Manny Pacquiao v Amir Khan - 23/4/17

[smashup]

I don't agree with all this bullshit that fights like this (which is for the WBO title) and fights like Haye v Bellew are worthless etc.
I'm actually looking forward to this to see part 2 of their sparring sessions in which Khan is adamant he got the better of Manny on numerous occasions - should be an interesting fight and I see the styles of each man producing a cracking fight.
As far as Haye v Bellew goes, again it's another must see fight as far as i'm concerned, they absolutely hate each other and Haye looked visibly rattled during the Gloves are Off face off last night (See the Haye v Bellew thread - it's uploaded on there) he was speechless on a few occasions and Bellew (mentally) definitely has him going.
Who doesn't love a genuine domestic grudge match like this?
After watching last night i'm starting to wonder if Bellew pulls this off in the same style of fight as Haye v Thompson - either that or Haye bangs him out very early.

Khan v Pacquiao is a curious fight for me and Khans chin just makes it more interesting.

Unfinished business between these two I'm sure

A good scrap is a good scrap titles or no titles, I watched the Boy Jones Junior v Craig Paxton fight on Boxnation on Friday night for a southern area title and it's easily the best domestic fight I've seen this year by far.

[Master]

I believe Manny will beat Khan just as he did Chris Algieri who has the same style as Khan. The only difference will be that if Khan is hurt Manny will finish him.

[Alpha]

Arum saying the fight isn't official. Got to be skeptical about these Middle Eastern offers. Most times it turns out to be just talk. Until Uncle Bob signs off nothings set.

[Gandalf]

That doesn't make Haye/Bellew a good fight though Smash. I just want good fights and drama and mouth don't really come into it for me. If I want mock drama I will watch a soap. Pac/Khan is better but Pac like Haye has been taking it easy and Khan like Bellew is out of his depth. A better fight for Haye would have been against Briggs. Belew is a serious piss take. Khan had his time but that chin was always there and now he's not looking so fast and the tank seems to be emptying. Manny is way past it too, but he can still exlode. It won't take much exploding to have Khan wobbling again. I just think one sided fights are a bit of a waste. Would prefer to see Khan against someone his equal and Manny to finish against someone who won't fold.

[erics44]

I saw somewhere freddy roach has said that manny sparked khan 4 or 5 times in sparring, knocked him cold


the worrying thing about that is that khan has boxed as long as he has, don't you think? people are calling for Roy and Enzo to retire off less sparkings

p.s. I know Enzo has retired now

[smashup]

I saw somewhere freddy roach has said that manny sparked khan 4 or 5 times in sparring, knocked him cold


the worrying thing about that is that khan has boxed as long as he has, don't you think? people are calling for Roy and Enzo to retire off less sparkings

p.s. I know Enzo has retired now

Virgil Hunter says the total opposite, just makes the fight more curious to me

"With Amir’s familiarity of Pacquiao and this stage of their careers, I’m sure that he’s confident that he can give a good account of himself in that contest. I’ve seen the tapes of him and Pacquiao sparring and without going into it, it was nothing like Freddie said it was, for sure," Hunter told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
"Amir would be a tough out for Manny Pacquiao and with his energy level and length and speed, if he brought all these things together with great focus, there’s a danger that Pacquiao could lose, and lose convincingly. From a fighter stand point, I think that’s the reason why. From a political standpoint, I have no idea [why no head has been reached as of yet]. Hopefully he gets it."
- See more at: Hunter Smiles: I've Seen Pacquiao-Khan Sparring Tapes - Boxing News

[Primo Carnera]

Pacquiao's Return in Limbo After Promised Funds Never Surface - Boxing News
Looks like it could be off. You have to give Arum credit. He's a wily 80 odd year old fox and he predicted this is exactly what would happen. It's no great shock though to be fair.
Love to hear what Amir Khan would have to say about this!

[Alpha]

I think most of us would be more surprised if the funds came through.

[smashup]

That doesn't make Haye/Bellew a good fight though Smash. I just want good fights and drama and mouth don't really come into it for me. If I want mock drama I will watch a soap. Pac/Khan is better but Pac like Haye has been taking it easy and Khan like Bellew is out of his depth. A better fight for Haye would have been against Briggs. Belew is a serious piss take. Khan had his time but that chin was always there and now he's not looking so fast and the tank seems to be emptying. Manny is way past it too, but he can still exlode. It won't take much exploding to have Khan wobbling again. I just think one sided fights are a bit of a waste. Would prefer to see Khan against someone his equal and Manny to finish against someone who won't fold.

Khan still looked fast as fuck to me against Canelo and all 3 judges had him miles ahead before Canelo landed a punch that would have knocked anyone out.
And a proper grudge or hate between two fighters guarantees that we get exactly that "A Fight" - They seriously wanna hurt each other so will go all in until one is knocked out.

History tells us Haye v Bellew will be explosive and pure action while it lasts, your definitely not gonna see a cagey fight with one guy running around the ring racking up points which is why the PPV will sell shitloads as your average man in the street wants to see two men go to war


Personally i love a domestic grudge match

[walrus]

I'm first to admit I'll prob take the night off for the ppv

[Mr140]

Man Khan chin is such shit but he does have the speed to pull off a win and been while since Pacman has stopped someone. Either way Khan should do well till he gets his chin checked doesn't help Canelo killed him last fight.

[TitoFan]

Who knows whether this damn fight will happen, such is the state of boxing posturing and shenanigans nowadays. Not that the fans are clamoring for it anyway. If and when they DO fight, obviously I'd be rooting for the old man, if anything to avoid any Khan "I'm p4p # 1" bullshit talk. Then again, it'll do Khan good to fight someone that doesn't outweigh him by 30+ pounds walking-around weight.

[Nameless]

There could be a few interesting fights to do with Khan, but not against Manny; we all know the outcome and the fight would be interesting for 1 round at best. Khan had tremendous potential but a strange life and a fragile chin can of broke the promise.
Call me a grouch, but I don't see how Manny vs Khan can be labeled as a "super fight".

[walrus]

What's the status now I've heard the fight is going to be backed or fought in the UAE and now money is not availible I'm hearing all kinds of strange things

[Master]

When Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez hit Amir Khan with that chilling overhand right in May of last year, he sent the Bolton man crashing to the canvas like a helicopter falling from the sky. What few people realised at the time, however, was that the blow would also send Khan’s relationship with his team into total free fall.

The morning after that balmy night in Las Vegas, all seemed as well as could be when he held court with the media in his swanky hotel suite just down the Strip from the T-Mobile Arena. He had been soundly beaten, but not battered - and he’d made a packet.

Present that day were his closest friend Saj Mohamed, his uncle Taz and, of course, his father Shah. The three of them, in addition to a long list of others, were always by his side during training camps and fight weeks, always ready to cheerily discuss how their Amir was getting on.

But following a bitter feud, and some startling financial revelations, Khan has decided to go it alone. A 'tune-up' fight next month is in the works and talks regarding a megafight with Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao remain ongoing, but his old camp will have nothing to do with them.

Now 30, the former unified light-welterweight champion of the world says one era is over, but a new one is already underway.

“After the Canelo fight my old team thought 'he's had his big fight, he's done now’,” Khan says from a plastic chair in the reception area of the San Francisco Bay Arena gym in which he trains. “I lost in May but by October, November it had all changed.

“So this is the chance for me now to prove everyone wrong. I'm not done. I've just turned 30, I've still got some good years left in me. It could be my time to shine.

“My old team will think I made the worst choice by letting them go and say 'watch his career go down the drain'. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm looking forward to proving them wrong.”

Predictably, money appears to be at the heart of the split. Khan, who remains arguably the biggest crossover name in British boxing, is thought to have racked up close to £40m during his career as a professional - but he dreads to think how much has been spent.

“When you start making big money the people around me should have been looking out for my interests, but it didn't seem like that,” he adds. “They were just saying 'the money is coming in just keep spending it'. When you're making millions, sometimes people forget about the little costs but they add up, man.

“I lost sight of it because obviously I left it to people that I trusted. I thought they could do everything and I could sit back and focus on my boxing. But it wasn't like that. It's funny now thinking about it - I was young then and I relied on my team, whatever they said went.

“I had property advisers who used to rip me off, I had accountants who ripped me off. I changed everything. With what I've gone through, if I told you everything you would start crying.

“When money starts coming in a lot of people change. When it stops you see their true colours. And when I took a loss and everyone thought I was done, I saw everyone's true colours. That is why I had to make these big changes.



“I think it is the end of an era... I think it is the end of an old era where we all had good times. They all did well - and did better than a lot of people. We all made a lot of money in the last era but I think it's about setting my legacy now.”

But, after longer than two decades concentrating solely on boxing, the changes have been close to overwhelming for Khan. “The way they left everything...” he begins, shaking his head and looking down at his feet.

“They could have done it a bit nicer, they could have showed me what went where... I remember being on the phone because I needed the cooker fixed but I didn't know what to do. I had to make payments but I'd never, ever made a bank payment in my life. I usually bring the money in and everything gets done for me.

“I should have got on to things a few years ago when I was 21 or 22 and made sure everything was right. I didn't want to ever think about that. I just assumed it would be going the right way.”


One payment, in particular, summed it all up for the father-of-one. “I got a bill for a server for like eight grand," he recalls. "I thought 'eight grand? What's that for?'

"I emailed the guy back asking what the bill was for. He said 'oh that's for the server in your office'. I thought to myself 'Why would I need an office with a server?' I'm a fighter.

“I'm the only person going in the ring but I'm paying server costs and God knows what else for an office that I don't even need. My office is the gym.

“Apparently the server is for all old emails going back years - what do I need those for? I don't even look at my emails now!”

Not strictly true, however, as he also revealed how a message from back home proved the extent of the division within his family.

“The tiles fell off my roof in my house in Bolton because of the wind the other day,” he explains. “I got an email from my sister saying 'if you want to get them fixed here is a number for a guy to do it'. She could have text me, it could have been a bit nicer.

“My mum and dad will always be my mum and dad. I speak to my brother [fellow professional boxer Haroon] here and there if he replies to me.

“I've been the best son, I've been the best brother, I've been the best family member anyone could have. I've done everything for my family. I've done more for my family than anyone would do... But I'm happy. I'm relaxed. It has matured me a lot.”


Just as well, given the next two years will be pivotal to how he is remembered. For Khan, unlike paying the bills, the plan is a simple.

“Everything I have to do is the right move, everything I do is for the benefit of me,” he says. “One more big title win. Then I can call it in. Two more years. “It's like a yoyo, I'm down but on my way back up. I want to end on top.”

Amir Khan on why his parents, uncle and best friend are no longer in his life