WBA world light welterweight titlist Amir “King” Khan was awarded a six round technical decision victory to successfully defend his crown against former undefeated Irishman Paul “Dudey” McCloskey Saturday night at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England.
Khan (24-1, 17 KOs), a Pakistani-British boxer who became the youngest Englishman to win an Olympic medal when he captured a silver as a lightweight at the 2004 games in Greece, was decisively pounding McCloskey (22-0, 12 KOs) before an accidental clash of heads in the sixth round opened a nasty cut over the Irishman’s left eye.
As blood seeped into McCloskey’s eye and impaired his vision, ringside doctor Phil Sahu was summoned to the ring by referee Luiz Pabon.
The two decided “Dudey’s” wound was too severe to continue and the bout was halted amidst a chorus of boos.
Prior to this weekend, Khan last fought in December when he beat the tough “El Chino” Marcos Maidana by unanimous decision to retain his belt.
Khan and Maidana (30-2, 27 KOs) were deservedly awarded the “Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America for their epic battle last winter.
“King Khan” is a prizefighter who possesses unlimited potential and abilities in the ring, and he doesn’t really have any glaring warts in his arsenal.
Before his violently glorious struggle with Maidana, critics contended Khan had a suspect chin.
In September 2008, Khan was demolished by Breidis Prescott when he suffered a first round knockout loss that cost him his WBO Intercontinental lightweight crown.
During the brief massacre, Khan was knocked down twice by Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs), and he was ultimately beaten a mere 54 seconds into the opening round.
As noted by his sensational knockout percentage, Maidana is an extremely potent puncher who could have sent Khan onto Queer Street with any number of the powerful blows he connected on.
Nevertheless, a bloodied and battered Khan absorbed ample punishment and still managed to fight with a purpose and emerge victorious.
Since partnering with legendary trainer Freddie Roach, Khan has rebounded nicely from his loss to Prescott and the Englishman has now triumphed in six consecutive bouts.
Roached raved about Khan’s improvement in the squared circle during a January interview with ESPN.com.
"He is a whole different fighter," said Roach, 50, a native of Dedham, Mass., who was voted Trainer of the Year on four occasions by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
"He's 100 percent better. I've never had a fighter to listen so well, take direction as well and stick to the game plan as well as Amir Khan. He's really become a very good professional fighter. He knows how to fight. He likes to [mix it up] a little bit too much sometimes, I think, but I won't take that away from him because he knows when to do it and when not to."
Khan is now so much better that he apparently trumped iconic pugilist Manny Pacquiao on numerous recent sparring sessions that Roach oversaw.
"Some days he got a bit of the best of Manny, some days Manny got the best of him," Roach said. "It was explosive. It was like a cockfight.”
"King Khan” is expected to scrap WBC and WBO light welterweight king “Desert Storm” Timothy Bradley sometime this July.
Bradley (27-0-0-1, 11 KOs), who Ring Magazine ranks as the No. 8 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, trumped Devon Alexander by an ugly 10th round technical decision Jan. 29.
Bradley is 27 and Khan is 24, and the winner will clearly be considered the preeminent light welterweight fighter today.
Unfortunately for “Desert Storm,” Khan is too skilled and refined to lose to a fighter of Bradley’s adequate status.
Like a monster gorilla in the squared circle, “King Khan” will physically overwhelm Bradley if they meet this summer.
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