Posts Tagged ‘Amir Khan’

By Matt Gaunt

12 - 12 - 2010

Saturday night Khanage at the Mandalay Bay Resort

There are not enough superlatives to describe the epic battle that occurred last night between WBA Light Welterweight Champion Amir Khan and WBA Interim Champion Marcos Rene Maidana. The atmosphere was electric and the crowd were fantastic. Even better when you consider that neither of the protagonists are Americans.

Vegas expected and they delivered. The promotional banners of Thunder versus Lightning did not do either Khan or Maidana justice. For once this was a fight that exceeded all expectations.

This writer had predicted a tense but one sided affair with Khan electing to box at range and look to break Maidana down around the 9th round. Nobody expected Khan to wage war with Maidana the way he did. But that wasn’t all down to Khan. Maidana had a lot to do with making this a pugilistic spectacle for fight fans around the world.

Both fighters come out of this fight with a huge amount of credit. Maidana for showing unbelievable heart in getting up from one of the best body shots you will ever see and Khan for taking everything that Maidana threw. I am convinced had there been another 30 seconds in the 1st round Maidana would have been stopped.

I had Khan 50 – 44 up (Taking 4 of the first 5 rounds – Sharing the 4th with Maidana) on account of the knockdown in round 1 and the point deduction in round 5. At this point I was convinced my prediction of a late rounds stoppage was inevitable. As Khan gave the slow footed Maidana a boxing lesson.

However teak tough Maidana had other ideas and began to press Khan from the 6th round and had considerable success in the 7th. Khan battled back in the 8th and 9th rounds using his quick hands and superior mobility.

I was thinking that my late rounds stoppage was going to be realised. But not in the way I had anticipated. Maidana tagged Khan with a huge sweeping right hand and Khan’s legs buckled. But this wasn’t the 22 year old boy that fell to Prescott. Khan refused to hold or spoil. Tucking up and when possible moving back as Maidana bombarded him power shots from either hand. In particular a vicious right uppercut found the target with amazing regularity. For the best part of 90 seconds Khan weathered the assault. With the bell ringing Khan returned to his corner on unsteady legs. At this point I had Khan up 96 – 92 with Maidana coming on like a freight train (I scored the 10th round 10 – 8 to Maidana).

Out for the 11th Khan looked tired with the scars of battle showing, blood streaming down from his nose, but his legs looked like the strength was returning. Incredibly he was digging into reserves that nobody thought he had. Getting off with crisp shots, in particularly 2 great right hands that steadied Maidana. The Vegas crowd were going wild as the fight was swinging one way then another.

Final round and Khan just needed to stay on his feet. Despite getting tagged and hurt he came back in the last 30 seconds with blurring combinations to press home the point that he had finally arrived in the big time. Securing his best career win to date.

Maidana took the final round and I had Khan up 115 – 111 in what has to be one of the fights of the year.

Official score cards all read for Khan: 114-111; 114-111 & 113-112

Post fight interviews tell you a lot and Khan who moves 24 – 1 (17 KO’s) was buoyed by the fact that he had proven to the doubting public and press that he doesn’t have a suspect chin. We know he has a good chin after this fight, but more importantly Khan now knows he has a good chin.

Maidana who is now 29 – 2 (27 KO’s) was bitterly disappointed in losing the fight and did not appear to relish a return at some point in the future. For me I am definitely a new member of the Maidana fan club. There aren’t many fighters in the game today as tough as El Chino and as limited as he may be technically. He has the heart of a lion and unbelievable determination. Oh and one final thing, don’t let anybody tell you that Maidana’s power is over rated.

I was a fan of Khans before this fight and that hasn’t changed. I’m sure that continued work with Freddie Roach will address some of the errors that Khan made and he will improve from this fight. He will always be susceptible to being hurt by decent punchers, but he now knows what it takes to come through a crisis at the highest level. Still only 24 he is going to get stronger and I am convinced that in terms of technical ability. Outside of Mayweather and Pacquiao there isn’t a man that could outbox him over 12 rounds. Give him 12 months and 3 decent opponents and he just maybe ready to take on the elite.

Khan he do it….? Maybe, just maybe.

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Khan defeats Maidana but doesn’t look like boxing’s newest star

WBA super lightweight champion Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) won a twelve round decision against WBA interim super lightweight titleholder Marcos Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs) on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Khan dropped Maidana with two body shots at the end of round one. Khan went after Maidana in round two, but the tough Maidana kept coming back. Maidana was the aggressor in round three applying heavy pressure. Maidana was deducted a point by referee Joe Cortez for throwing an elbow in round five. Maidana was relentless and was rewarded for his efforts when his uppercut caught Khan in round seven. Khan rallied in the eighth using his speed and ring movement to avoid exchanges. Maidana got to Khan in the tenth and battered him all over the ring. It was a battle of attrition in the eleventh both fighters having their moments. Maidana desperately went for the knockout in round twelve, but Khan weathered the storm. Scores were 114-111, 114-111, and 113-112.

Khan won. Just barely. Maidana came in prepared and had tons of heart, Khan got to prove that his chin is better than most gave him credit for. It was a good fight but Khan although being a naturally gifted athlete hardly looked like boxing’s newest star.

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According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan will make $975,000 for his fight with mandatory challenger Marcos Maidana on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. This reflects Khan’s purse in US money only - and does not include the money he receives for the UK television rights or any of sponsorship money. Maidana will receive $550,000. — The purses for the junior welterweight co-main event are $150,000 for Victor Ortiz and $100,000 for Lamont Peterson.

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By Matt Gaunt

London 9 December 2023

The long anticipated fight between WBA Light Welterweight Champion Amir Khan and WBA Interim Champion Marcos Rene Maidana takes place this coming weekend at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Having followed boxing for the best part of 25 years, never have I been so uncertain on the outcome of a fight despite the huge gulf in technical ability. Two factors make predicting this fight difficult: How good is Marcos Maidana and more significantly how good is Amir Khan’s punch resistance?

Lets start with the hard punching Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) who was pretty much unknown until bursting onto the world stage in 2009 in an up and down epic with Victor Ortiz. Maidana was down three times in total but floored Ortiz twice and by the 6th round had broken his heart. Previous to the Ortiz fight that year Maidana lost a close and exciting fight to Andriy Kotelnik in Germany. A fight that could have gone either way.
Maybe the latest fight of Maidana’s career against DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley tells us more about him. In August of this year Maidana was given all he could handle in a fight that one judge had them separated by only 3 points. Factor in the knockdown Maidana scored in the 7th round and it was an uncomfortable nights work. Maidana also appeared to tire against the 36 year old Corley down the final stretch of the fight. Chop Chop became only the third man to take Maidana the distance in a 30 fight career spanning 6 years. For early periods of the fight Maidana appeared to be troubled going backwards, showed out when cut in the 3rd and generally didn’t appear to have a plan B. He did however punch in bunches for the first 9 rounds. HBO had him throwing over 1200 over the championship distance.
Maidana’s fight winning assets are his vaunted power, wild unorthodox style, high punch output and his never say die attitude. On the down side he is vulnerable to counters when on the offensive (He was down against light punching Omar Leon who wasn’t noted as a puncher), lack of speed and his inability to adapt during a fight.

Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) appears to be a polar opposite in terms of his boxing style and technical ability. Khan has been a British star in the making since the 2004 Athens Olympics. With his fast hands and rapid-fire combinations. Cracks did appear in several early fights and these have been well documented. Light punching Rachid Drilzane had Khan down briefly in 2006. Willie Limond had him in real trouble in 2007. In 2008 Khan was down from a left hook from Michael Gomez who was a division above his optimum weight and five years past his best. Then came the Prescott defeat that threatened to end the carer of Khan.
Following the loss Freddie Roach became his trainer and Khan is now a division higher at light welter and looking a more rounded fighter. There are some good names on the Khan record since the Prescott loss. Barerra, Kotelnik, Salita and Malignaggi were all beaten quite comfortably. All of these opponents showed the offensive improvements Khan has made under Roach, but none of these fights told us much in terms of Khan’s vulnerability. And that’s where the problem and uncertainty with this fight exists.
Roach has gone on record saying that the Prescott loss was a one off and that he was caught cold. Manny Pacquiao suffered two 3rd round ko’s in what can be considered the first part of his career. And that’s how I am viewing Khan’s loss. If any trainer can turn around a fighter’s confidence and mitigate vulnerabilities, then Freddie roach is the man of the moment.
Khan’s fight winning assets are his speed & movement, underrated power and probably most importantly Freddie Roach. On the down side his punch resistance will always be questioned and his willingness to slug it out when tagged.

I’m going to go against an underlying fear that Khan will engage Maidana early in this fight and predict the following:
Khan will be on the front foot claiming centre of the ring shooting out a stiff and spiteful jab, slotting in fast right hands keeping Maidana off balance and unable to set himself for the big right hand. Maidana will attack in straight lines and its here where Khan will need to counter quickly and move away from the fight ending right hand. The pattern will continue through to the middle rounds and this is where the fight will be won or lost for Khan. I don’t see Maidana having a plan B. For him the key to victory is landing the one big right hand. If Khan fights intelligently and sticks to Roach’s instructions, then the accumulation of punches will start to erode the strength and fortitude of Maidana. Khan will emerge victorious somewhere in the late rounds with Maidana being picked off with stinging combinations. I see the ref intervening as Khan opens up with Maidana pinned on the ropes defenceless….
However this is boxing and if Khan switches off for a split second and elects to trade believing he can outlast Maidana, then full WBA Light Welterweight Champion status will be El Chino’s and so will mouth watering fights with the likes of Timothy Bradley or Devon Alexander.

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AMIR KHAN, Current WBA Super Lightweight World Champion

“We are two fighters that are exciting to watch. Both young. Both hungry. It’s the perfect fight for both of us.

“I’m not scared of anyone. I’ll fight anyone you put in front of me.

“When I beat Maidana, I want to let my fists do the talking, not my words.

“When people say I have a weak chin, I respond by saying that Pacquiao gave me his best shot and couldn’t wobble me.

“Maidana is a big name. If I want to unify the division I have to fight the best. I believe if you want to be known as a great fighter you have to clean up divisions and that’s what I’m going to do.

“I’m going do something different in this fight, something nobody’s ever seen me do. I’m changing my style.

“I’m going to come in and be the big puncher. This fight, is going to be explosive.

“Losing to Prescott made me realize how serious boxing is…I needed to train harder.”

MARCOS MAIDANA, WBA Super Lightweight Interim World Champion

“Khan has been talking a lot. On December 11 he’s going to have all the pressure on him.

“I felt Amir was scared of me because he wasn’t giving me the opportunity to fight him. It’s been almost a year and half since I won the interim title. I’m excited that we’re going to fight.

“You can say he’s the favorite and I’m the underdog, but I don’t feel that way. I feel calm and prepared and know I will win.

“I want to be in the best in my era so I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity.”

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Latest Boxing News – Monday 15^th November for: Audley Harrison, David Haye, Ruslan Chagaev, Klitschko Brothers, Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana, Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, Paul “The Punisher” Williams, GB Boxing Olympic squad,Freddie Roach, Mayweather

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• British heavyweight Audley Harrison is facing the possibility of loseing his £1million purse for Saturday’s three round TKO loss to WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. The British Boxing Board of Control is investigating Audley’s performance, which saw him throw three punches in three rounds. They are very upset with the level of performance and how the fight played out. BBBC secretary Robert Smith said: “Withholding some or all of Audley Harrison’s purse is something which we will have to sit down and consider, bearing in mind it was such a letdown for the 22,000 people at the MEN Arena and the thousands watching at home. — “We’ve withheld purses in the past on many occasions when we feel a fighter has not tried. Myself and the BBBC chairman Charles Giles will watch the fight again then make a decision, but we have the authority to rescind purses and we would not be afraid to use that. Audley Harrison has not been paid yet, so it is something we can do”.

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• Chagaev ready for Haye — Yesterday Universum heavyweight Ruslan Chagaev (26-1-1, 17 KOs) watched the “Battle of Britain” between WBA champion David Haye and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison on TV. Chagaev, the WBA mandatory challenger, is the next opponent for Haye who won by third round TKO. “I am totally disappointed by this performance,” commented Chagaev. “This fight was not at world championship level. Harrison didn’t do anything. In three rounds I saw three jabs. That’s it. And this was in a world championship fight. Haye only waited for the first two rounds, if he had started earlier, everyone could have gone to bed. I was as disappointed as the 22,000 spectators in the arena”.

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• Haye is now being targeted by the Klitschko brothers for a bout next year. Bernd Bonte, the manager for the Klitschkos, is hoping Haye will agree to fight one of the Klitschko brothers next, possibly in Wembly Stadium. — In an article at cityam.com, Bonte said “We would be more than happy to make that fight. We already had a signed agreement [speaking about Haye’s previous agreement to fight Wladimir last year] but he [Haye] bailed out.” — Bonte continued saying “We want everything in one pot, with a 50-50 split. We would like to do the fight, but as long as we have a 50-50 split. We want the biggest money in the pot. If it comes from a sold out Wembly then we will go there.”

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• Pacquiao dominates Margarito — Super welterweight Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) added another chapter to his legendary career on Saturday night (13 Nov) before a huge crowd at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Pacquiao won a world title in a record eighth weight class (WBC junior middleweight) with a brutal twelve round beating of Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs).

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• Pacquiao-Margarito draws only 41,734: for last Saturday’s fight at the Cowboys Stadium — which is 10,000 less than Pacquiao’s fight against the obscure fighter Joshua Clottey last March.

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• Khan vs. Maidana: — WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) will finally be put to the test with a fighter when he faces the biggest puncher in the light welterweight division in WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) on December 11th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the last two years Khan has not taken on fighters renowned for their punching power.

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• Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez Vs Paul “The Punisher” Williams — Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) arrived at the Philadelphia airport earlier this afternoon to make his way to Atlantic City for his upcoming battle on Saturday, November 20th that is set to take place at the Boardwalk Hall. Martinez, who is the reigning WBC middleweight champion, will defend his title against Paul “The Punisher” Williams (39-1, 27 KO) in a rematch of their December 5, 2023 slugfest which had both fighters knocked down in round one and Williams winning by majority decision after twelve action-packed back-and-forth rounds.

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• BOXERS from the GB Boxing Olympic squad won every category in this weekend’s (12/13 November 2010) first ever GB Amateur Boxing Championship at the Echo Arena Liverpool. — The competition, which pitted the best amateurs from England, Scotland and Wales against GB Boxing’s first choice boxers, saw nine victories for Great Britain and two for England. All eleven of the winners are members of GB Boxing’s Podium or Development squads. - “This has been an excellent weekend of boxing and a very good test for the men and women on the GB boxing programme,” said GB Boxing’s Performance Director, Rob McCracken. “There have been some excellent performances in the competition and it will certainly have an influence on the evolution of the Olympic programme next year as we build up to 2012.”

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• Freddie Roach Says to Mayweather step up or leave the country — Roach thinks the times has come for Mayweather to step up to the plate. He says Mayweather needs to take the fight or leave the country, because the boxing public in the United States would never forgive him if the fight doesn’t happen. - “Let’s face it. Manny’s way above him at this point because I remember when he (Mayweather) was ducking Margarito and he wouldn’t fight him either. If he doesn’t fight Manny now, we know this guy should retire,” Roach said.

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• Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito Post Fight Interview — The fight with Margarito was one-sided and brutal, but Pacquiao admits that a bodyshot in the sixth hurt him badly and he was lucky to make it to the seventh round. Margarito, known for his hard hooks to the body, was able to catch him to the ribs but Pacquiao was very elusive and wouldn’t allow him to follow-up.

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• Former three time welterweight champion Antonio Margaritowill remain hospitalized in Texas until Wednesday. Following Saturday’s brutal twelve round beating. Read the rest of this entry »

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Latest Boxing News & Updates – 25^th October – for: Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana, Antonio Margarito, Garth “From The Hood” Wood,Sergio “Cero” Sanchez, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, Glen Johnson, Mikkel Kessler, Anthony “The Man” Mundine

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• Amir Khan says Maidana & Margarito both to lose by KO — In an interview with fanhouse British boxer Amir Khan said that he will be the first person to knock out Marcos Maidana on December 11 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Khan spent the last few weeks in the Philippines, training with Roach and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao also believes that the Filipino champion is going to win by knockout, when he fights Antonio Margarito on November 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. - Khan, whose trainer is also Freddie Roach, have studied tapes on Maidana and worked out a strategy to win impressively.

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• Wood vs. Mundine on December 8th — Contender Australia winner, Garth “From The Hood” Wood, and team will be heading off to a secret location this week in preparation for his December 8 all-Australian grudge match with Anthony “The Man” Mundine, 40-3 (24). — Wood, 9-1-1 (5), commenced training for the contest earlier this month in Sydney, but will spend the final six weeks in preparation at a confined training camp organized by manager, Mike Karigiannis, and trainer Billy Hussein.

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• Sergio “Cero” Sanchez opens new gym — On Friday afternoon, mere steps from the San Diego-Tijuana border, former fighter Sergio “Cero” Sanchez, originally of the boxing hot bed of Los Mochis, MX, invited the Tijuana boxing community to the grand opening of his brand new gym, the Round Zero Box Training Center. Serving as the guest of honor was no other than three time world champion Jorge “Travieso” Arce and tapped as the Godmother of the affair, two time super bantamweight WBC female champ Jackie “Aztec Princess” Nava helped Arce cut the ceremonial grand opening ribbon.

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• Undefeated WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez arrives in Las Vegas late Sunday night to continue training for his upcoming world featherweight title fight against two-division world champion Rafael Marquez. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with PR Best Boxing, Zanfer Promotions, Gary Shaw Productions and SHOWTIME, Lopez vs Marquez will take place Saturday, November 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing.

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• Super Six - Glen Johnson — 41-year-old former IBF light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KO’s) plans on making the most of his great opportunity against Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO’s) in their Super Six tournament bout at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Johnson is replacing Mikkel Kessler who dropped out of the tournament because of an injury. Johnson has the luck of facing Green, an opponent that he’s well familiar with because he’s sparred with him many times in preparing for fights and helping him prepare for fights. In an article at the Las Vegas Review Journal, Johnson says “My first reaction [to getting picked to fight in the Super Six tournament] was, ‘Wow, what a great opportunity. This is, I think, the best tournament in boxing. When the possibility to be a part of it came up, I immediately started doing what I need to do to get down to the weight. I haven’t done 168 in like 10 years, so I just have to commit myself and go to work.”

The winner of this epic clash – will earn a spot in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Semifinals. The tournament, as innovative as it is, has suffered from numerous hurdles dealing with boxer injuries. Jermaine Taylor, Mikkel Kessler and Andre Dirrell have all fallen victim to the menacing injury bug.

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• Manny Pacquiao — According to Ringtv.com, Pacquiao took punishment by all three of his sparring partners in a series of three to four round spars totaling 10 rounds in his last day of sparring in the Philippines before leaving for the U.S. It’s not looking so good for Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO’s) as he continues to get ready for his title bout against Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) on November 13th for the WBC junior middleweight vacant title.

Margarito, 32, one of the best pressure fighters in boxing, intends on going after the smaller Pacquiao and bombarding him with punch after punch until he crushes him in front of what will likely be a huge crowd of 50,000+ at the Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. In an article by John Martinez at Box Score News, Margarito says “I’ve seen other guys hit him [Pacquiao] and give him pressure, but then they don’t continue their attack. I am going to go nonstop. If I see he’s hurt, and I’m not going to stop until he’s on the floor. The way he fights, he is open to uppercuts. He’s going to be eating mine and when he does, he won’t want to come inside.”

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Despite Pacquiao rocking both Amir Khan and Michael Medina in his final sparring session prior to departing from the Philippines for Los Angles, trainer Freddie Roach is still not convinced that Pacquiao is fully focused on the task ahead of him (Manny Pacquiao Vs Antonio Margarito - 13 November).

Roach talking to the inquirer said “We didn’t have a great day of sparring today but he looked good in spots when he wanted to,” according to Roach Pacquiao went three rounds with Medina, took on WBA light welterweight champion Khan over four rounds and had Medina return for another three rounds.

Roach explained that Pacquiao’s condition was not a problem - “We need to see him a little more active and a little more focused,” the trainer said.

Roach describing Pacquiao’s sparring and staying on the ropes taking shots like he did at some stages of the fight against Miguel Cotto as not being part of the plan – “but he likes to play when he has an audience.”“When he (Pacquiao) wants to, he is right there, but the thing is Amir let him off the hook a couple of times also when he had Manny against the ropes and had him.”

Khan admitted that Pacquiao caught him with some good shots.

“With Manny, you can’t be too confident. You see what he did? I had to get my defense up,” Khan said. “Manny hits hard but I didn’t get hurt. But he’s been training hard all week and when he spars, it’s just 50 or 60 percent.”

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Khan says he’s 50-50 with Pacquiao in sparring - WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan says he’s doing really well in his sparring sessions with Manny Pacquiao, and sparring him to an even standstill. It’s hard to imagine Khan being able to spar on even terms with Pacquiao. On East Side Boxing’s On the Ropes Boxing Radio, Khan says “I sparred with him [Pacquiao] after defeat two years ago. I did really well with him then, but this time I’ve done even better and it just shows how much I’ve come on since I’ve been training with Manny. It’s a 50-50 spar. You know we’re both learning. Some days I have a good day, but some days Manny has a good day.”

Trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t think Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO’s) is looking all that bad in training, saying in an article at Philstar.com, “We [Pacquiao] need a little more focus, but I think overall we’re doing okay.” Roach is still talking as if this is going to be an easy fight for Pacquiao and is predicting an 8th round knockout.

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Latest Boxing News and Updates for: Michael Katsidis, Stathi Katsidis, Marquez, Zsolt Erdei, Mike Tyson, PAUL “The Pittsburgh Kid” SPADAFORA, Amir Khan, Floyd Mayweather, Brian Minto, Cory Phelps, Erik Morales, Jorge Barrios, Richard Abril, Reyes, Hernandez, Fernando Saucedo, Chris John.

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• Katsidis rocked by the death of his brother — The brother of WBO’s Interim-Lightweight Champion Michael Katsidis has been found dead in Brisbane, Australia after a suspected drug overdose. - According to press reports, Stathi Katsidis, 31, one of Australia’s top Horse Racing Jockeys had returned to his home after attending a Metallica concert in the city. At 8am yesterday morning, his partner Melissa Jackson was unable to wake him. Police are not treating the death as suspicious. — Michael was in Thailand preparing for the biggest fight of his career - a November 27 world title shot in Las Vegas against lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

His trainer Brendon Smith was called upon to deliver the most devastating blow of all after speaking to Katsidis’ distraught mother. — “Of course, he is very shocked and devastated,” Smith told AAP. “Stathi was a special young man. I’ve never seen two brothers so close and such a close family.” — Amid the brutality of professional boxing, the bravado was quickly set aside. Marquez, the 37-year-old titleholder who has everything to lose against the rising star from Toowoomba, was quick to pay his respects to the Katsidis family and his opponent.

“Our condolences to Michael Katsidis and his family. Let’s all pray for his brother’s soul,” Marquez wrote on Twitter.

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• Zsolt Erdei — (October 19, 2023 – New York, NY) Zsolt Erdei, the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion, who is yet to lose a fight as a professional, has signed a promotional deal with DiBella Entertainment. Born and residing in Hungary, Erdei (31-0, 17 KOs), who has fought his entire professional career in Europe thus far, is looking to make a big splash in America

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• Mike Tyson Sued - A paparazzi photographer filed a $25 million lawsuit against Mike Tyson on Monday, claiming that the former heavy weight champion attacked him in 2009, according to RadarOnline. — According to the lawsuit, Tyson attacked photographer Antonio Echevarria at LAX airport on Nov. 11, 2009. Echevarria reportedly claimed that Tyson said, “I will kill you.”

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• Spadafora Headlines Mohegan Sun Card on Nov 20 — UNCASVILLE, CONN (October 19, 2023) — Undefeated former IBF lightweight champion PAUL “The Pittsburgh Kid” SPADAFORA returns to the ring in a 10-round junior welterweight bout at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., Saturday, November 20. Spadafora (44-0-1, 18 KOs), will headline the all-action card. — Promoted by Michael Acri Boxing Promotions, tickets, priced at $75 (ringside), $45 (reserved) and $30 (general admission), can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun box office, all Tickermaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000.

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• Khan calls out Mayweather - Amir Khan wants a mega fight with Floyd Mayweather on British soil. - The WBA light-welterweight champion is hoping to step into the ring with the man many believe to be the pound-for-pound No.1 in the next 12 months. — Bolton star Khan believes the bout could even sell out Wembley Stadium such would be the public interest.

Khan defends his world title against Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas in December – but is convinced he will be ready to take on the undefeated Mayweather before the end of 2011. — He would love to do so in front of a UK audience. - “I always said I wanted a big fight in England,” said the 23-year-old. “I want to bring the big fights back to this country”. - “The Floyd Mayweather fight would be one of those”.

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• Minto vs. Phelps on October 29th — Butler, PA – NESportsTV.com in association with Mintofight.com is proud to present an online PPV broadcast featuring the return of recent cruiserweight title challenger Brian Minto as he takes on Catlettsburg, Kentucky veteran Cory Phelps live Friday October 29th from his hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania. The PPV webcast of the fight, which will feature a full undercard, can be preordered right now at www.NESportsTV.com for $9.99.

In his most recent fight, Minto put up a brave effort while losing to titleholder Marco Huck in his cruiserweight debut last May. Prior to that fight, Minto campaigned exclusively as a heavyweight earning noteworthy wins over former title challenger Axel Schulz, Danny Batchhelder, Billy Zumbrun and Vinnie Maddalone.

• Erik Morales vs. Jorge Barrios on December 18th — Former three division world champion Erik Morales (50-6, 35 KO’s) will continue his comeback on December 18th against former World Boxing Organization super featherweight champion Jorge Barrios (50-4-1, 35 KO’s) in a 12 round bout at the Caliente Racetrack, in Tijuana, Mexico. Morales, 34, will be defending his obscure WBC Silver light welterweight title against Barrios, and this is a fight where Barrios would have to move up in weight from the lightweight division to fight Morales for his WBC Silver light welterweight title. Morales has looked awful in his two fights back since coming off of a two year retirement.

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• Richard Abril Decisions Reyes, Hernandez Stops Duran - At the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, junior middleweight Joey Hernandez (17-1, 10KOs) picked up his second win since being knocked out in two rounds back in February by Ed Paredes. He decked Mexico’s Saul Duran (37-17, 30 KOs) in the second with a left hand and then trapped him against the ropes with several unanswered combinations before the fight was stopped. — In the main event, lightweight Richard Abril (13-2) won a ten round unanimous decision over Jose Reyes (23-9). The scores were 99-91, 97-93 and 98-92. Abril returning for the first time since January’s close split decision loss to Hank Lundy. — In another notable result, rising heavyweight prospect Luis Ortiz (4-0, 3KOs) of Cuba stopped veteran Zack Page (21-31) in the eight round.

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• John-Saucedo Approved For 12/1, Winner Meets Gamboa — The World Boxing Association (WBA) authorized an optional defense for the featherweight world champion of the WBA, Indonesian Chris John, for December 1 in Jakarta, Indonesia, against the world ranked WBA #15 Fernando Saucedo of Argentina. — After making this optional defense against Saucedo, John has to start immediate negotiations with representatives of the regular champion of WBA, Yuriorkis Gamboa, for a fight that has to take place before April 19. John is the WBA’s “super” champion at featherweight.
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