When throwing combinations, Khan over-commits and his balance is way off... the transition from the last punch back to his basic guard is an awkward one that a studious counterpuncher (are there any?) could take major advantage of He has undeniably fast hands, which is a good thing, but he still loops his shots a lot of the time, which again makes him vulnerable to someone able to get inside Related to the first point, the issues with his front-foot offense and balance robs him of power... He's gotten a little better at moving laterally to avoid punches instead of jumping straight back, but he still lapses and does it now and then... also, when he moves to his right he sometimes drops his right hand a bit, leaving him vulnerable to a well timed left hook He is improved though... he looks more like a pro than he did a couple of years ago... a bit less jumpy in there
that was the main thing I noticed, when throwing comibnation ( the looked more like flurry thought ) he was way off balance and sloppy
This is accurate. And I must admit too, as a Khan hater, he has improved. Less amateurish, bit more solid. But regarding your first point, it's pretty hilarious just how much he does overcommit to combos and throw himself all off balance and into awkward positions. It's like he's trying to copy Pacquiao, with Manny's unique, attacking combinations. Of course he doesn't have Manny's natural talent and balance.
exactly That's the thing... Pacquiao can afford to overcommit a little, because he gets himself back into his stance very quickly and because his punches are accurate and stinging, his center of gravity is still there while he's throwing, so he ahs much more heat on his shots, more power Khan lessens his power when he throws combos and often looks like he is stumbling forward on the last shot or two, way over committed to the front foot. Like you, I'm not impressed by Khan, but he definitely has improved... defensively, he still has a ways to go, but the leaping has been toned down a lot, which is good
Khan's balance is still an issue imo. As musze stated in another thread Khan still throws his hands before placing his feet, which is dangerous.
He is definitely getting better. After the Maidana fight I pretty much wrote off his chances of beating the elites in and around 140. But I may have been too quick to do so. I agree on his balance to a degree, but chasing Judah around (Judah almost always backing up) is going to make an offensive fighter get off balance more often than if they were fighting in the pocket. Khan has some flaws that remain, but in my opinion they are small things that are negated by how well he uses his height. He absolutely dominated Judah in terms of controlling distance. Like a clinic. So when Khan throws sweeping lead hooks or looping right hands he is still usually far enough away to avoid counters, even though he leaves himself open. Just excellent use of his physical attributes, unlike ..oh... Paul Williams. Good fighters with similar reach will STILL give Khan problems. Maidana was roughly the same size/reach as Khan and would still give Khan problems as the fight wore on. I am really unsure about Khan moving up to 147. I know he will need to at some point, but that speed & reach is a big fucking deal at 140. When Khan gets backed up is when he falls apart. Backing up all night himself, Judah was unable to show this, but looking back into Khan's history you can see how poorly he fights against someone who can continue to come forward. Not sure if he has been working on that or not. Finally I will say that against what appears to be the majority opinion I think T. Bradley outright BEATS Khan. Bradley is adept at getting close enough to land his shots no matter who he is fighting. He WILL get to Khan, and he WILL counter Khan, and he WILL back Khan up, which is where bad things happen for King Khan. Khan tires badly historically as well, although again last night's fight shed no light on that as it was quite short. But Bradley is active though all 12 rounds, and he just isn't going anywhere. Get in Khan's face, back him up, take his shots and keep coming, and you will beat him. But as soon as Amir Khan is dictating pace and distance he is solidly in the driver's seat. Khan is a very good fighter and deserves props. He may not be the brightest bulb, but he has a good attitude and I like it. A young guy who puts his money where his mouth is and tries to fight the best.
Cosign. He's taken a hell of a lot of shit, but the boy is keen, young and hugry despite the fact that he is already a multi-millionaire. Fair play to him. MTF
Khan certainly deserves more recognition. This win has improved what people think of him, despite some flaws in his boxing.
I'm gonna part from the crowd a bit here. I didn't see the falling in as being a balance thing, as much as it's part of the ever growing trend of trainers having their fighters (especially the ones who have had chin issues) get off first with a quick combo and falling into a clinch before the opponent has a chance to counter. Referees don't let boxers fight out of clinches anymore or warn for holding. They just break them up and let them reset and do the same thing over and over again. Just a little lesson learned from the Maidana fight.
I thought he got away from the jab too soon. He seems too tight and may be burning unnecessary gas early. He throws the same combinations too frequently. He doesn't appear to take punches well. I think the guy is a superb fighter, but he has room for improvement. I didn't think he looked much, if any, better against Zab than he did in his last two fights...maybe in the fact that he didn't get hit much, but a lot of that was Zab's fault for trying to wait him out.
