Total-Boxing Blog

www.theboxinghistorian.com My thoughts on the up coming bout between Amir Khan vs Paulie Malignaggi

News has filtered through today that Amir Khan has left promoter Frank Warren and signed with Oscar De La Hoya’s Goldenboy Promotions, one of the leading boxing promotions based in the United States. Khan, the WBA Light Welterweight Champion has been promoted by Frank Warren since turning professional in 2005, who has since led him to Commonwealth and World Titles.

Amir Khan and Frank Warren

These turn of events shows some spirit and hunger on the part of Khan, but also it shows of a lack of loyalty to a man who has saved Khan’s reputation after his 1 minute demolision at the hands of Briedis Prescott in 2008.

After all, Warren has put all, or at least the majority of his focus on Amir since turning professional in 2005 leaving the likes of Kevin Mitchell, Nathan Cleverly and Kel Brook in the shadows. Frank, the leading promoter in the UK, saw Amir as a future star and the darling of the nation following his fantastic Silver Medal at the Olympics in Athens at just 17 years of age. From the word go, Amir was plying his trade on national television in 4 rounders against the kind of no hopers you expect a top prospect to face early in his career.

Warren continued to showcase Khan on national television gaining him a Commonwealth title along the way, despite the mediocre opposition he was put against. As is always the case in boxing, tv channels pulled out of offering big contracts to show Khan’s fights, and Warren landed a deal with Sky for Pay Per View events, even at this early stage in Khan career. Despite, in his first pay per view showing, being knocked out in under a minute, Frank Warrren continued to get Khan on Pay Per View shows, regaining his confidence and reputation as a top boxing prospect.

Yet despite so much, and even getting Khan the WBA light welterweight title, Frank Warren finds himself getting ditched. Something he must be getting used to since the likes of Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe did the same thing, although much later on in their careers. Warren is notoriously outspoken about fighters not on his payroll and you do wonder how much of a kick in the teeth this is for Sports Network, the company behind Frank Warrens empire. If true to tradition, Warren will express his dismay and feeling of betrayal by Amir.

Khan is probably the second most popular boxer in the country after Ricky Hatton, and he will have been Franks treasured cash cow. But many people will applaud Amir for breaking away and leaving behind Warrens cautious approach to match making. Amir has stated many times he wants to fight the best out there, and he must have known deep down that with Frank Warren overseeing things, that was never going to happen.

Leaving Warren and heading stateside, Khan will get some much needed exposure over the pond, and will no doubt be matched against tough opposition, as that is what Golden Boy Promotions is all about. Amir has left Warren early in his career, something Joe Calzaghe may well have wished he had done. Calzaghe’s talent is undisputed, but his achievements in the ring are questioned because of the cautious management of Warren. Many feel Calzaghe never went after the big american names when he should have done, and instead took on Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins a good half a decade too late. Amir Khan, can avoid such accusations.

There is no doubting that Frank Warren is a shroud business man and we must remember thats what he is first and foremost. Match making is an important part of his job, and he needs his fighters to win to generate the most money he can both for the boxer and himself. Warren can however take somewhat limited boxers to heights they should only dream of, but there is always a common belief that he also holds back the boxers with the most promise.

Amir Khan may well go on to face the best opponents, and he might even lose to a few, but his hunger to maximise his legacy will never be questioned nor being accussed of ducking the best. Having the courage to ditch Frank and go stateside early on in his career is worthy of applaud, but it is yet to be seen whether he really can mix it with the big boys and live up to his own opinions of his potential greatness.

This weekend see’s the much hyped, David vs Goliath bout take place in Nuremburg, Germany for the WBA Heavyweight Crown. While there is a World Title at stake, and alot of media attention, will this fight really capture the worlds imagination and get people interested in the heavyweight division once again?

The stellar division for the last 100 years, heavyweight boxing has always been in the public eye, and the star performers have always been household names. Every Tom, Dick and Harry knows names such as Muhamed Ali, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson, George Foreman and even Frank Bruno. In recent years however, we have seen a decline in the amount of decent talent coming through the division, and interest has slumped to almost nil in the states. The 90’s and 00’s has seen a rise in Eastern European fighters grace the stage for world title shots, with only Lennox Lewis reigning supreme above all. Since his departure however, no one seems to care anymore about the once glamourous division.

While the Klitschko brothers have both shown their class over the years, neither of them has caught the imagination of boxing fans outside of their home and adopted countries of Ukraine and Germany. Their textbook and overly cautious fighting style makes them boring to watch, and their reluctance to fight one another leaves the division without one clear leading star. Furthermore, with the big american men able to make easier money in other sports, the States have failed to produce a top heavyweight fighter and so interest over their, the unofficial centre of boxing, has stalled.

This weekends spectacle should bring more than just an intriguing contest of speed vs sheer size. Sure it has tongues wagging, with Valuev’s size advantage and the fact he’s never been knocked down in his career. Haye the brash cockey, quick talking slugger, who’s never been 12 rounds and KO’d 21 of his 22 victims. That alone is drama. But there is also a World Title on the line, and should the Londoner come out on top, perhaps a spark to ignite the faded heavyweight scene.

Haye’s persona, hunger to take on the very best and fighting style will be a much need breathe of fresh air in a divison, where over the last 10 years, weighing as much as possible seems to be the order of the day. Slow, plodding giants hugging each other in the middle of the ring is not what we want to see. David Haye could be the man to create waves in this divison, and he will also be closer to forcing one or both of the Brothers Klitschko into unification bouts.

Still, it is no certainty that Haye will succeed. He has his weaknesses. Most notably he has been down a few times in his career, and against much much smaller men than Valuev. The Beast from the East does not punch his weight however, and Haye’s superior speed should be enough to see him avoid all telling shots the giant throws. Haye’s main concern could be the fact this fight is taking place in Valuev’s back yard. And in Germany, controversial (or outright wrong) decisions are common.

Haye knows about the potential decision issues, and even if he dances rings around the big man, he could still miss out on the win. He is gunning for a spectacular knockout, and thats a huge ask. It is maybe the one thing though, that will inspire the heavyweights of the future, and get the boxing public turned back on to the heavyweight scene.