How Long Can 'King' Khan Reign?

Britain’s ‘Golden Boy’ Amir ‘King’ Khan(25(17-1-0) has had his fair share of his critics and still you can’t open a boxing magazine or load up a boxing website without seeing someone over keen to point out the flaws they ‘think’ they see in the young man from Bolton. The one you are going to see most often is Amir’s supposed glass jaw, largely due to the 54 second K.O he suffered to Breidis ‘Khanqueror’ Prescott(24(19)-2-0).

A loss the boxing media just won’t let Khan forget about, a loss Prescott has quite literally made his name off. Now, think of your favourite boxers, past and present, think of the boxers you regard to be the best of all time. With the exception of Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Rocky Marciano every name you just thought off has eatleast one loss on their record. So why is this built up as such a ‘big deal’ for Amir Khan?

Losses are part and parcel of boxing, what makes great champions is how they respond to their losses and Khan really could not of responded any better. Winning his next 7 fights against some of the best fighters his division had to offer, winning the WBA International lightweight title, WBO Inter-continental lightweight title and the WBA World Light-Welterweight title in the process.

Whereas Prescott, who got the push he earned, went on to lose two of his next three fights against IBF lightweight champ Miguel Valasquez(28(12)-3-0) and to our very own Kevin ‘The Hammer’ Mithcell(31(23)-1-0). The ‘Khanqueror’ has won his last 3 fights but you can’t hardly class his opponents as high class, having 27 losses between them.

Realistically, Khan’s first loss was the best thing that could of happened to him. Now a world champion, training at Wild Card Gym in L.A with one of the best trainers on the planet in Freddie Roach and warming up for a monster unification showdown with the IBF World Light-Welterweight champ ‘Super’ Zab Judah(41(28)-6-0).
However, still Khan get’s criticised. The marmite of the boxing world. Honestly, what more can the guy do?

People complain about fighters ducking fights or cherry-picking as it’s said, Khan seems more than willing to fight anyone anywhere and yet he is dubbed as arrogant. People say Khan is still too chinny, he soaks up the best Marcos Maidana(30(27)-2-0) has to offer yet that seems to make no odds. People demand Khan to test himself against the best, he tries to make a fight with the no.1 in the division and he’s ducking Prescott. And I guarantee you if he did sign up to fight Prescott there would be an uproar of how Khan was taking a step down in competition.
I’m sure Khan v Prescott will happen again, but once Prescott puts himself in a position to be regarded as a World Title challenger.

Amir Khan is a top class fighter, working with a top class trainer in a top class gym. After writing this I will no doubt be seen as a Khan ‘fan boy’, but I simply write it as I see it people and how I see it is people just criticising Khan simply out of habit and failing to see how good he can be for the sport. A good (potentially great) fighter trying to make some great fights, yet so many of us fail to see it because of an off night. Anyone remember the Pac-Man’s loss to Rustico Torrecampo?

If Khan can go on to beat Judah and the potentially go on to beat WBC and WBO light-welterweight champ Tim Bradley(27(11)-0-0) a lot of people could be left with a taste of feet in their mouth. Or, Judah could stop Khan and I could be left looking like another clueless amateur boxing journo. Time will tell.