Khan v Collazo: Thoughts and predictions?

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This is a serious test for Khan, especially given that it's effectively his debut at the weight. Collazo is a proven operator at the weight, having been in with Hatton, Berto and Ortiz to name but three. If it goes the distance, it's Khan's fight. But could we see an upset here? Would it even be an upset if Collazo won?

Thoughts?

Scottrf wrote:Seemed enough to deter walking through him, although the knockdowns I think had a lot to do with balance and pushing.

Exactly what I meant Scott.

Collazo couldn't settle as Khan was so quick on his feet all over the ring and then winging shots in at the same time. These to me showed Collazo being caught off guard during the knockdowns due to poor positioning and just not being able to keep up with Khan. Khan has stinging puches but he snaps his punches while throwing combinations. He doesn't put any weight behind them. This AGAIN isn't a criticism becasue it wins rounds as he is being busy. I dont think he can combine real power with speed.

Look at the body shot he hit Maidana with that time. He throws about 4 fast shots then loops a right hand round to the liver. The liver shot is about half as fast as the head shots he is throwing beforehand. This to me then seen Khan try more power shots which again weren't the quickest as he was putting his weight into them....and low and behold after about 6 rounds his wheels started to fall off, nearly getting KOed in the 10th.

That Khan is gone. The one last night that can keep ambushing for 12 rounds is the Khan we have been crying out for. Lets hope he keeps this up.

In the 10th Collazo was out on his feet and throwing nothing back, he was there for the taking.

Any wonder, his plan was to keep his hands down and hope Khan got tired......he didn't. Got his head jabbed clean off for the whole fight.

I suspect this is same old Khan to be honest. He has had these kind of performances in the past. Good performance, but against the kind of opponent that suits him. Collazo was really being dressed up as a fighter he wasnt. Khan has struggled to put together these sort of performances consistently. He was on his game last night though.

Khan boxed the way he always does, but this was a really good version of his usual style. Really straight punches. When he gets his distance, he's fantastic. One thing I will say is that he looked a lot less frantic than usual. Didn't dump adrenaline in the same way.

He reigned it in more. You could see at times he was a bit like a racehorse being held back. He really stuck to a gameplan when his instincts were telling him to let go. But hes done this before in the past and then follows it up with an error riddled displayed or just cant pull it off against a tougher opponent.

Look guys lets not get carried away Collazo is and has always been third rate but don't get me wrong Khan looked great, sh*t I looked like SRR on the heavy bag the other day.

I think Khan should face Broner next because he won't get Floyd untill next year but either Broner or Thurman big fights from now on for Khan. Collazo for a choice of fighter was a bit understandable because Khan got battered by Diaz in the previous fight and then lost out to Maidana in getting Floyd and so needed to look good in this fight but he can't justify the amazing support he gets stateside by offering the a poor standered of fighter like Collazo.

So I think I can say for everyone here when i say well done Amir we forgive you for Collazo but next time YOU MUST step it up.

Oh give over onetwo! You come out with utter tosh! Battered by Diaz?! Khan had moments of struggles with him just the same as Mayweather did Maidana last night...does that mean Floyd got battered?! No!!

Collazo is poor standard...?! He's a gate keeper to the division who has given Berto, Hatton and Mosely tough fights.! It was Khans first foray into the division after 12 months out of the ring...couldn't have asked for a more tricky, customer without throwing himself to the lions which he just wasn't going to do!

Funny how you don't rate Khan and didn't think he deserved to be taking on Mayweather nor does he after last night...yet Broner deserves a Khan fight despite being 2-1 in his last 3 in which he squeezed past Malignaggi (who Khan took apart) , was mugged by Maidana (khan beat him relatively comfortably batting 2 rounds) and then struggled far more than Khan did against Molina..despite Molina being even older than he was against Amir!! Baffling..truly baffling!

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:Look guys lets not get carried away Collazo is and has always been third rate but don't get me wrong Khan looked great, sh*t I looked like SRR on the heavy bag the other day.

I think Khan should face Broner next because he won't get Floyd untill next year but either Broner or Thurman big fights from now on for Khan. Collazo for a choice of fighter was a bit understandable because Khan got battered by Diaz in the previous fight and then lost out to Maidana in getting Floyd and so needed to look good in this fight but he can't justify the amazing support he gets stateside by offering the a poor standered of fighter like Collazo.

So I think I can say for everyone here when i say well done Amir we forgive you for Collazo but next time YOU MUST step it up.

whats wrong with you, I understand not liking a fighter, but this is just weird, Callazo was clearly a solid fighter better than diaz, no one has ever done that to him, Khan Destroys broner. Callazo is far from 3rd rate

Khan had a mixed day, in some round he completely dominated yet couldn't finish Cola when he was down and out in 10th I guess, but nevertheless great come back, if he can improve this lvl further and if Boner get further worst than what he did last night then Khan will beat Boner.

It's the typical reaction whenever anybody wins a fight that many were claiming they were going to lose, beforehand Collazo was a dangerous guy who was going to knock Khan out now he's a shot past it never was fighter.

The truth is in the middle and it's a fight I never saw Khan struggling in.

Khan was absolutely superb last night. I honestly thought he would get stopped in 6 rounds last night and I said as much on both here and the podcast, that however was down to me not believing Khan could keep his and that as soon as he was drawn in to a battle he'd get hurt and return to type, one thing I did mention on the podcast was that Khan needed to bring back the defence we saw against Kotelnik, and we did see just that.

I am delighted to have been proven wrong, He kept his speed and movement going for the entire fight, and Virgil Hunter was very good in the corner, giving clear instructions and reading the riot act after the 11th round.

Khan did exactly as I thought he'd do last night and it was a very good (and also very professional) showing that he put on. Never really thought Colazzo was as dangerous a fighter right now as others seemed to think, but even so the way Khan dealt with him was pretty exemplary and I'm happy that he's backed up my belief in him (insofar as I've said before that he still has plenty to offer).

The first knockdown was a little gem and what was a big source of encouragement (for me anyway) was that Khan's physicality and strength in the clinches seems to have improved a bit. He's still clearly not much of an inside fighter in terms of letting the shots go and making room for them, and I'd like to see him use his body attack a bit more, but in terms of controlling Colazzo in the clinches and not getting bullied by another man's strength I thought there was a lot to applaud.

Colazzo did threaten briefly between rounds five and nine, and there were maybe just a couple of harks back to the Peterson fight, but then all of a sudden Khan bounces back in the tenth by scoring two knockdowns.....Which were preceded by him shoving Colazzo back and manhandling him on the ropes, which was a nice surprise!

Used his legs, stamina looked good and he was obviously in excellent condition, kept it pretty tight defensively by his standards and still has the speed, even if he's lacking that extra bit of explosiveness that he had under Roach - so all in all, high marks for Amir, methinks.

Scottrf wrote:

John Bloody Wayne wrote:Also, this is a test of Virgil Hunter. Is he a great trainer, or is Ward flattering him? Angulo/Alvarez hurt his stock plenty.

Better than Roach it seems.

I think that's a little premature, as Khan has also looked superb against several guys when he was under Roach. Judah, Mallignaggi and Kotelnik for example. We'll see.

John Bloody Wayne wrote:

Scottrf wrote:

John Bloody Wayne wrote:Also, this is a test of Virgil Hunter. Is he a great trainer, or is Ward flattering him? Angulo/Alvarez hurt his stock plenty.

Better than Roach it seems.

I think that's a little premature, as Khan has also looked superb against several guys when he was under Roach. Judah, Mallignaggi and Kotelnik for example. We'll see.

At least Hunter knows the earmuffs defence isn't good. Roach teaches it to all of his fighters.

Khan used it plenty in this fight and did great.

Pacquiao uses a more triangular kind of ear muff defense when put on the back foot which seems to work quite effectively, but he's a sturdier animal than Khan.

They both get nailed with uppercuts when using it though. Luckily Collazo didn't try this (and Khan didn't do it too often).

Yeah, true. I'm still not sold on Hunter anyway. This is the first good performance from one of his fighters not named Andre Ward I can remember.

Let's see how Gonzalez does against Degale.

To be fair, I was being overcritical of Roach on purpose. Mustn't be as controversial as it would have been a few years ago. I like what I hear of Hunter in the corner normally though. Perhaps it's best to hold judgement on Khan's progress though, but he did look decent.

He as had three fights under Hunter. One average performance, one poor and one good. Its similar to the kind of consistency he had under Roach, albeit against weaker opponents. I couldnt see any big change in Khan. He just kept his focus and boxed to his capability against a decent opponent. The tougher tests will be ahead. Boxing on the move like he did, he doesnt seem to get much power in his shots. Was fine for Collazo but against stronger opponents the lack of zip might be a problem.

Roach certainly isn't a master of training defensive fighters, it's true.

I didn't think Hunter had much useful to say to Angulo against Alvarez, and since joining him Berto, Chazz Witherspoon and Dallas Jr have all been smashed up.

That's why I rate Garcia so much. Maidana came to him when his stock was its lowest and he looked finished, and since then it has soared. Every performance has been better than expected. Yes Khan was coming off a bad run when he came to Hunter, but we all knew the talent was there if he'd fulfill his potential, and this is his first impressive performance under Virgil. Maidana looked to have found his level before Garcia got him.

John Bloody Wayne wrote:Roach certainly isn't a master of training defensive fighters, it's true.

I didn't think Hunter had much useful to say to Angulo against Alvarez, and since joining him Berto, Chazz Witherspoon and Dallas Jr have all been smashed up.

That's why I rate Garcia so much. Maidana came to him when his stock was its lowest and he looked finished, and since then it has soared. Every performance has been better than expected. Yes Khan was coming off a bad run when he came to Hunter, but we all knew the talent was there if he'd fulfill his potential, and this is his first impressive performance under Virgil. Maidana looked to have found his level before Garcia got him.

Garcia > Hunter