By James Slater: Not long to go now until Britain’s Amir Khan, the reigning WBA 140-pound champ, meets interim champ Marcos Maidana. A fight that has had fans enthralled and excited since before it was even a done deal, the light-welterweight collision in Las Vegas is one that many see as a 50-50 affair; one that could end via violent KO one way or the other.
And, it must be said, of the two men, it is Khan’s chin that has been looked at most intensely. Many fans are convinced that the former Olympian has a glass jaw, and that as soon as the Argentine banger connects on Dec. 11th, the fight will be over. However, Khan insists that he has great punching power himself, to go right along with his dazzling speed. And if Khan’s critics insist Maidana has the edge in power, they have to concede that Khan has the faster hands and feet, and by quite a long way.
But who will win, the out and out banger, or the fast-footed, fast-handed boxer/puncher?
One man who thinks he knows, and who always gives a prediction leading up to a fight involving a guy he trains, is Freddie Roach. Yesterday, at a press conference to hype the fight, Roach gave his take on what will happen a week on Saturday. Will Freddie get it right this time, as he has done so often in the past?
“We’ll go after him, and after we break him down, we will knock him out in the later rounds,” Roach said of Maidana.”
Maidana himself, countered with the notion that he will “make it his fight,” on Dec. 11th.
“If he wants to stay with me, it’s no secret that it’s my fight,” Maidana said. “But if he moves around, I’m okay with cutting off the ring and beating him against the ropes or in the corners. It’s gonna be my fight either way.”
So, whose fight will it be next weekend? Most fans seem to think that if the fight manages to go the distance, it will be Khan who picks up the decision. Others are of the belief that no way will this fight go past half a dozen rounds at most. Yet Khan says he is a powerful hitter himself.
“A lot of people say Marcos Maidana is a bigger puncher,” Khan said. “But I’m one of the biggest punchers in the division – and I have speed.”
Both fighters seem utterly convinced they will win and in so doing head towards even bigger fights down the road. With no utter conviction, I myself take Khan to outbox Maidana and, after enduring a number of scares, prevail via very close points decision. But as we all know, this fight could end at any given second. That’s why no-one wants to miss it!