Comments Thread For: HBO Protecting Amir Khan? Industry Chatter is Shocking

[CasperUK]

Feed Maidana to Khan?? Try the other way around buddy, Maidana will walk down Khan and kill him with straits.

Based on what? He struggled with Ortiz and was outboxed for most of the fight until Ortiz lost his bottle and quit.

Khan is bigger, quicker, faster and better than Ortiz.

WHEN Khan wins, Maidana will become just another contender. It is unfair to Maidana to deprive him of big earnings for the next year by putting him in with Khan right now. At least let him make some big money for 3 fights before feeding him to the lions.

[BetterCallSaul]

Yea, seeing how he's tried to get him a bigger money fight with Hopkins, and gotten him 4 bigger money fights with Tarver and Johnson, and now one with Pascal. I like Tavoris Cloud, but Dawson vs Cloud is a fight to build. Not Khan Maidana. Though they were past there primes atleast Cloud's two biggest wins were against former title holders and at the time, top ten guys, and legitimate Light Heavyweights.(Clinton Woods and Julio Gonzales)

Amir Khan has only defeated one top ten guy, Andreas Kotelnik. The same guy that beat Maidana in a close fight in his previous fight. A fight in which myself and others feel Maidana won. That alone could have been and should be enough reason for Khan Maidana to happen, and to have happened already..... I know it was on the Chagaev vs Drummond PPV, and they didn't show the first two rounds, but am I the only one who saw that fight?

Hypocrisy at its finest. Why is Dawson vs Cloud a fight to build but not Khan vs Maidana? Dawson is feeding off the remains of once good fighters (Tarver, Johnson), and Cloud's best win is Woods, who quite frankly is rubbish.

Khan can fight Marquez, Mallignaggi, and Hatton in big money, slightly less risky fights, and then fight Maidana within a year or so. If Khan can beat fighters like Marquez and Hatton, it would prove that he is ready to face a destructive puncher like Maidana. Throwing him in their now would not be a wise career move, considering the last time Khan was put in with a puncher he was knocked out in the first round. Why risk it again when Khan can take a few big fights first and make some money?

If Khan lost in his next fight to Maidana his career in the states would be effectively over. If he beat a couple of past prime, but still able fighters, then he could bounce back from a potential defeat and still command the publics and the networks respect and attention.

Anyway, if Khan beats Marquez and Mallignaggi before the year is out, he will deserve some recognition whether he fights Maidana or not. He is only 22 and has years and years of big fights ahead of him.

[Dave Rado]

And to demand Khan face a power puncher in the hope that he gets sparked out so everyone on here can revel in it doesn't indicate a lack of class?

Pot. Kettle. Black.

You may have that hope, but most people want to see if Khan is the real deal rather than just hype; and if the fight were made, he'd get huge props and most would root for him to win. For proof, you only need to look at the threads a few weeks ago when it was thought that the Khan-Maidana fight was about to be made. He was getting props from most people and most were rooting for him.

But because he's blatantly and cravenly ducking this fight most of those who were giving him props a few weeks ago now think he's a disgrace to the sport.

[BritishBoxing92]

I have huge respect and admiration for Khan, but he's a *****.

give him time hes only 23....wait for a few more years..

[Dave Rado]

Sport is a BUSINESS..

So do you think the top football teams shouldn't play each other because sport is a business? Do you think the top runners should be allowed to call themselves world champions while never racing against the other top runners? If a sport loses its credibility as a sport, it will cease to be a viable business. Boxing used to be a mainstream sport, but is no longer, and this sort of cynical fixing is a large part of the reason for that.

And lol at comparing Khan with Pacquiao, that's just idiotic.

[Dave Rado]

Why should it happen now? Khan has already faced a mandatory in Salita. Why should he take two mandatories in a row?

1) He's not going to fight Maidana immediately after Marquez. GPB have made it clear that he won't face Maidana for at least a year, and at least another three fights. So that argument is complete bull****. If he had signed a contract to say that the Maidana-Cayo winner would face the Khan-Marquez winner in their next fight, no one would be complaining.

2) Salita was a corrupt and meaningless mandatory. No credible independent ratings body rated him in the top 50 Jnr Welterweights in the world. Everyone who knew anything about boxing knew Khan would win that extremely easily. It was no more meaningful than Cotto-Jennings or Pavlik-Lockett. Do you think Cotto and Pavlik should have ducked all real challenges after those fights?

3) If the argument is about Maidana not being a big enough name, Maidana is a million times bigger name than Salita, so Khan should have refused to fight Salita. Taking that fight but ducking the first mandatory who was a threat proves that argument is hogwash.

4) When he took the fight against Kotelnik he knew he'd have to fight the Ortiz-Maidana winner. If he didn't think he's ready to be able to cope with a big puncher yet, he shouldn't have fought Kotelnik and insulted the intelligence of all boxing fans by calling himself a world champion. You don't call yourself a world champion if you don't think you're good enough to be able to beat anyone who can punch, without making yourself into a complete laughing stock.

[Dave Rado]

Based on what? He struggled with Ortiz and was outboxed for most of the fight until Ortiz lost his bottle and quit.

Khan is bigger, quicker, faster and better than Ortiz.

WHEN Khan wins, Maidana will become just another contender.

Shame Roach, GBP, and HBO don't share your opinion. Roach said it's too high risk for Khan right now and that "it's a very, very, dangerous fight for Amir".

It is unfair to Maidana to deprive him of big earnings for the next year by putting him in with Khan right now. At least let him make some big money for 3 fights before feeding him to the lions.

You're just being ridiculous now.

[S H O B O X]

Shame Roach, GBP, and HBO don't share your opinion. Roach said it's too high risk for Khan right now and that "it's a very, very, dangerous fight for Amir".

IMO if roach thinks its a bad idea to fight maidana at this stage then i'm slightly glad he didnt take the fight so soon . Sure i'm more dissapointed that he wont be taking on a big puncher and that he'll have to get used to being called a ducker and a ***** for now but maybe this way will work out better in terms of khan maturing and getting top level experience , a knockout loss on his american debut would be devastating .

[Dave Rado]

IMO if roach thinks its a bad idea to fight maidana at this stage then i'm slightly glad he didnt take the fight so soon . Sure i'm more dissapointed that he wont be taking on a big puncher and that he'll have to get used to being called a ducker and a ***** for now but maybe this way will work out better in terms of khan maturing and getting top level experience , a knockout loss on his american debut would be devastating .

Yeah, but they knew he'd have to fight Maidana or Ortiz when they took the Kotelnik fight. They shouldn't have taken that fight if they didn't think he's ready to fight punchers yet. There were plenty of other good learning fights available to him at that time. It's calling yourself a world champion, while acting like a prospect who isn't ready to fight any contenders who can punch, that stinks. It's an insult to anyone who gives a damn about boxing as a sport. (And anyone who is only interested in it as a business should find an accountancy website to post in, this site is meant for boxing fans, not accountancy fans).

[John Hue]

Dave Rado, I am in complete agreement with you. If Khan wants to pick his fights he should duck Maidana give up the title and go about his business but Golden Boy are stretching their power by using HBO to influence Maidana to accept a crappy deal that allows Khan to use the Title to fix big money fights. It is a combination of bribing and bullying and totally undermines the credibility of the WBC system. This is crap. Maidana lost a tight descision to Kotelnik (many felt he won the fight) then was put into a title shot eliminator with Ortiz a fight that he was expected to lose and now the system is being used to make him back off his rights. No doubt they are spinning him that he is not well known enough and won't be interested in his fights if he beats Khan but if he holds back they will offer him TV slots and build his profile.3 fights down the line he could well be another Prescott. It is not just khan who is taking risks here. Just as Kotelnik was taylor made for Khan ,Khan offers Maidana his easiest chance of becoming champion a chance that may never come again for Maidana. One thing I am certain of is if Maidana became champion you would not see these kind of protected show pony antics.