Sorry I`m late folks, I was away for the weekend and didn`t get to give My take on the Khan-Maidana WBA Light Welterweight title fight. I was really looking forward to this fight, especially after seeing Khan spar with Pacquiao on two continents in HBO`s 24/7 series for Pac`s title fight with Marga-cheato in Dallas. I know HBO likes to make things look closer than they are in order to sell more PPV`s, but I was convinced that what I saw from Amir Khan was for real. It was.... Kind of. Khan looked amazing in the first two rounds, using speed and precision punching accuracy to pick apart Maidana. Late in the first round Khan unloaded two consecutive body shots (a right and a left) that seemed to crumble Maidana to the canvas. From the look on Maidana`s face it seemed like it would be difficult to get up, let alone continue effectively. Maidana got up relatively early in the count and made it to the bell.
The second round was more of the same. Khan`s speed dazzled Maidana and it looked as if the early body shots may have taken a permanent toll on the Venezuelan slugger. In the middle rounds both boxers traded blows as Maidana tried to climb back into the fight. He found a home for the uppercut that Khan seemed reluctant to find a defense for, Then Maidana did the unthinkable. He elbowed Referee Joe Cortez as Cortez tried to break up a clinch in the 5th round. The elbow cost Maidana a one point deduction and with the knockdown in round one, He found himself in a huge hole only halfway through the bout. Maidana repeatedly crowded Khan and threw the kitchen sink at him as He wouldn`t quit, slowly crawling his way back into the fight on the scorecards. But Khan was doing enough here and there, boxing from the outside, staying on the move to win some of the critical middle rounds and keep a cushion on the Judges tally`s.
Coming into the fight everyone questioned Amir Khan`s chin. Would it hold up against "The Power Puncher" of the light welterweight division? Well it did, barely! Early in the Tenth round Khan was rocked and wobbled by a Maidana right hook and was in big trouble. Maidana continued the attack as Khan retreated almost the entire round barely throwing punches back in retaliation. Khan survived the tenth but looked clearly hurt in the corner. His face turning red from the Maidana onslought was also becoming a bloody mess. About halfway through the eleventh round Khan gained his second wind and started firing back, but I couldn`t help to wonder why (after such success with the body shots early in the fight) didn`t Khan go back to the body more often and why his corner never instructed him to do so? The eleventh round ended and it still wasn`t clear if Khan would make it to the finish line. There was alot of holding early in the twelfth which may have been Khan`s gameplan to eat some clock. The rest of the round was spent mostly by Khan on his bicycle as the twelfth came to a close.
All three Judges scored the bout unanimously for Khan with scores of 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112. I scored it 114-111 for Khan because of the early knockdown and the deduction for the elbow in the fifth but Maidana was really game and gave Khan a run for his money. It was a great fight but Khan has a long way to go before He is considered great. He should stop trying to use Pacquiao like tactics by banging his gloves together over his head after He takes a shot and concentrate more on moving his head more and a little better conditioning. Still a work in progress but an exciting fighter to watch nonetheless.
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