After the farcical bout between David Haye and Dereck Chisora, and Freddie Flintoff’s laughable boxing debut, it was up to Amir Khan to try to restore some credibility to British boxing.
It is difficult to determine whether the sub-plot within the world of boxing is a tragedy or a comedy of late.
Earlier in the year we saw the farcical, Luxembourg licenced, bout between David Haye and Dereck Chisora. There has been the ultimately disappointing but potentially predictable return of Ricky Hatton and the cinematic climax of Freddie Flintoff’s 3-part documentary which resulted in a one-off circus event, under the guise of a professional tag. And most recently we witnessed Manny Pacquiao’s complacency being brutally destroyed by a thundering knock out punch from Juan Marquez which in-turn laid to rest the potential for the biggest pay-day contest ever seen between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
So it is with weighted anticipation and more importantly, for the reputation of the sport, that this weekend’s encounter between Amir Khan and Carlos Molina carries the overwhelming burden of credibility that has been absent in so many fights this year.
Molina weighed in dead level with Khan at 139.75lbs however he does give away four inches in height to his opponent from Bolton, England. Carlos Molina does bring to this contest an unbeaten record in eighteen fights, however it is worth noting that he has not been tested in a larger staged capacity till now. The Mexican-American can effectively hammer the final nail into Khan’s career and although the Englishman has carefully avoided falling to the same media goading that befell Pacquiao with regard to his prospective fight with Kell Brook his future has not gone completely unmentioned.
“Maybe I could fight Brook in the future, but I’d have to move up to 147 lbs and I’m still making this weight easy,” Khan said.
“I’m not a 147 fighter. I want to clean up this division [light-welterweight] and beat Garcia first before I move up.”
Khan’s style has, in the past at least, been so heavily angled towards delivering the finishing blow that he has left himself wide open with little or no defence on many occasions and this will be something that Molina will no doubt be waiting for.
“I think they’re underestimating me. They picked the wrong guy. They saw the record, and said, this guy’s coming up from lightweight. They don’t know who I am yet. They’re going to regret picking me.” Stated Molina.
He added, “Once I start landing those shots, I know he’s going to go back to the same old Amir Khan. He’s going to want to go into exchanges. That’s when we’ll jump on him.”
However, since his last defeat against Danny Garcia earlier this year Khan has parted company with trainer Freddie Roach and is aware that his style of all-out-attack was a liability and predictable.
“I’m a wiser, smarter, more mature fighter and on Saturday I’ll be ready to show that,” he said.”My new trainer Virgil Hunter has taught me so much and there’s more I can do. You’ll see more from me in this fight. You’ll see a new Amir Khan.
It is quite clear that however this bout ends it will be a springboard of opportunity for the victor and, (more so for Amir Khan) potentially a career finishing curtain call for the loser.
Khan has proven in the past to be a show stopping fighter but can the young man show the maturity that is needed to ensure he can remain doing what he loves?
Guest post by Mark Moorley.
Follow him on Twitter: @widgetwba
Read his blog: http://the4thofficial.posterous.com
