Comments Thread For: Amir Khan Wants To Snatch Marquez Fight From Hatton

[Iceta Lives]

Khan hasn't fought anyone to deserve a fight of this magnitude, but I can't say I'm mad at him for vacating the belt to avoid Maidana with an opportunity to fight someone of JMM's stature.

[trufightfanatic]

Khan hasn't fought anyone to deserve a fight of this magnitude, but I can't say I'm mad at him for vacating the belt to avoid Maidana with an opportunity to fight someone of JMM's stature.

Khan has a better chance beating Maidana than he does against any of the other guys mentioned. If he fights any of these other guys I will bet that he loses.

[outlawzz]

Khan hasn't fought anyone to deserve a fight of this magnitude, but I can't say I'm mad at him for vacating the belt to avoid Maidana with an opportunity to fight someone of JMM's stature.

***** YEA I AINT MAD AT HIM FOR TAKIN DAT FIGTH CUZ U WANNA C HIM WIN dat ***** indian cant **** wit maidana

[jlgonzalez07]

Marquez doesnt really have big money options except Hatton. I say make this fight happen. And make it a catchweight of 139.9!j/k. Expose the glass chin and lets see if we get Barrera/Prince Naseem all over again.

[leemoorcroft]

this why khans been telin hatton to quit the sport hattons done what khan will never do he beat the best light welter on the planet tyzu then was champ for years khan thinkin hes above hatton geta grip khan hatton will beat you and marquez hatton one of the best fighters of the last ecade without doubt

[MegatronCEN*CAL]

Maidana is not a big enough name. And I suppose Khan is? **** this guy and Roach.

[Dave Rado]

Khan hasn't fought anyone to deserve a fight of this magnitude, but I can't say I'm mad at him for vacating the belt to avoid Maidana with an opportunity to fight someone of JMM's stature.

It's not because he has beaten anyone or because he deserves it, that's not how boxing works, unfortunately. It would be a good payday for Marquez, and that's the only reason the fight is likely to happen. Hatton is far too out of shape at the moment to be an option for Marquez in the short term. Marquez's only short term options are returning to Lightweight to fight Katsidis for very little money, or to fight Khan for a lot more money.

But from a boxing point of view it's a bad move. Marquez is a blown-up Super Featherweight who slowed down considerably even when he moved up to Lightweight and was only able to win at Lightweight due to his counter-punching skills. In his last fight at 144, he was really painfully slow, and also seemed to have lost a lot of his power. He would be much too slow to catch Khan at Jnr Welterweight, and even if he did manage to land, he probably wouldn't have the power to test his chin at that weight. He's not like Pac, who can put on weight without losing speed or power. He's still a natural Super Featherweight. Khan would look good in this fight but it would be meaningless in the context of what it says about his ability to beat top fighters in his own weight class (Marquez isn't rated at Jnr Welterweight and never will be).

Still, if (and only if) Maidana is offered a contractual guarantee to fight the winner, and accepts it, then I'd have no problem with this fight happening first. But if Khan vacates his title to take this fight in order to avoid a puncher, then he'll be a blatant ducker, as far as I'm concerned. You don't call yourself a world champion and then vacate in order avoid the first fighter whom you consider to be a risk; and if he didn't think he was ready to fight anyone with a big punch, he shouldn't have fought for a world title - it's as simple as that. It demeans the sport of boxing when fighters behave in that way and when they try to treat the fans like gullible idiots. And it makes the sport - as a sport - into a laughing stock. Boxing is not only a business, it's also a sport, and this is the sort of thing that has been destroying its credibility as a sport. Whenever it loses credibility as a sport, it also loses some of its long term viability as a business.

And it's simply not true that Maidana isn't a name in the States. Obviously he's not nearly as well known as Marquez is, but Marquez is not a Jnr Welterweight. But Maidana destroyed Ortiz live on HBO in a fight of the year candidate, and Ortiz had been massively hyped by GBP and by HBO. Coming off that win, he's certainly well known enough to make him a good payday for Khan, especially as everyone wants to know whether or not Khan has improved enough under Roach to have what it takes to beat a puncher. It would be a highly anticipated fight, and the biggest payday of Khan's career so far. Plus, beating Maidana would put an end to all the questions about his chin, and make him into a real star, whereas beating Marquez would prove nothing meaningful at all.

And in any case there's nothing to stop him fighting Marquez after he beats Maidana - it's not either/or. And that way he would make at least as much money, probably more, and without losing his title.

So it's hard to avoid the conclusion that Roach simply thinks Maidana is too risky.

[Catrin]

Maidana dropped Ortiz in six rounds, and roach is sayin he is not know!!! Well if thats the case, thanks Amir for givin Maidana the exposure U need soo much in th US... And all this thanks to U avoiding HIM! Fight or VACATE *****!

[the niggest]

I think they're crazy putting Khan in against Marquez if it's true, the guy was genuinely competitive with Pacquiao, how's he not going to beat Khan?

Yes he was competetive with Pacquiao at super feather weight and 2 years ago. JMM is past his prime now and at 140 Khan would have a big size advantage, aswell as in speed and power.

[KOKing27]

If it makes dollars, it makes sense! Khan vs. JMM makes dollars, much more than Khan vs. Maidana. And that is always the bottom line...