Now that the initial outburst is out of the way let's break the fight down objectively.
Breakdown of Khan:
Khan made the switch from HOF trainer Freddie Roach to Virgil Hunter for one reason. Fix his defense. Khan was continually getting hurt from lightweight to super lightweight with the reputation of having a glass chin. Having always been physically gifted, his technique was lacking in his fundamentals. Khan had a decorated amateur career because his natural skill set and style. He has top notch speed and accuracy in his punches. He further refined his offensive arsenal and combination punching working with Freddie Roach. His defense, well, it never progressed like his offense. General consensus of Freddie's defensive teachings are to move away at angles after throwing combinations. To dumb it down, fighting in bursts. The fighter jumps into fighting range, fires a combo, then jumps out at a different angle, rinse, repeat. Theoretically, this style was perfect for Khan as he has/had the necessary speed to pull this off ala Pacquiao. Khan's problem is/was purely fundamental. He has quick feet but horrible footwork. He pulls straight back after firing instead of slipping and angling out. (Khan personally blames his lack of chin on his weight cuts. He may have a point as that shit does matter if it was excessive.)
Enter Virgil Hunter. His boxing philosophy is completely different than Freddie's in that he wants his fighters to stay in the pocket to catch and counter the opponent, not jump in and out. Virgil wants his fighters to stay in fighting distance more frequently so that his fighter sees all the punches and doesn't panic in the middle of trading. Essentially he's trying to get rid of the bad habit of Khan pulling his head straight back with his chin exposed. Problem is, this style doesn't fit Khan. Khan looked like he was regressing under Virgil Hunter with his last fight vs Algieri. Khan was more off balance in the pocket in that fight than fights prior and he was still getting hurt with both straight rights and left hooks. This was probably the worst a fighter can look in a win barring disqualification. Algieri has 8KOs in 23 fights mind you. Virgil's philosophy just isn't right for Khan. It's not about Khan staying in the pocket and defending shots. Everyone always times Khan while he is in the middle of throwing a combination. He is too egotistical of a fighter and thinks he's infinitely faster everyone else. Ok, he is faster than everyone else, but you can't just throw a 6 punch combo every time without the opposition throwing at least one hard shot back. In that sense, Freddie's style suited him better because it relied on speed as defense. Ironically, the winning game plan for Khan in his fight would be to box and move....Freddie's method. Khan's foolish confidence is his weakness.
Khan's advantages in his fight are surprisingly his physical attributes. Although listed at or near the same height as Canelo, Khan has the length advantage. He's got the longer reach. He's naturally faster and he weighs less, so, as usual he has the speed advantage.
I personally hope he gets knocked the fuck out and retires as he is delusional already anyway. The good thing about having your own blog is you don't have to be politically correct hahaha.
Breakdown of Canelo:
Saul Canelo Alvarez is supposed to be the new breed of proud Mexican fighter. That statement could not ring any truer. He is the new breed. Gone is the Mexican style of trading in the middle of the ring or brawling the opponent into submission. He's a thinking man's fighter, contrary to the Mexican champions of old. He's more of Juan Manuel Marquez than a Chavez Sr., Barrera, Morales, Vargas, or De La Hoya. At his core, Canelo is a counter puncher. He has issues in the ring with movers, those who can box on the back foot, as he has a tougher time generating his own offense than capitalizing on the mistakes of others. Luckily for him Khan is an all out offensive fighter and he makes a lot of mistakes. Canelo has progressed nicely ever since the Mayweather fight, showing improved skills in successive bouts thereafter. That loss was the best thing for him as a person and I sincerely mean that as cliche as it sounds. Him and his fucking retard of a team got matching tattoos of the date of his first professional loss because they were so confident in victory that night. Even Scotty P would 'ragret' that shit. I was scared he was gonna turn into another Khan, but I digress. Canelo showed he can pressure better with Kirkland, He showed he can move with Lara, and he showed off his improved defense and stamina against Cotto.
Too bad De La Hoya is turning him into a fucking diva. I think De La Hoya is vicariously living through Canelo because he cannot live out his exposed cross dressing fantasies any longer. What the fuck is this 155 bullshit. Please fight at 160. And fuck the WBC for not regulating on whoever is their cash cow atm.
Overview:
Both fighters have advantages on paper. Khan: speed, reach, height, slight edge in stamina. Canelo: weight, footwork, boxing iq, recent activity. I believe Canelo's advantages outweigh Khan's because Khan sucks ass using his advantages. Khan is faster than everyone he faces. Khan's speed and hubris is actually what gets him caught from counters. Khan hasn't fought in a year. Canelo has fought at 155 five times, Khan is moving up in weight. Canelo has better trainers and Virgil isn't right for Khan. As a matter of fact fuck Virgil Hunter that creepy bastard. He challenged Keith Thurman to a fight legitimately thinking he can win. He's probably the one egging Khan on. Canelo is a smarter fighter. If it seems like I'm being bias against Khan I'm not. I hate both these mother fuckers. I'll be equally as happy that one of these clowns will have lost come fight night. Difference is Canelo's improving skills have slowly earned my respect. That doesn't stop me from suggesting Canelo's team should get another tattoo the next time he loses to keep the tradition alive.
For the record:
I truly believe 90% of fighters are not scared to fight anyone. Boxers are people that make a living fighting. I don't know why the public perception of ducking falls on the fighters. It's the fucking management team and promoters who are scared to lose. If anyone, blame them for the watered down match ups. One can however, blame the fighter for not telling his management what he ultimately wants. All in all, as much as I hate that this fight was made I cannot wait to watch it and enjoy the results. I'll have my wagers posted closer to fight night.
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