Khan should play the long game!!

Have no doubts that this guy will be number one p4p in two years time.....However that's if he waits Mayweather and Manny out!!! Doesn't make any sense for Khan to pursue these two and risk a heavy loss...For sure they are big paydays but......

1. Once these two go there will be a shortage of big names..hence fat HBO contracts flying in his direction...

2. Still needs to mature..and he has plenty of time.

3. Donaire and Martinez haven't the flair or the personality to be Boxing's next torchbearers.....Khan has an exciting style and an engaging personality...

4. Khan has the opposition and the sliding/deteriorating names to overtake his opposition to the number 1 throne.....Also has the physique to carry 147 and above.....Why not bang out Bradley and then move onto the ghosts of Cotto and Marg etc.....A star-less HBO will be glad to feed on anything!!!

Why risk his golden future for Mayweather.......He doesn't need him!!!!

Khan should play the long game!!! He's got the World in his hands..

This article, though it's an interesting one, seems to be operating purely on the idea that Khan is / would be only interested in becoming the richest boxer in the world, rather than the best. He wouldn't be the first fighter to opt for the money train rather than the glory one, but honestly, if all fighters had that kind of no-risk approach, the sport really would be a sorry spectacle.

If he wants it, why not go after Mayweather in 2012? While I'm no fan of Khan on a personal level, the way he's bounced back, refocused, put in the work to make effective changes and learned from his mistakes since the Prescott hammering suggests, to me at least, a fighter who really desires the challenge and wants to be the absolute best he can be.

Yes, he could slip in to the pound for pound top spot, or somewhere around it, by beating fighters coming back down the other side of the hill, or by conveniently moving in to their territory; but wouldn't we all prefer it if he did it by meeting them at that peak and showing that he's the better fighter, rather than the better businessman?

iahahahahahaha!
khan has an engaging personality nearly fell off my chair at that one.
donaire has a way better personality has more charm than khan by a million miles!

No he could become very rich by fighting Mayweather now.....

Chances are he isn't ready and could become p4p no 1 by waiting these guys out.....

A young guy why risk everything by losing to Floyd......He has the opposition and the opportunity to become Boxing's torchbearer later on..Why rush....

Think you slightly mistook where I'm coming from..

But your opinion is always welcome..

You don't think he's engaging but ppv status before becoming a champion...not even Oscar had that..

would a defeat to mayweather (or pacman for that matter) really harm his career anyway? It's widely accepted these are the top 2 by far and so surely a defeat wouldn't harm his longer aims too much, especially in the case of MM who will retire in a few years anyway and open back up the titles he may hold.

if he did beat mayweather in a fight in 12-18 month, it really puts him in a strong positions finically, historically, etc. so arguably worth the risk calling him out.

It could harm his confidence...and it could age him as well depending on the manner of it sporty....

Guys like Mugabi, Curry and Hamed were never the same...

He's got the World at his feet...why blow it now..

Regardless of all this talk, Khan will NOT fight Manny of Floyd. Khan and his camp just raise the subject whenever he wants a bit more press time. Even Roach has become irritating and I believe talked about Manny vs Khan and then when the media attention regarding the subject gets too serious Kahn and his team refute certain quotes and change tactics.

I too think Khan could be P4P no.1 soon however like you say it's more to do with others retiring and not being prime than Khan dramatically improving.

I would say you're wrong regarding Donaire and Martinez not having the flair to be torchbearers, in fact flair-wise in the ring I would say Martinez is much more entertaining than Khan and Donaire certainly no slouch.

If Martinez spoke good English or was American and was 10 years younger i.e. to get promoter to make him a star as he still has many years left to generate money, he'd be mega star on par with Floyd or Manny IMO.

And in terms of personality, Khan appears to irritate more than please so wouldn't bet your house on his personality helping his status.

They don't speak very good English and Martinez is getting old anyway..

Khan has the whole package......

Sensible but I sense he wants to be the best - If he beats Mayweather now then it would be even more of a money maker. I suspect though that he is after the respect rather than the money judging by his immense dedication to training.

Always did have more guts than sense.

Would also say as regards personality...you tend to either love or hate Khan hence his early ppv status.....Hence people will tune into to hopefully see different outcomes..

Valero's Conscience wrote:And in terms of personality, Khan appears to irritate more than please so wouldn't bet your house on his personality helping his status.

In fairness, that's not necessarily a bad thing; Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather are proof of that. I don't think the term 'any publicity is good publicity' is always true every time, but in boxing, it's often been damn close to being so.

i agree to an extent that khan could wait out like you say, and I think this is probably what he will do. In calling out mayweather i think he is in a no loss situation. Ok, he could get beat in the fight (not that i think it will happen anyway) but if he were to win it would be a HUGE victory, a good payday, and also a fight that he probably would have been expected to lose (and so he wouldn't been ridiculed if this happens).

Khan has already had that confidence knocking loss, so i don't think it would be an issue for him.

At worst, in 20 years time when we look back on his career the fanboys can always say that mayweather was ducking him...

Well Mayweather has ducked everybody else according to some on here!!

I agree that hypothetically it would seem he had nothing to lose against Floyd..but beatings sometimes take a toll on a fighter...

However should he win he'd be no1 like a shot..

88Chris05 wrote:

Valero's Conscience wrote:And in terms of personality, Khan appears to irritate more than please so wouldn't bet your house on his personality helping his status.

In fairness, that's not necessarily a bad thing; Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather are proof of that. I don't think the term 'any publicity is good publicity' is always true every time, but in boxing, it's often been damn close to being so.

I think UK based fans get more irritated by him - the americans take a little arrogance in their stride. Its also a succesful marketing tool Eubank, Hamed, Haye, although Khan does seem to do it unintentionally.

Absolutely....One has to realise we are talking about a kid who was ppv at a stage in his career before gold medallist Oscar and the enormous Tyson..

Some of that is people wanting to see him stretched...

Bradley has called him out again (looking for the 50:50 deal), according to eastside today. Khan has says the 50:50 deal is now off the table, but will fight him 70:30, so think that fight might run along the same lines as Manny v Floyd.

He seems legacy driven, and thus he'll chase Mayweather, better for the sport that he's ambitious, especially if your earmarking him as the future.

A Canelo fight would be massive for him too.

Would not put too much stock in him being PPV before he had won a world title, despite a massive advertising budget and hype job his first PPV absolutely tanked in terms of numbers and turned countless fans against him, it was a bit of a disaster all round and is the reason he had to be propped up by the Manny Oscar fight second time round. A god awful decision by all concerned that one.

The fact they felt he was PPv before he'd fought anyone kind of hints at his following..

As for 70/30 sounds okay (60-40 probably fairer)..Bradley is dull and brings nothing to the table really apart from an overachieving career (well done to him) and some alphabet belts...

Khan is the draw..

cheers for the comments..

truss i bet you havent heard donaire speak my god! i think its arguable he speaks better english than amir! he almost has an american accent his english is perfect! AND a funny charismatic guy.

he expected to be ppv worthy as a result of his olympic success. no other real reason (ie. fighting style or personality). The problem was that generally the people interested in his olympic success weren't really that fussed long term. The people wanting to see him get sparked helped keep the interest going as you say

Rubbish.....Audley wasn't ppv..

I kind of agree, actually. Khan has a good shout of replacing both men due to the absolute dearth of talent around at the minute. Broner is highly rated - but a little bit dull.

I'm a touch suspicious that Golden boy will try to find and manufacture a home grown champion from nowhere to replace Mayweather - and it won't be Khan because he's a) not american or Mexican and b) a Muslim - both factors taking a little off his global value. (Not to me, I should add - I'm talking about average US Joe public).

We'll see though. GBP have stood by Khan impressively thus far - maybe they'll stick with him.

Nice article.

yeah but audley was signed up to a big commercial telly contract with BBC...

thats where the interested came from

I think being a Muslim works for him.....Certainly gives him a higher profile on both sides of the Atlantic in a lovehim /hate him kind of way..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:You don't think he's engaging but ppv status before becoming a champion...not even Oscar had that..

and?

he was on ppv because warren made it so!

the numbers were so bad that he went to the best ppv platform ever primetime!

what amazing popularity.

Sporty...no one is going to get a ppv contract on Olympic status alone....

Degale vs Groves was a grudge match and was meant to be chief undercard!!!.....Degale has a gold medal...as for Gavin and Saunders could they go on PPV on their own!!!

No.

"He was on ppv because Warren made it so"!!!

Nothing to do with him being popular then!!!!

Come on Alex..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I think being a Muslim works for him.....Certainly gives him a higher profile on both sides of the Atlantic in a lovehim /hate him kind of way..

GBP are using it well at the moment, for sure. But IMHO it will always hold him back a little with the backwaters of Iowa, or Appalachia, or some of the deep and forgotten south. That said - you'll know more about the states than me - they may not like boxing anyway and even so - maybe your right.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:"He was on ppv because Warren made it so"!!!

Nothing to do with him being popular then!!!!

Come on Alex..

no was to do with everyone over rating his popularity the numbers were awful especially given the fact that sky promoted the poo out of it.

so popular that he went over to primetime because khan was hardly drawing flies at sky.

I can actually see him turning into a Mayweather type character where people actually pay money on PPV to see him sparked out. Think you are confusing the majority of popularity he gains with hate. To be honest though I would like him to do well, while he seems a little slow to think before he speaks he is a talented British boxer and would like him to rise to the top.

two_tone wrote:I can actually see him turning into a Mayweather type character where people actually pay money on PPV to see him sparked out. Think you are confusing the majority of popularity he gains with hate. To be honest though I would like him to do well, while he seems a little slow to think before he speaks he is a talented British boxer and would like him to rise to the top.

i dont because he doesnt market himself like that...

i think it's fair to say the initially PPV agreement flopped and so it can;t really be used as a positive for khan. i'd also argue that PPV was seen as the way to make money quick at the time, and the fact that Khan was in the limelight after that olympics (he was our only boxing medal winner and was young at the time). the reporters here were loving the story of khan coming up against a much older amateur legend in Kinderlan and so Warren ran with this and got him on PPV. clever marketing but not much more than that.

excuse the quick typing/spelling as i'm doing a few things at once...

Twitter has been a massive help to Khan.

Before it I thought he was a bit of a tool - but some of his twitter comments have been priceless - especially the rinse of Maidana. Maidana challegned him somehow - and Khan tore his recent career to shreds. Which, given that Khan has recently fought Peterson and Malignaggi, says a lot for Khan's twitter abilities.

AlexHuckerby wrote:

two_tone wrote:I can actually see him turning into a Mayweather type character where people actually pay money on PPV to see him sparked out. Think you are confusing the majority of popularity he gains with hate. To be honest though I would like him to do well, while he seems a little slow to think before he speaks he is a talented British boxer and would like him to rise to the top.

i dont because he doesnt market himself like that...

Not Mayweather in the way he carries himself but with a lot people against him he will be one of those you 'love to see lose' types and he will gain more interest through that.

i like khan though it doesnt come across that way.
i can see him being p4p number one but only if he meticulously picks his way to the top as i still see him ar vulnerable.

two_tone wrote:

AlexHuckerby wrote:

two_tone wrote:I can actually see him turning into a Mayweather type character where people actually pay money on PPV to see him sparked out. Think you are confusing the majority of popularity he gains with hate. To be honest though I would like him to do well, while he seems a little slow to think before he speaks he is a talented British boxer and would like him to rise to the top.

i dont because he doesnt market himself like that...

Not Mayweather in the way he carries himself but with a lot people against him he will be one of those you 'love to see lose' types and he will gain more interest through that.

doesnt make the statements and is as off the wall as him. mayweather is a genius he knows just how to sell a fight. no coincidence that ortiz got 1.25 million ppvs.

khan is as dull as manny probably even more dull doesnt have a whole nation chanting his name every second and doesnt have the achievements that he has.

Mayweather hasn't always sold.....Look Khan is a polarising figure some people love him and some want to see him beaten...

He'll always be popular......he's also very good and exciting..

yes but to compare it with how many people would tune in to see floyd get sparked is daft.

i agree he is exciting when he doesnt fight nobodies.

I never compared it...so shut up..

Khan should play the long game!!! He's got the World in his hands...

-----------------

I have no doubts he will, he always talked about Floyd in "catching him at the right time". British greats Calzaghe and Lewis, despite being greats had a bit of the catching them at the right time way about them. No doubt Khan will do the same.

Wonder If you Brits have ever had a no 1 p4p....Would Fitz be the only one in with a shout....was he p4p the best around in his day...

Interesting..

Jack ' Kid ' Berg was briefly regarded as p4p best on both sides of the Atlantic, Truss.

Cheers windy.....My knowledge of the past isn't as complete as yours...

Have heard of him ...but guys like kid Lewis get more coverage on British forums...

You're welcome, Truss.

Kid Lewis, of course, had a phenomenal career over a number of years and weight classes, whereas Berg's star shone relatively briefly. Only have a couple of Berg fights, but it's easy to see why they called him ' The Whitechapel Whirlwind.' The guy was utterly relentless.

Didn't Lewis fight Carpentier and get slugged after complaining about something....Or am I mixing him up with somebody else..

Bang on, Truss.

I have that one on film, too. Never knew what to make of it and, curiosity aroused, it seems I'm going to need to dig it out and watch it again to see if I can this time.

Just watched Berg vs Saerens for the Euro title...does seem a bit of a relentless type..

However where is the referee????

Kind of sad that a former welter champ will take on the 175 pound guy and yet we missed out on..

Spinks vs Hagler...

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Just watched Berg vs Saerens for the Euro title...does seem a bit of a relentless type..

However where is the referee????

Back in the day, fights in Britain were refereed from outside the ring. I was flabbergasted when I saw Wilde v Symonds for the first time, for the same reason.