Maidana Passes on Khan Clash

BoxingScene report that Marcos Maidana has turned down the opportunity of facing Amir Khan on July 31 in the UK, citing a reoccurring back injury as the reason the fight couldn't be made.

Maidana had pulled out of a fight with WBO junior welterweight champion, Timothy Bradley, for the same reason only three weeks ago. Team Maidana say that the back injury won't recover in time to have a sufficient training program set-up for the fight.

In my opinion, this is another cheap shot from Khan. He knows that Maidana is injured, and knows that Khan-Maidana is one of the most revealing fights on the table for the fans about Khan. And here, with some PR magic, they have attempted to turn it round that Maidana is avoiding Khan.

The biggest problem is that Maidana is injured, and that should be the end of story. But the July 31 date is only nine weeks away, hardly enough time for world class fighters to prepare efficiently. It's a big commitment for a fighter who's got a lot of pride to lose, such as Maidana.

Anyway, Michael Katsidis and Joel Casamayor are the other options discussed for Khan, and I think we all know which one appertizes Khan the most out of the two.

Katsidis has just steamrolled Kevin Mitchell in three rounds and looked back to his fearsome best. While on the opposite end of the spectrum, Casamayor looked ancient in his eight-round exercise earlier this year, and struggled with Marquez's speed a year ago.

If Khan does find an opponent without alienating half of the division, Schaefer will discuss the prospect of a split-site PPV with Marquez-Diaz II headlining in the States, and Khan vs. whoever broadcasted from the UK.

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Golden Boy Will Ruin The 140 lb. Division

by Paul Magno

There's a party at 168 lbs. with six of the division's best currently involved in a hotly-contested tournament that has captured the attention of fight fans from around the globe.

In a true win-win, these six world class elites are getting the exposure they deserve and making the money they want while giving the fans the quality match-ups they crave. The World Classic Super Six Tournament really should serve as the template for the entire sport.

Dropping 4 divisions to the South, we find a jr. welterweight division which is arguably even richer in depth than the aforementioned super middleweight class. But, while the 168 lb. crew hammered out their differences and got their act together to give the fans a treat, the 140 lb. division seems to be spinning its wheels and providing more excuses than quality encounters.

So, what's the deal?

Aside from the obvious weight difference, the only real distinction between the two divisions is that the super middleweights are free from Golden Boy and Top Rank fighters and that fact, alone, may be the difference between getting something done and just pushing around promises and reams of hype.

Golden Boy currently has its grip on three of the top 10 jr. welterweights in the world and we're already seeing the customary foot-dragging of a promotional giant looking to protect its investment at the risk of denying the sport's fans.

With Amir Khan and Victor Ortiz in their pocket, Golden Boy opened its checkbook and bought off the one fly in the ointment, Marcos Maidana. The Argentine slugger, who had beaten Ortiz into submission and had become the mandatory for Khan's WBA title, was offered a one year, three fight promotional contract by Oscar De la Hoya's promotional outfit in what many are saying is more "step aside" deal than real acquisition.

So, instead of Maidana-Khan, which was mandated and a legal necessity, we got Maidana-Victor Cayo. But wait, there's more...

After crushing Cayo, Maidana was lined up to fight current division top dog, Timothy Bradley. Outstanding match-up and a real consolation prize for those wanting Khan-Maidana, right?

Well, hold your horses...this is big time boxing. Maidana pulled out of the Bradley fight just as the promotional hype was to begin. Citing a back injury, Maidana decided to not go ahead with the plan...and why not? All he has to do is cool his heels for the next few months and he stands to make a mint of a payday with a still-mandated, more winnable shot at Khan.

Short-term problem solved for Golden Boy; Bye bye Marcos Maidana for the fans....and, just like that, one of the division's most exciting fighters has been muzzled and leashed.

Khan is now free to sit on Golden Boy's pile of cash while fighting division re-treads and smaller exports from the lightweight division. Rumor has it that Michael Katsidis is being talked about next.

Now, switch to Victor Ortiz, who played Rihanna to Maidana's Chris Brown last year and is still being shoved down the throats of the boxing public via Golden Boy's hypnotic hold on HBO.

No fights are being rumored for Ortiz, but you can bet that no real challenges are being batted about at Golden Boy headquarters.

With a division full of home run hitters, Khan and Ortiz, two of the division's brightest talents, are looking for batting practice with the bat boy.

Here's hoping that Golden Boy wakes up at some point and realizes the lesson learned from the super middleweight class; You can make more money by giving the fans what they want than by trying to manipulate them into buying the hype.

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Talk is Cheap: Khan and Ortiz Dominate Malignaggi and Campbell

New York, NY- Paulie Malignaggi and Nate Campbell, two of boxing's best talkers, had the general public believing that they had a real chance of beating their younger, more naturally gifted rivals on Saturday night.

However, once the bell rang and the fights actually began, we saw that talk is indeed cheap.

In the HBO Boxing After Dark main event, Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) made his UD debut and easily handled a game, but over matched Paulie Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KOs).

From the opening bell on, Khan proved to be too strong, too fast and too disciplined for his rival. Malignaggi was hit hard and often as he tried to box, but simply had no solution for Khan's hand speed and physical strength.

After ten and a half one-sided rounds, referee Steve Smoger stopped the contest after a particularly hard shot sent Malignaggi to the ropes.

Post-fight, Khan expressed an interest in fighting Marcos Maidana next and eventually unify the jr. welterweight division.

In the opening bout of the telecast, Victor Ortiz (27-2-1, 21 KOs) was also too big, strong and quick for his foe.

Nate Campbell (33-6-1, 25 KOs) spent most of the fight trying to chase a mobile Ortiz down while getting caught with sharp counters in return. "The Galaxxy Warrior" never could corner Ortiz and failed to apply the pressure that seemed to be part of his game plan. The only knockdown of the fight was against Campbell; a dubious flash knockdown in the first.

Ortiz cruised to a one-sided decision by the scores of 100-89, 100-89 and 99-90. The BTBC had it scored 100-89, also for Ortiz.

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Kevin Mitchell: The Modern Day Cinderella Man

by Dafs117

A year and a half ago, Kevin Mitchell’s dream was over. A persistent hand injury forced him to take a lengthy layoff, flirting with retirement as he slaved on the train tracks to get by. It was set to be a sad end to a promising career which had already surpassed domestic level.

Mitchell persevered through the tough times, but was still struggling to make ends meet. After his hand had fully healed, Frank Warren knew that it was time to turn his undefeated prospect into a top 10 contender. The introduction of Jimmy Tibbs was an inspired change, as the veteran domestic trainer polished the reckless wild slugger into a well-rounded boxer.

Tibbs' re-branding process of Mitchell started with adding a more efficient jab and straight right hand to his arsenal. After successful public sparring sessions against Lanquaye Wilson and Rudy Encarnarcion, Tibbs regenerated Mitchell’s ability to find angles from the amateur days into an effective, multi-dimensional ‘Dagenham Destroyer’.

And on December 5, those world title aspirations were ignited again, this time at lightweight. He gave Breidis Prescott the boxing lesson that rival Amir Khan was supposed to play out in 2008, impressively out-shining Khan who headlined the card that night.

Mitchell could go one step further than Khan with a win over Michael Katsidis, a fighter that has constantly called out Khan to no prevail.

Say what you want about Katsidis’ goofy helmet, the guy comes to fight. His electrifying fights with Joel Casamyor, Graham Earl and Czar Amonsot has made Katsidis a fan favourite, gathering more tags as the modern day Arturo Gatti every time he steps into the square circle.

In his 28 professional outings, there has not been much ‘D’ from Katsidis. He prefers to walk through punches to land his own bombs, and this proved to be his downfall in his biggest career fights. Against the underrated then-champion Joel Casamayor,
Katsidis was flattened twice in the first, before weathering the early storm to floor Casamayor in the sixth. However, the lack of defense allowed Casamyor to consistently land power punches which drained Katsidis, forcing a stoppage in the tenth round.

The story wasn’t too different in the fight with Juan Diaz. Diaz threw quick 1-2 combinations before spinning away from Katsidis, who could not block any punches thrown by Diaz in the earlier rounds. Diaz utilized the jab to full effect, keeping Katsidis at bay to win a deserved split decision. It wasn’t the case that Diaz won the fight, it was more of what Katsidis could have polished since his defeat to Casamayor.

Since then, Katsidis has hammered home two impressive, but gruelling wins over a post-prime Jesus Chavez, and contender Vicente Escobedo, who exposed the flaws that Team Mitchell will be hoping to capitalise on at Upton Park come May 15.

Despite his background, the media have continued to turn a blind eye on Mitchell by concentrating on the Olympic silver medallist, Khan. This is Mitchell's chance to fill in Khan's spot as he plys his trade across the pond, completing his fairytale story in the process.

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Junior Welterweights On The Rise

by Dafs117

Dominated by Ricky Hatton, the light welterweight division has been a snoozer for the past few years, especially in comparison to its talent-rich neighbours north and south. But all of a sudden, the junior welterweight class is booming with exciting up-and-coming fighters such as Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan and Devon Alexander. They’ve all won an alphabet title in the past twelve months, and all could have a decent claim for the top spot in the division by the end of 2010, which is currently held by Bradley.

Add Marcos Rene Maidana and Juan Urango to the mix, two all action power punching fighters that put everything on the line with their one-track minds. Update the wildcards; Nate Campbell, Joel Casamayor and Andriy Kotelnik, all crafty fighters that can easily be underestimated. Flashy fighters such as Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and The BTBC’s 140 pound House Fighter, Lamont Peterson can cause a stir at 140 pounds and have a strong case to be ranked at the bottom of the top 10.

It gets deeper. Kaizer Mabuza, who recently upset Kendall Holt is now up to second-tier contender. Victor Ortiz and Kendall Holt can come back from heavy defeats later on this year. Mike Alvarado and Victor Manuel Cayo are unbeaten and look promising, as is the obscure Ionut Dan Ion and Cesar Rene Cuenca. Golden Boy have been hyping up another Argentinean, Lucas Matthysse, another unbeaten fighter that has talent in abundance. Ex-title challenger Herman Ngoudjo is not quite done yet, neither is Gavin Rees. The list goes on.

They might be a long way off the likes of Bradley, but match up anybody that I've mentioned so far with each other and I won't be complaining. A blown-up Ricky Hatton might still be the biggest money fight at light welterweight, but the division is catching up fast. There are just so many fascinating fights that could be made at 140 pounds.

The departure of Ricky Hatton will definitely be viewed as a positive thing as it will open the gateway for fighters to solidify their position in a talented division. Bradley has already seized on Hatton's inactivity, cementing his place at the top of the standings, for now.

There has been talk of Bradley facing nearly everyone. The likes of Edwin Valero, Amir Khan, Joshua Clottey and Juan Manuel Marquez have been called out recently, all to be dismissed by their associates. Promoter Gary Shaw is so confident that his fighter is the best out there, that he'll match him up with anyone.

And for once, he's right. Bradley is the best light welterweight, nobody comes close on current form and level of opponents. Talent wise, Alexander and Khan can compete, but they need a couple of years to develop under careful matchmaking that ultimately depletes them in the long run.

He's still without an opponent for his May date after weeks of searching for anybody that fits the criteria. However, there's much action outside of Bradley happening at the moment. This Saturday, Devon Alexander will take on Juan Urango to unify half of the division. In May, Amir Khan will make his Stateside debut against Paulie Malignaggi in his first proper defence of the WBA trinket. Edwin Valero will take on Lamont Peterson in what is an intriguing fight on paper. And in a true crossroads fight, Victor Ortiz will face Nate Campbell in a bout that could swing either way, it depends on what mood the fighters are in on the night.

It's a great time for the division right now, and fighters should take advantage of the good times. They shouldn't mess around with tune-ups that could turn on its head, the time is now. Could we see more light welterweights break into the fictional pound-4-pound rankings soon? In my opinion, most definitely. If they can sustain the excitement and quality in their fights, more fighters are bound to break the top 10 a lot sooner than expected.

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BTBC Stock Exchange

In boxing, opinions can change in a flash. When you’ve got it all, you’ve got it all to lose. The BTBC introduce their brand-spanking new feature, which includes who’s reputation has risen or received a battering in recent weeks.

Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley: It's hard to hate on the most exciting match-ups in recent memory. Although not as good as Mayweather-Pacquiao, you can hardly complain with Mayweather's choice of opponent, which carries much more risk than Joshua Clottey does for Pacquiao. When Boxingscene spewed out bullshit over Floyd's second comeback fight, the thought of seeing Matthew Hatton share the ring with one of the greatest fighters of the modern age was frightening. It turned to damage limitation for Floyd's fans, although it did get better. Every three days or so, Boxingscene would upgrade the quality of their rumour fight. From Saul Alvarez, onto Nate Campbell, even as high as Paulie Malignaggi, it became obvious that Boxingscene were getting desperate. And when Andre Berto pulled out of his fight with Shane Mosley due to the Haiti earthquake, Mosley was available for Mayweather. Freddie Roach dismissed Floyd-Mosley on ESPN with Brian Kenny, but he was wrong. Great moment for the sport and a slight rise for both fighters' stock.

Kendall Holt: I'll be honest, I was on the Kendall Holt bandwagon. So was Paul, and many others, who had followed Rated R's career path that reached its peak with a jaw-dropping 61-second knockout of Ricardo Torres and an extremely impressive performance against Timothy Bradley. But last Saturday, his no-show in the ring was puzzling to say the least. He dominated the opening round against Kaizer Mabuza, before becoming a hittable target for five one-sided rounds and forced into submission by the unproven South African. Big drop in stock for Holt.

Edwin Valero: To be honest, I didn't know what to make of Valero's battering of Antonio DeMarco on February 6. Yes, he was impressive, but when is he going to fight someone who has proven consistency on the world stage. Antonio DeMarco is a fine talent, but he still qualifies as a prospect. He hadn't defeated a top 10 fighter, he hadn't proven himself against someone of real note, so what makes him a worthy title challenger. He made the perfect opponent for Valero though. For the impressive display, but the soft touch in opponents, Valero's stock doesn't change, but is still pretty high.

Robert Stieglitz: Stieglitz is the black sheep of the Universum family. Random you may think, but Stieglitz wanted to open his title defence with a tough battle against Edison Miranda, but unfortunately for the German, Miranda pulled out the week before the fight due to illness. Unlike other Universum fighters, he wants to be evenly matched, he likes to be challenged. His next opponent will be undefeated and highly touted prospect Eduard Guktnecht, who's around the same talent level as Stieglitz and should be a tough match. He may not be fighting the best in his division, but at least he's not under-matched. I'm impressed.

Amir Khan: Now think of the opposite of Stieglitz. Khan has the talent which Stieglitz may lack, but is wrapped in cotton wool by his new promoters Golden Boy and fighting in no-risk fights. Everybody knows that Khan has major question marks over his chin, so you'd understand avoiding big punchers. But if that fighter becomes your mandatory, surely it's a must fight, not pay the organization and avoid. The thing that makes it even more irritating is the fact I would predict that Khan would defeat Maidana nine times out of ten. But he'll probably chose a soft touch in Malignaggi, which is not the worst of opponents, but definitely not the best. For being a chicken, minus rep.

Fernando Montiel: Let's go through this process again shall we. Montiel, talented, popular, got pound-4-pound attributes and so on. He has two options; fighting for the bantamweight crown or defend his poxy belt against a third-tier contender. Which one does he choose? The easy predictable Top Rank decision. Instead of fighting Hozumi Hasegawa, he'll batter Eric Morel, a post-prime bantamweight challenger that poses no threat what so ever to Montiel. Zzzzz...

Mike Jones: The BTBC co-house fighter for 147 pounds didn't turn in a flashy performance for the cameras against Henry Bruseles, but he still defeated his toughest opponent to date pretty handily over ten rounds. The lack of TV time for Jones has been mind-boggling, but I hope his performance hasn't effected his broadcasting future. He lost the opening two rounds, which suggested that Bruseles was far from shot, but he showed impressive composure to get back in control. Mike Jones' stock stays the same.

Yuriorkis Gamboa: The talented Cuban produced a scintillating display as he battered experienced veteran Rogers Mtagwa inside two rounds with extremely ridiculous accurate power punching from the get go. Gamboa looks like the best prospect (can we still call him a prospect?) in the game, and he looks like he'll dominate the sweet science for a long long time. With rumors floating around that he could face unpredictable and awkward super bantamweight titlist Celestino Caballero in June, Gamboa's stock is at an all-time high.

Elio Rojas: Only known to the hardcore fans, Rojas produced a sterling display to shutout Guty Espadas Jr. in a fight that he was expected to win, but he also did it in style. Rojas could be a wildcard at 126 after couple more seasoning fights.

Nonito Donaire: The Filipino Flash hasn't capitalised on his stunning upset knockout win over Vic Darchinyan. Raise your hand if you were 0.006% impressed with Nonito Donaire's victory over Manuel Vargas. Seriously. Raise your hand, and then comment about what impressed you. Someone out there has to be amazed. Someone out there has to really think, this Donaire can really fight. We don't know if Donaire can fight, I would even be blunt and say that I'd back Darchinyan in the rematch because of his level of opposition.

Juan Manuel Lopez: The Puerto Rican superstar outclassed Steven Luevano in January, but doubts still hang above Lopez. Sure, he's talented and a very exciting fighter to watch, but he's being under-matched by Bob Arum and is still bitching about Caballero while it's pretty obvious he wants nothing to do with him. Lopez's stock stays even.

Roger Mayweather: Has Roger and Floyd Sr. accused Manny Pacquiao of every performance enhancing drug yet? Seriously Roger, shut the fuck up.

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Khan’s Gamble Will Pay Off

by Dafs117

Shortly after penning a new deal with Golden Boy Promotions, Amir Khan announced that he’s set to defend his WBA junior welterweight title against tough mandatory challenger Marcos Maidana, possibly in his American debut on HBO PPV, as chief support for Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.’s grudge rematch.

Make no mistake about it, this is a five star fight, probably more mouth watering than its headliner. Maidana is there to be outboxed, Khan is there to be knocked out, and that’s just part of the story.

At the Mandalay Bay Casino, Khan will have the opportunity to earn more than just recognition, but his overdue respect. Maidana is not a top 5 opponent by any stretch of the imagination, but for a defensively flawed and heavily criticized Khan to take a fight against a puncher of this magnitude is a credit in itself.

Khan will go into this fight as favourite, but Maidana is a very live underdog with more than just a puncher’s chance. Maidana showed everybody what material he was made of when he broke Ortiz down to stop him in a fight of the year contender. Maidana is a tough cookie and Khan will need to be very disciplined if he wants to walk away with his belt.

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2009 Junior Welterweight Report

by Dafs117

Vastly becoming the division to watch, the 140 pounders are competing with the talent rich welterweights up north, putting on explosive fights and competitive battles throughout the year. The division is pretty deep, and we have 3 new alphabet titleholders this year to turn the division upside down, with the average age of the current four titlists at a toddler age of 25.

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UK Beat Report: Year Review

by Dafs117

2009 has been a magnificent year for British boxing, with three recognized belt holders and many up and coming prospects making the step from domestic to the European scene.

British boxing froze midway through 2008 and somebody came along to press the F5 button that all stream-watchers have pressed countless times during the past 12 months. It gave British boxing, and the live stream, a refresh. We had a makeover, a transformation and many passing of torches.

Joe Calzaghe retired, and opened the door to Carl Froch. The first major passing of the torch in British boxing over the course of the year. Froch won the WBC Super Middleweight title in a scrap against Jean Pascal, before travelling to the States to stop Jermain Taylor late, and defending his title for the second time in the Super 6 Boxing Classic tournament, against Andre Dirrell, winning via close split decision.

Ricky Hatton’s retirement is inevitable. He might come back to be stopped by either Marquez or Cotto in a one sided affair, but he will leave a fan-base behind. Ricky Hatton passed his smouldering flame to King Amir Khan, who went 3-0 with wins over a one-eyed Marco Antonio Barrera, former paper champion Andreas Kotelnik and previously unbeaten Dimitry Salita.

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Amir Khan: No Mere Con

Amir Khan KO 1 Dimitry Salita

It only took 76 seconds for Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) to stop his mandatory challenger Dimitry Salita (30-1-1, 16 KOs) in a sizzling performance in Newcastle.

Khan came out relaxed and the first clean right hand had Salita on the canvas after 10 seconds. Salita struggled to get to his feet, but was over-whelmed by more lightning fast punches from Khan as Salita was down again.

Salita was wobbly and had lost his senses as Khan rushed forwards looking to finish the fight early. A one-two combination saw Salita fall into the ropes, with the referee waving away the contest after only 01:16 in the first round.

Khan and Roach hinted at fighting in America in 2010, maybe even on the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard on March 13. Could Khan conquer the States? On the basis of that performance, yes he Khan!

On the undercard: Kevin Mitchell (30-0, 22 KOs) outboxed Breidis Prescott (21-2, 18 KOs) in a smart, safety-first performance by wide scores of 119-110, 118-111 and 117-111.

Also, UK prospects, James DeGale, Billy Jo Saunders and Frankie Gavin remained undefeated in their contests.

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Grading the Champions: Amir Khan

The third Jr. Welterweight champion to be graded is Amir Khan.

Amir Khan (21-1, 15 KOs)

Current Title: WBA Jr. Welterweight Title
BTBC Ranking: #17 at Jr. Welterweight
How He Earned His Title: Out-classed Ukranian Andreas Kotelnik to capture his title in the M.E.N Arena in July 2009.
Defenses: Yet to defend
Next Defense: Dmitriy Salita, December 5
Down the Line: Marcos Rene Maidana, Winner of Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi II
Comments: Khan has been rocked in many fights against blown up Super Featherweights, but he seems to be a new fighter under new trainer Freddie Roach. Has fought legend Marco Antonio Barrera and didn’t lose a round against the Mexican icon. He’s one of the fastest fighter pound-4-pound, but his defense and chin are definitely not his strong points. He hasn’t carried his power to world level, but that’s only a minor defect in his game that could be altered. He is technically sound, and could well carry the torch for British boxing in the future. As he hasn’t defended yet, he hasn’t achieved a grade, but he could be on the right track if he defeats Salita and then Argentinan monster Marcos Rene Maidana, which is likely to be a mandatory for the New Year.

Grade: I

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Amir Khan Ready To Please Home Crowd

WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan is confident of successfully defending his title and ending his Ukrainian challenger Dimitry Salita’s unbeaten record in their December contest at Newcastle.

The bout will be at Newcastle Arena on the 5th of December and is Khan’s first defence of the belt that he claimed against another Ukrianian, Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester in July.

“I’ve spotted a lot of things that I can work on to beat him, he’s undefeated, but he’s not faced Amir Khan yet. I know what to do.” Khan told BBC Newcastle ahead of his big fight.

“I’m even more serious now. Being the world champion I want to keep hold of the championship, I don’t want to be a one-fight world champion, I want to keep hold of the world title and go all the way.

“It’s going to be tough, but that’s boxing for you. You have to fight the best fighters out there and Salita is one of them who wants to fight for my title and win my world title, and I’m not going to let him do that.

“If I see a knockout, I’m going to go for it. If I know he’s hurt or he’s backing off I’m going to turn the heat on and I’m going to take him out.”

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Khan to Defend Against Salita, Dec. 5th

After finally winning the WBA light-welterweight title against Ukranian Andreas Kotelnik in July, former Olympian Amir Khan hopes to successfully defend his belt against unbeaten Ukrainian Dimitri Salita, who now fights out of Brooklyn, New York.

The 22 year old Khan will fight on December 5th at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena which has a capacity of over 10,000. Salita, 27 has been in the mandatory position for well over 15 months has an unbeaten record, but he did draw against Ramon Montano after Salita was knocked down twice in the first round.

"For Amir's first defence this is a very tough fight for him and he's taking on a fighter that the American media are really building up at the moment," said Warren. "Salita's got a great record, he's unbeaten and carries a big punch and of course he will pose a threat to Amir, but Amir's a world-class fighter and has to deal with these challengers. I've promoted a lot of shows in Newcastle with all the big names like Naz (Naseem Hamed), Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton and Nigel Benn and I'm delighted to bring Amir to the city for the first time. The public there are big sports fans and love the big events and it's great to bring them a fight like Khan v Salita."

Salita hasn’t beaten any world-class opponent in the ever deepening talent rich 140 pound division. Where does this leave Argentinian Marcos Rene Maidana, who brawled to a six round stoppage defeat of Victor Ortiz in a bout televised on HBO? He should get his title shot in 2010 but would Maidana have been defeated by then? He lost a hometown decision against Andreas Kotelnik at the beginning of the year. One thing the WBA saga has guaranteed at light welterweight, quality match-ups, and I don’t complain when a few of them come along.

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The Best of the BTBC Fan Forum

Here is a List of the Current Hot Topics on the BTBC:

* Pacquiao-Cotto is on for Nov. 14th

* Floyd Mayweather Jr. "MMA is for Beer Drinkers"

* Which boxing organization is most corrupt?!

* Is Juanma Ducking Caballero?

* Kelly Pavlik Blasts Super Middleweight Tourney

* Cotto Signs 2-Year Extension With Top Rank

* Top Rank Signs Samuel Peter

* Amir Khan: The New Face of Golden Boy?

Stop on by The BTBC Boxing Forum for all these topics and much, much more.

We also have "Anything but Boxing" and "Mythical Matchups" sections as well as Free Classifieds, The TV Boxing Schedule, A Predictor League, The BTBC Arcade, The BTBC Theater and The BTBC World Rankings:

The BTBC: Pound-for-Pound Boxing's Best Fan Forum

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The Weekend Hangover (July 17th,18th,19th)

Friday, July 17th

Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Lance Whitaker UD 12 Danny Batchelder

Civic Center, Kissimmee, Florida, USA

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. KO 2 Cecilio Santos

Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Guillermo Rigondeaux Ko 1 Robert Guillen (Please...)

Erislandy Lara UD 6 Darnell Boone (Lara is for real...)

Miguel Vazquez SD 10 Breidis Prescott (Prescott is not for real...)

Saturday, July 18th

Centro de Convenciones , Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Omar Chavez TKO 4 Marco Nazareth (Nazareth slips into a coma)

Tomas Rojas TKO 9 Everardo Morales

(Interim WBC Super Flyweight Title)

M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Kell Brook TKO 3 Michael Lomax

Anthony Small TKO 8 Matthew Hall

Kevin Mitchell TKO 8 Rudy Incarnacion

Frankie Gavin TKO 2 Graham Fearn

Billie Joe Saunders TKO 2 Matt Scriven

James DeGale TKO 1 Ciaran Healy (A Gold Medal beating for Healy)

Denis Lebedev TKO 3 Enzo Maccarinelli (Buh-bye, Mac)

Amir Khan UD 12 Andreas Kotelnik (Fine race horse vs. Sturdy donkey)

(WBA Jr. Welterweight Title)

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Amir Khan: Out of The Frying Pan, Into the Fire

It's party time in Manchester for Olympic Silver Medalist and the UK's favorite young idol/target, Amir Khan.

After decisively capturing his first world title, the WBA Junior Welterweight championship from Andreas Kotelnik, Khan has earned a few days off and a few days of partying.

However, beating a solid, but predictable Kotelnik was the easy part. The hard part is going to be keeping that title in a 140 lb. division that is absolutely stacked with quality fighters in a wide array of styles and levels of experience.

Looming on the horizon first are his #1 mandatory challenger, Dmitriy Salita, and the WBA Interim Jr. Welterweight Champ, fresh from his destruction of Victor Ortiz, Marcos Maidana.

Both Salita and Maidana are young and hungry pressure fighters who will jump on Khan from the opening bell and won't back down unless the likeable 22-year-old champion backs them down. Salita and Maidana will require a mental toughness and focus from Khan that he has yet to display in his professional career. Neither fight is an easy win.

It's precisely for this reason that Khan's promoter, Frank Warren, is trying to stir the pot and find a way to get around those tough fights.

It'll be a tough sell for Warren to avoid the mandatory with Salita without making some sort of huge "step-aside" payout to the Orthodox Jew brawler from Brooklyn. And even with step-aside money, it seems a little far-fetched that Salita would voluntarily walk away from a world title bout and a lucrative payday against a champion that many feel is very vulnerable.

But maybe Warren is counting on the WBA continuing its efforts to become the 90's WBO of the 21st century, running interference for a few preferred champions and rigging the ranking as to allow a steady supply of hapless club-level fighters as #1 challengers.

Barring the cynical protection of the WBA, Khan should buckle up soon and absorb more from Freddie Roach because the road to Jr. Welter dominace is paved with lighting-fast elite like Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt, iron-fisted sluggers like Juan Urango, Ricardo Torres and Mike Alvarado; Hungry, young prospects like Maidana, Salita, Lamont Peterson and Devon Alexander; And veteran war horses like Ricky Hatton, Nate Campbell, Stevie Forbes and Randall Bailey.

And, of course, let's not even mention current lineal champ at 140 lbs., Manny Pacquiao.

So, now that Khan has taken the plunge on to the world arena by capturing a world title, the learning curve normally allowed for a 22-year-old fighter is out the window. Fans don't want to hear about a champion learning on the job, just ask Andre Berto.

With nowhere to slack off and a division full of class fighters, Khan will have take care of things the old-fashioned way: Fight his way through the best.

For his sake, I hope he's ready.

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The BTBC Fight of the Week

Saturday, July 18th

Andreas Kotelnik vs. Amir Khan

(WBA Jr. Welterweight Title)

M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, Lancashire, UK

The Breakdown:

Andreas Kotelnik: 31-2-1 (13 KO), Rated #8 at Jr. Welterweight by The BTBC

Age: 31

Height: 5' 7 1/2

Reach: 69"

Stance: Orthodox

Career Achievements: 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist,

Reigning WBA Jr. Welterweight Champ (2 defenses)

Notable Opposition: Souleymane M'baye (Loss via SD, Draw), Junior Witter (Loss via UD), Gavin Rees (Win via TKO 12), Marcos Maidana (Win via SD)

Pre-Fight Quote: “If I win this fight it will open the road to further fights, especially in America. Every fight is very important to me and for every fight I train really hard. Nobody can make any predictions, it all depends on what opportunities my opponent gives me to do what I want to do.”

*********

Amir Khan: 20-1 (15 KO), Rated #20 at Lightweight by The BTBC

Age: 22

Height: 5' 10"

Reach: 72"

Stance: Orthodox

Career Achievements: 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist

Notable Opposition: Willie Limond (Win via RTD 8), Breidis Prescott (Loss via KO 1), Marco Antonio Barrera (Win via TD 5)

Pre-Fight Quote: “Kotelnik is a fighter who keeps his guard very high so I think the body shots are going to work as well as the angles, I’ve got to hit and move. In and out movement is also going to work, but he’s a counter fighter so I have to be one step ahead of him every time. The key to victory is being patient and using my brains, being careful in the fight and just not making the mistakes we made in the last few fights.”

*********

Paulie The Sicilian's Prediction: Make no mistake about it, Frank Warren intends this to be Amir Khan's coming-out party and if Khan stays conscious for the entire bout, he's getting the nod.

Khan'll come out, stickin' and movin' and Kotelnik will follow him around for the full 12, occasionally touching and buzzing Khan, but never really able to close the gap.

Kotelnik is the much better technical boxer, but he lacks the athleticism of Khan and he lacks the power and drive to keep the 22-year-old (and the judges) honest.

Amir Khan takes this via Unanimous Decision with scores of 117-111, 116-112, 116-112.

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The BTBC News Wire (6/22/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

The fall-out from fights falling out
Danny Jacobs gets big shot on ESPN2
Juanma is Already Considering a Jump To Featherweight•
Wladimir Does a Go-Slow, Haye Pulls a No-Show
Rocky Juarez Plans To Fight on Ortiz-Maidana Card
Sources: Chris John is Ill, Juarez Rematch Postponed
Haye Fires Back at "Boring, Petrified" Wladimir Klitschko
Khan Continues To Talk About Fighting Ricky Hatton

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The BTBC News Wire (6/21/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

Amir Khan questioned by cops over Molesting Allegations
Edgar Sosa Retains For The Ninth Time, Stops Melo
Arbitrator nixes forced V. Klitschko-Maskaev tilt
Hatton Comeback Talk Continues, Against Amir Khan?
Roach's Weight Demand Could Collapse Pacquiao-Cotto
Easy Walk For Klitschko, Claims The Lineal Crown
Freddy Curiel Returns with Win Over Francisco Osorio
Tye Fields Returns, Knocks Out Firtha in Six Rounds
Odlanier Solis Says "I Will End Wladimir Klitschko"
Klitschko Dominates, Batters Chagaev For The Stoppage
Andy Lee Decisions Olegs Fedotovs on Klitschko-Chagaev
Fernando Guerrero Stops Brian Norman In Two Rounds
Beltran Impressive In Tireless Effort Over Meza-Clay
Refusing Defeat, Pascal Outlasts Diaconu In 175 Lb. War

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The BTBC News Wire (6/18/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

Kelly Pavlik: Anatomy of a Fallen Star
Arum Says Cotto Meeting Went Well For Pacquiao Clash
Bobby Gunn Promises "Garden State War" with Adamek
Donaire vs. Cazares Appears To Be On For WBA Title
Adrian Diaconu Fires Back at Pascal Over Comments
McCall vs Lawrence is Set For August 21 in Las Vegas
Younger Curiel Preparing For Debut, A Family Affair
Hopkins To Return in January? Against Froch or Adamek?
Pacquiao/Cotto Negotiations in Full Force, Deal Expected
Kelly Pavlik Enters Alcohol Rehab Center
Mosley breaks out big guns in bid for Pacquiao
Montiel vs. Morel Appears To Be Heading To September
Chavez vs LeHoullier, Gamboa vs Garcia on July 25
Henry/George Card in Houston is Brewing, Not Final
David Haye's Future Plan To Be Decided Very Soon
“Vicious” Vivian Harris Annoucement
Hide Continues To Bait Huck, Vivian Harris a Free Agent
Abraham-Oral: Arthur Ready To Impress on Showtime
Joe Calzaghe Beats Warren in Court, Awarded £1.8million
Amir Khan Can Benefit From Kotelnik Venue Switch
Donaire May Face Concepcion For Interim WBA Title, 8/15
Pacquiao Still Wants Floyd Mayweather Jr. Most of All

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