Anjat's Spicy Sports Blog: Amir Khan Wins Unanimous Decision Over Marcos Rene Maidana

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Amir Khan Wins Unanimous Decision Over Marcos Rene Maidana

Filed under: WBA, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) king Amir Khan (pictured standing at right) of England dropped his rival in the first round, was the beneficiary of a fifth-round point deduction by referee Joe Cortez for the illegal use of an elbow and survived nearly being knocked out by a furious barrage of blows in the 10th round.

In the end, the recent birthday boy also gave himself an early Christmas present in the form of bragging rights as a tough, durable and resourceful competitor following Saturday night's Golden Boy Promotions HBO televised unanimous decision win over hard-punching, WBA interim champion opponent Marcos Rene Maidana (on the canvas at right) of Argentina before a raucous crowd at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

In victory, Khan rose to 24-1 with 17 knockouts, dropping Maidana to 29-2 with 27 knockouts. Khan won 113-112 on the card of judge Glen Trowbridge and 114- 111 on those of C.J. Ross and Jerry Roth in what the 2004 Olympic silver medalist had described prior to the bout as a classic, "boxer versus puncher" and "speed versus power" battle.

Khan's only loss did not bode well for him against a fierce and brutal puncher such as Maidana, owing to the fact that Khan was stopped by a 54-second knockout while still competing at lightweight (135 pounds) in September 2008 at the hands of Colombian-born Breidis Prescott, who entered their bout with a mark of 19-0 that included 17 knockouts.

Khan, nevertheless, earned his sixth straight win, even as he failed to earn his fifth knockout victory during that time as he made the third defense of the crown that he won by dethroning Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik (31-4-1, 13 KOs) by unanimous decision in July 2009. In his fight before facing Khan, Kotelnik had defended his WBA crown by split-decision over Maidana.

Khan's second straight win following the loss to Prescott was a lightweight, March 2009, fifth-round stoppage of Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera, which was his first bout working with four-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach.

After defeating Barrera, Khan rose into the junior welterweight ranks for his triumph over Kotelnik, and in December 2009 scored a 76-second stoppage of previously unbeaten Dmitriy Salita (31-1-1, 16 KOs) that featured three knockdowns.

"I'm sure that everyone who was watching thought that same about my chin. But I made a mistake in my past, and now, I'm a different fighter. I'm training with Freddie Roach and [assistant trainer] Alex Ariza," said Khan, who turned 24-years-old on Wednesday. "I've come back stronger than ever. I was hit by Maidana's best shots, and I was still there."