Boxing, Random Thoughts

This past weekend Amir Khan dominated his way to a 5th round KO of previous title holder Zab Judah on HBO. Many believed that Judah would give the 24 year old Khan a good fight. But after the 2nd round it was obvious that Judah wasn’t interested in making it a fight and when the close but obvious shot to Judah’s stomach was not called a low blow Judah crouched on both knees assuming as though the ref was going to give him time to recover. Instead Judah was counted out and feinted surprise when the ref called off the fight.

Zab Judah has always been a very talented fighter with speed, power and a great ring presence-he looked at times to be a great fighter, yet he never seemed to put it all together and lost fights either in spectacular fashion i.e. Kostazu or in surprising fashion i.e. Baldomir.

Other times he proved to be a beast in the ring- the Spinks rematch, the 1st five rounds of the Mayweather fight. (I personally feel that was a knockdown in the 5th of that fight for Zab) then he would forget to be aggressive or just shut down. So this loss and the way he went out is not really a shock, Zab seems to lose in head scratching ways quite often. Make no mistake, Khan made Judah quit, Khan has gained a lot of confidence in the last couple years and the work he has put in with Freddy Roach is paying off. Is he the best junior welter right now? Debatable.

There is a guy by the name of Timothy Bradley. Bradley for all his hard work he put into his career to become the best 140lb has gone to the wayside- with his refusal to fight Khan, as well as failing to attract a fan base outside a loyal few, he almost seems to be pulling a Winky Wright. Demanding more than he is actually worth. I like Bradley, I think he can beat Khan, but his thinking of holding out for a bigger payday seems hard to believe.

Perhaps his popularity or lack thereof is not his fault. Gary Shaw was his promoter and Shaw got Bradley solid fights in neutral locations, but on the biggest stages he looked ordinary, perhap fans are not into him? He doesn’t bring knockout power, he is not a boisterous fighter, he just comes to fight – he does bring an aggressive style, similar to what most fans are used to seeing Mexicans fighters do. That style I like and most fans enjoy- a boxer who’s willing to engage and Bradley likes to engage and rarely seems to be a back peddler, yet for some reason he lacks that star quality, he doesn’t have that “it” factor. Hopefully he gets his court stuff out of the way and gets himself back in the ring. The longer he is away from fighting the easier it will be for fans to forget he is a factor.
So Bradley and Khan- 1a and 1b in the 140lb division right now- I would give Khan the slight edge. Due to the fact that Khan has beaten Judah, Maidana, and Malignaggi in the last 14 months and also because Bradley refused the fight with Khan. Bradley has a solid fight resume but “what have you done lately” idea seems to sway my vote for Khan.
This ranking doesn’t seem as it is going to change, with Bradley stating he wants a tune up fight before joining the fray of real contenders at 140 until next year, it’s seems too little too late. However, fight fans are a forgiving bunch and if Bradley comes out and has a good showing and then fans will be back in his corner, but until then- out of sight out of mind. As for Khan he has shown he is willing to fight the best fighters out there and fans should be excited to see where his career is headed. Is he a bonafide crossover US star? No, that is evident to the amount of free tickets offered for the fight this past weekend, but Khan is on his way to capturing the American audience. It almost would be fitting if Devon Alexander got a shot at Khan before Bradley did. However, his next opponent is far from being confirmed but fans should expect to see Khan with another quality opponent (at least on paper)

And then…

Mike Alvarado an Undefeated fighter ranked 10 by WBC and in the top 10 by most other organizations fights this Saturday in Denver, Colorado. Alvarado has been called a prospect or contender for far too long. He has a padded record and Top Rank has failed to put him up against anyone of substance. He missed out on a fight with Paulie Malignaggi and since then has fought competition that even Chavez Jr’s handlers would call weak. He seems to have good power and decent skills, yet for some reason he’s not getting called for any big name fighters. The stranger thing is that with him being under Top Rank, one has to think Arum and his team has a plan for Alvarado. If they do, then they seem to be very patient people. Alvarado could have a bigger following in Denver than he does, which could be a good amount of fans going to bigger venues than the Softball Country Arena in which he is fighting in this Saturday. I have been to the “arena” and needless to say, it’s not meant for fights. Even Stevie Johnson was able to pack Magness Arena home of the Denver University Pioneers. Here’s to hoping Alvarado gets a shot….or at least a fighter that will make or break his career.

Welcome Back NFL- I like the NFL, but enjoy watching College football a little more. However now that the CU Buffaloes are in the PAC 12 it’s going to be even more difficult to watch a west coast game out here in the east… NFL Sunday ticket, hello, I can’t wait to see the Broncos every week as opposed to the highlights I had to endure last year.

For you music fans-Spotify is worth checking out.