The bout, which Khan won by 5th round technical decision, was not without its controversy; a headbutt in the opening round left Barrera with a bone-deep cut atop his forehead.
In anywhere other than Khan’s backyard, the fight is stopped and ruled a no-contest. Instead, the ringside doctors declared it merely a flesh wound and allowed the fight to go four more rounds, just enough to go to the cards, where Khan enjoyed a commanding lead.
A protest was filed on behalf of Barrera’s promoter Don King. It fell on deaf ears; Barrera hasn’t fought since, while view of Khan’s knockout loss to Prescott just two fights and 10 months ago appears further and further in the rearview mirror.
So distant that he’s now fighting for a major title, moving up in weight to face one of the toughest junior welterweights in the world no less.
Andriy Kotelnik is nobody’s pushover and comes with a price tag far inferior to that of Ricky Hatton or the division’s current king in Manny Pacquiao. He barely boasts the notoriety of fellow titlist Tim Bradley, who also carries the label of high-risk, low-reward.
This is the candidate Khan and his handlers selected his first bid at alphabet hardware, just two fights removed from the most humiliating moment of his boxing life.
Ask again how much the results actually matter.
While you’re at it, ask Breidis Prescott that very same question.
So monumental was his knockout win over Khan that the ringside announcers called it one of the greatest upsets in British boxing history. Even better was that the win came on the heels of his stateside televised-debut, scoring a minor upset over fellow unbeaten prospect Richard Abril on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights just ten weeks prior.
No question that his stock immensely rises, and big paydays shall await him, right?
Not quite.
Five months later, Prescott (21-0, 15KO) found himself exactly where he was prior to the thrash of Khan – once again in Fort Lauderdale fighting on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights series.
If nothing else, the night was designed as a showcase for the lightweight contender. Called in from the bullpen was Ecuadorian punching bag Humberto Toledo, who had been brutally stopped in all but one of his five losses.
The bout began as an eight-round co-feature, but was bumped up to ten-rounds and the main event when the original headliner fell apart over weight issues.
Two extra rounds wound up becoming the difference between a virtual shutout win for Prescott and one by disqualification. Toledo, who lost a point for excessive holding and also suffered a knockdown, suffered a complete meltdown during the two extra frames. A takedown in the ninth was followed by a bite to Prescott’s neck in the 10th, drawing a two-point foul, giving him three for the night and thus an instant disqualification.
Toledo received a six-month suspension for his actions, while Prescott left an impressive winner and seemingly on the verge of bigger and better things.
Instead, he hasn’t fought since then.
That comes to an end tonight, when he faces Miguel Vazquez in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout airs on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights (10PM ET/7PM local and PT), the third time in four fights in which Prescott appears on the series, this one curiously scheduled on the eve of Khan’s first title shot and to far less fanfare.
The fight is scheduled for ten rounds, which means win, lose or draw, Prescott is no more guaranteed a title shot than he was before the fight.
While no gimme, if the odds hold up, then he’ll go home tonight a winner.
Tomorrow, Breidis Prescott will wake up to final previews of Amir Khan’s first crack at a major title, the final confirmation that in the end, the results simply don’t matter.
WHAT ELSE TO WATCH FOR
The weekend was originally supposed to play host to Floyd Mayweather’s comeback after 19 months away from the ring, as he was to take on Juan Manuel Marquez in a catchweight bout.
That even has since been pushed back two months, but there is still plenty of boxing to be seen on the tube on Friday and Saturday.
Opening the telecast to Prescott’s aforementioned headliner versus Miguel Vazquez is red-hot Cuban junior middleweight newcomer Erislandy Lara (6-0, 4KO). Just six fights and 54 weeks into his professional career, Lara receives his toughest test to date when he meets longtime spoiler Darnell Boone (16-11-2, 6KO), who is just three weeks removed from nearly unseating unbeaten middleweight Craig McEwan.
Slightly overlapping the Friday Night Fights telecast will be Telemundo’s monthly boxing entry, which airs live from the Kissimmee (FL) Civic Center. Headlining the show is one of the network’s favorites, Wilfredo “WV2” Vazquez, Jr (15-0-1, 12KO).
Trained by his father and former three-division champion Wilfredo Sr., the 25-year young Vazquez continues to creep closer and closer towards title contention while building a rabid fan base in Central Florida.
Tonight’s fight with Cecilio Santos (23-10-3, 13KO) doesn’t necessarily move him any closer towards the top, but provides the opportunity to compare him to some of the other top fighters in the lower weight classes.
Santos doesn’t win very often these days, though perhaps due to his superior level of competition. Among his past ten opponents, over which he is 4-5-1, are three past or present titlists and four more who would go on to challenge for a major belt.
It’s perhaps a lateral move from that of Jose Angel Beranza, Vazquez’ last opponent. If nothing else, it keeps him active, this being just his second fight of 2009 after fighting five times in ’08 and nine the year prior. Tonight marks his fifth straight Telemundo appearance.
Saturday night’s lone televised intake comes via Azteca America, whose Solo Boxeo II series returns after what seems like an eternity but has only been a month.
Seven months ago on the very same network, Humberto Soto defeated Francisco Lorenzo to assume his rightful place as the best junior lightweight in the world. Seven weeks later came the return of the Solo Boxeo series, changing addresses from Telefutura to Azteca America. The debut of version 2.0 was topped by Jesus Soto Karass’ ten-round decision over durable Carson Jones.
Five months later, very little consistency and even lower quality has come of the series.
This weekend’s show, which airs live from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (9PM ET/PT), is hardly an exception. An interim version of a super flyweight title is at stake for a bout between two fighters – Tomas Rojas and Everado Morales – boasting 24 losses between them.
More inspiring showcase bouts can be found on the undercard. Undefeated Mexican super middleweight prospect Rigoberto Alvares (22-0, 16KO) appears in a 10-round showcase against familiar foe Francisco Sierra (20-2-1, 19KO). This will be the third time the two face one another, with both of Sierra’s losses coming at the hands of his countryman.
Time permitting, airtime could possibly be granted to Omar Chavez (16-0-1, 11KO), suggested to be the more talented between he and older brother Julio Jr. The 19-year old junior welterweight is matched light, facing novice journeyman Marco Nazareth (4-3, 3KO).
Though not appearing anywhere in the states except perhaps illegal web stream, there is plenty of notable action below the already heavily hyped Khan-Kotelnik title fight in Manchester, England.
British Olympic teammates James DeGale and Billy Joe Saunders appear on the undercard, as does former cruiserweight titlist Enzo Maccarinelli.
Once part of a stable full of champions, Macarrinelli (29-3, 22KO has watched his career free-fall in recent years, suffering devastating knockout losses in two of his last three fights against the likes of David Haye anda a heartbreaker to Ola Ofalabi this past March.
The concept of a soft touch is apparently lost on his handlers, as he is thrown to the wolves against undefeated Russian cruiserweight Denis Lebedev (17-0, 12KO).
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.
