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Dougie’s Monday mailbag

Fighters Network
09
May

CANELO CAN BEAT GGG

Hey Dougie,

What a fight we got to see Saturday night! Kind of an abridged version of Joe Louis-Billy Conn. Amir Khan boxed great but Canelo Alvarez put in the body work then caught him with the same savage feint-right hand that put away James Kirkland. (Roberto Duran was there, he must’ve admired that.)



I know you’re probably getting flooded with emails about if Canelo will fight GGG or not, people will accuse you of being in Oscar’s pocket, (utter bull by the way, you’ve always demonstrated journalistic integrity, it’s offensive that people call it into question over one contested issue.) I think Canelo will fight GGG in the fall.

I’m much more interested in the actual matchup and here’s the thing, Canelo can win the fight. I’m a huge fan of GGG and would definitely favor him, but people are wrong to write the red head off. Yes, he’s struggled with lesser fighters than GGG but styles make fights. Canelo loves it when guys come to him. His most impressive performance’s came against Alfredo Angulo and James Kirkland.

Obviously GGG is way better than them but the point is Canelo’s biggest weakness is ring cutting. Won’t be a factor in the fight with GGG. He’s also very durable. He absorbed Miguel Cotto’s left hooks like they were nothing; GGG’s hands are heavier but Cotto’s left hook is deadly, and a great litmus test for his chin.

Finally, Canelo has that fast-twitch muscle fiber that GGG just doesn’t have. His feet may be slow but Canelo’s hands are fast! He’s not as heavy handed as GGG but he can beat him to the punch and the additional hand speed gives him the pop that GGG lacks. Amir’s chin is weak but that shot would have buckled any middleweight. If Canelo can take GGG’s power, jab with GGG’s jab, and stay off the ropes, it’ll be a hell of a fight. GGG can eat a bomb from a Curtis Stevens or David Lemieux, but people who think a blindside right hand from Canelo won’t hurt him are delusional. – Jack

Boxing is run on delusions. I don’t think the sport could exist without it. Fighters have to believe they can be successful without getting seriously hurt in order to step into the ring. Underdogs have to believe in themselves when the rest of the world believes they have no chance.

The same fans who called Khan delusional for believing he could beat Canelo, don’t believe the Mexican can last the distance with Golovkin, let alone beat the WBA/IBF middleweight titleholder. Yet, these same fans demand that Canelo fight Golovkin next. So, I guess they’re going to have count on Canelo being “delusional” in order to get the “mismatch” they so desperately need to happen this year. (By the way, I think the jerk-offs who think I’m toeing the Golden Boy party line in the Canelo-GGG standoff/negotiations are delusional.)

I favor Golovkin over every top middleweight out there, but I think there are potential rivals that can give him a tough fight, and Canelo is one of them. (Those who think GGG just walks right through Canelo are delusional.)

I agree that Golovkin’s come-forward style will play into many of Canelo’s strengths, which should produce an entertaining clash of boxer-punchers.

Canelo has that fast-twitch muscle fiber that GGG just doesn’t have. His feet may be slow but Canelo’s hands are fast! Good point. Canelo possesses underrated quickness, and hand speed is the one athletic attribute where Golovkin isn’t world class. I think GGG has average hand speed. Canelo isn’t a speed demon, but he’s got above average hand speed. However, I think Golvokin has better footwork than Canelo.

He’s not as heavy handed as GGG but he can beat him to the punch and the additional hand speed gives him the pop that GGG lacks. Golovkin’s punches may not “pop” but they definitely “thud.” I agree that Canelo can beat GGG to the punch, and he could do some damage with body-head combinations in close.

Amir’s chin is weak but that shot would have buckled any middleweight. Agreed.

If Canelo can take GGG’s power, jab with GGG’s jab, and stay off the ropes, it’ll be a hell of a fight. Agreed, but that’s a lot of “ifs.”

THREE QUICK THINGS

Greetings,

  1. Can Khan ever mentally recover from that type of knockout? The kind where you’re out but your eyes are wide open.
  1. Have you heard any rumblings that fighters are dissatisfied with the amount of fights they’re getting via PBC?
  1. I want to be the first to tell you to be on the lookout for this youngster by the name of Genc Pllana out of the DC area. He’s an amateur now but has Krusher Kovalev tenacity.

v/r. – JDB

Thanks for keeping it “quick,” like an Amir Khan three-punch combo, JDB.

  1. Can Khan ever mentally recover from that type of knockout? As chilling as that KO was, I do believe that Khan can recover from it, psychologically speaking. He’s mentally strong, spiritually grounded, and he’s always got a lot of positive support from his family, team and friends. However, I’m not sure he’ll recover physically/neurologically from that kind of stoppage. The body and brain “remembers” that kind of damaging impact and tends to freeze up/shut down when put through similar trauma again (even if it’s not as severe).
  1. Have you heard any rumblings that fighters are dissatisfied with the amount of fights they’re getting via PBC? No, I haven’t but I’ve heard about rumblings from some of the networks currently working with the PBC.
  1. I want to be the first to tell you to be on the lookout for this youngster by the name of Genc Pllana out of the DC area. He’s an amateur now but has Krusher Kovalev tenacity. I’ve already Googled the kid and will keep an ear and eye out for him in the future.

CANELO-KHAN PPV UNDERCARD

Hi Doug, how are you doing? My thoughts on last night’s fights.

  1. Patrick Teixeira. That was a funny joke. Didn’t think he’d be worse than Water Matthysse (Lucas’s older bro).
  2. Curtis Stevens. Remaining other half of chin checkers did what he was supposed to do. He’s a great gate keeper at 160.
  3. Mauricio Herrera. I just feel real sorry for this guy. He couldn’t get a break so many times in the past and now, he seems to be beaten by father time.
  4. Frankie Gomez. Good performance. Wanna see him against Adrian Granados next.
  5. Glen Tapia. Does anyone in his team care about him? He didn’t need this fight against Lemieux. Do they care about “re-building
    him as a 160 lbers?
  6. David Lemieux. This fight really showed how good GGG is. Lemieux looked like a million bucks against Tapia. He looked like a club fighter against GGG.
  7. Khan. Don’t say anything bad about this guy. We all knew what would happen and that happened. So what? He showed up, got in the ring with a guy who was way bigger and more powerful. He boxed the best he could. As he said, he definitely showed that he has balls.
  8. Cinnamon. Well, he did what he was supposed to do. You can tell that he never had to worry about Khan’s power. (It showed on his face and body language). Now it’s time to walk the walk after he talked the talk at the post fight interview. It’s obvious that so many fans, boxing writers, ex fighters, etc., all asking the same thing. Don’t question his opposition. Don’t mention catch weight. Just fight like a fighter. It’ll be a win-win situation for him if he actually does fight in September. He’ll be the underdog but he does have size, skills and power to compete against the feared Kazakh. If he wins, he’s gonna surpass JC superstar in Mexico. If he loses, so what? As long as he comes out ok and puts on a great, competitive fight, he’ll gain more respect than he’s ever earned.

Keep up the good work! – Naoki, Las Vegas, NV

I’ll do my best, Naoki. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Canelo-Khan and the chief supporting bouts to the main event. I’ll share my thoughts on your thoughts:

  1. Patrick Teixeira. That was a funny joke. Didn’t think he’d be worse than Walter Matthysse (Lucas’s older bro). Hey, the Brazilian prospect was in with a veteran badass and he had a style that was tailor-made for the power-hitter from Brooklyn. That result did not surprise me at all.
  2. Curtis Stevens. Remaining other half of chin checkers did what he was supposed to do. He’s a great gate keeper at 160. I think he’s better than a gate keeper. I consider Stevens a fringe contender (just outside the top 10 or top 15 in the world).
  3. Mauricio Herrera. I just feel real sorry for this guy. He couldn’t get a break so many times in the past and now, he seems to be beaten by father time. Yeah, it looks like Herrera’s window to win a world title has come and gone (which sucks because most observers, myself included, think he beat Danny Garcia and Jose Benavidez), but he lost fair and square to Gomez.
  4. Frankie Gomez. Good performance. Wanna see him against Adrian Granados next. That would be a hell of a fight – and it would be a rematch. Gomez narrowly outpointed the Chicagoan in 2011 in a rough-and-tumble eight-rounder. I think Gomez’s performance against Herrera was the best of his pro career.
  5. Glen Tapia. Does anyone in his team care about him? He didn’t need this fight against Lemieux. Do they care about “re-building him as a 160 lbers? They cared enough to stop the fight when it needed to be stopped. I don’t blame them for rolling the dice against Lemieux. The Montreal slugger is dangerous but he’s got flaws that can be exploited. They thought Tapia could exploit them but obviously they were wrong. Part of it was Tapia’s reflexes, which appear shot. The question he and his team need to find out is if this is from physical punishment he absorbed in the past (mainly that James Kirkland beating) or was it due to a combination of ring rust and over-training (because he’s been in the gym since last year). It’s clear to me (as it was to Lennox Lewis, who joined Beto Duran and I on the international broadcast) that something wasn’t right with Tapia’s body.
  6. David Lemieux. This fight really showed how good GGG is. Lemieux looked like a million bucks against Tapia. He looked like a club fighter against GGG. I think you’re exaggerating a little bit, but I get your point. I’d love to see Lemieux take on a hardnosed bull like Tureano Johnson, or a top-10 contender like Chris Eubank Jr., in his next fight.
  7. Khan. Don’t say anything bad about this guy. I seldom do. I liked and respected Khan prior to the Canelo fight and I have even more admiration for him now.
  8. Cinnamon. Well, he did what he was supposed to do. You can tell that he never had to worry about Khan’s power. (It showed on his face and body language). Agreed, but I still wanted to see more pressure and ring-cutting ability from him.

Now it’s time to walk the walk after he talked the talk at the post fight interview. Agreed.

It’ll be a win-win situation for him if he actually does fight in September. He’ll be the underdog but he does have size, skills and power to compete against the feared Kazakh. Agreed.

If he wins, he’s gonna surpass JC Superstar in Mexico. I don’t know if that’s possible, but he’ll be embraced more than he is now if he pulls the upset.

If he loses, so what? As long as he comes out ok and puts on a great, competitive fight, he’ll gain more respect than he’s ever earned. Agreed.

 

OOFT!

I’m sure you will be bombarded with emails on the Khan fightÔǪ All the skills required… No power to hurt Cinnamon, came close though… He MUST fight GGG nextÔǪ and I think he has a chanceÔǪ Do you? – Craig Purdie

I do. I definitely think Canelo-Golovkin is a competitive fight.

I agree that Khan had the skill (and athleticism) required to upset Canelo. I don’t think he needed the power to hurt the bigger man to be able to win on points, he needed a sturdier chin and better defense.

 

KHAN’S CRITICAL MISTAKE

Hey Doug:

I thought Amir was fighting a very good fight until the moment he got clipped. Unfortunately for him, he was in the kind of fight where he couldn’t make any mistakes and it cost him.

If I can make one critique of Amir is that I thought he moved a little too much to his left which was obviously moving into Canelo’s devastating right. I think he should have mixed more movement to his right so as to give Canelo a different look. Canelo eventually got comfortable with the looks Amir was giving him and set him up beautifully with that right. At the end of the day, it would not have mattered. Amir was too outgunned for this one.

So now I am expecting Canelo’s people to start making their demands to GGG. If I am GGG I tell them we fight at 160 or no fight. You can’t say you are the middleweight champion of the world and then start demanding catch weights below the 160-pound limit. I would start calling Canelo a little bitch if he does that with GGG.

Mythical matchup:

Valero vs. Mosley at lightweight

Hope I make it to the bag. Take care. – Juan, Santa Clara formerly of Miami

You made it, Juan. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I agree that Khan was boxing very well until he was clipped by Canelo. I may have been watching the fight through “UK goggles” being seated next to Lennox Lewis, but I scored the first five rounds for the underdog while doing the live call of the fight. Although some of the rounds were close, I thought Khan’s activity trumped the harder single shots that Canelo landed.

Watching a replay of the fight, I had Khan ahead by a closer three-rounds-to-two margin, scoring Rounds 1, 2 and 4 for the fleet-footed underdog. I scored Round 3 for Canelo because Khan sort of pulled a “Lara” in that round by employing a little too much lateral movement while neglecting his offense, plus I noticed some of the body shots the Mexican champ landed. In Round 5, Canelo appeared to assume control of the bout by maneuvering Khan with feints and even punches that missed.

If I can make one critique of Amir is that I thought he moved a little too much to his left which was obviously moving into Canelo’s devastating right. I think you should give Canelo some credit for this “flaw.” He loaded up with wide left hooks that he knew Khan could avoid (by moving to the left) in the first two rounds of the bout. By Round 3, Canelo began to touch Khan to the body with his right in an effort to bring the challenger’s left hand down. By Round 6, all Canelo had to do was feint like he was going to throw a straight right to the body and Khan dropped his left, opening the poor guy up to that monster overhand right that closed the show.

So now I am expecting Canelo’s people to start making their demands to GGG. You and the rest of the boxing world. Of course, what you call “demands,” others call “negotiations.” Golovkin and his team are fully aware that some concessions will have to be made. They’ve been willing to do this with star fighters in past negotiations of fights that did not take place (the proposed super middleweight bouts against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Carl Froch). Andre Ward would say that Tom Loeffler made unreasonable “demands” of him when there was talk of SOG vs. GGG.

If I am GGG I tell them we fight at 160 or no fight. Well, that’s what he and his team have been telling the media prior to Canelo-Khan, and they believe the WBC (and the rules of the sanctioning organization) will back them. We’ll see if that’s the stance they take during the negotiations.

You can’t say you are the middleweight champion of the world and then start demanding catch weights below the 160-pound limit. Canelo can. Whether or not he wants to continue to do so remains to be seen. At some point the 155-pound fixation will hurt him physically and hurt his popularity/credibility.

I would start calling Canelo a little bitch if he does that with GGG. LOL. That’s not really Golovkin or Loeffler’s style.

Mythical matchup:

Valero vs. Mosley at lightweight – Wow. This would have been beautifully savage. (Mosley and Valero are the fiercest gym warriors I’ve ever witnessed.) I think Mosley would win on points in a very competitive fight. He’d be the much bigger man on fight night (Sugar Shane sometimes put on as much as 15-20 pounds after the weigh-in) so he would try to overpower Valero in the early going. I think he’d hurt or drop Valero (probably with a body shot), but Valero would get up and earn respect with his own power-punching display before backing off and outboxing/out-maneuvering the offense-minded Californian in the middle rounds. (Before you call me crazy, check out Mosley’s lightweight bouts with Jon-Jon Molina and James Leija – he could be outboxed for a time by smaller guys that had good footwork, and Valero had very underrated footwork.) I think Mosley would rally in the late rounds as the smaller, fatigued Venezuelan (who probably would be dealing with facial cuts) faded a bit.

 

CANELO-KHAN, WILDER-POVETKIN

Hey Dougie,

As always thanks for the great work with the bag. It’s really appreciated that you engage with boxing fans so much in person, on Twitter, and through the mail bag. Just wanted to get some wrap up thoughts on the weekend and look to a big upcoming fight.

I was very impressed with Canelo. Most expected him to win the way he did, but I saw a very difficult fight for him. He really showed me he continues to improve and be able to overcome his deficits. Against Lara, he struggled to close the gap for an entire fight. On Saturday, he made the adjustments within two rounds.

And the punch that stopped Khan, I think would have stopped a lot of junior middle and middleweight fighters. I don’t think Khan screwed up as many predicted. Also, cheers to Amir for being the sacrificial lamb of boxing to cross hostile promotional lines and make the best fights. I hope he inspires other fighters to do the same and seek the biggest challenges.

Moving on, we have some other very interesting fights coming up and I wanted to get your take on one in particular… Povetkin-Wilder. This fight is very difficult for me to assess. When I think about the variables that usually lead to victory, I feel Povetkin has to win. He’s the better boxer. He throws in combination. He feints. He knows how to get inside. He can stop much bigger guys. He has home field advantage. Wilder has not faced as talented of an opponent. There is a gap in level of opposition and rounds banked.

But then, Wilder is so much more athletic. He does use his size well, he moves well, keeps range, and is dangerous with both hands. But not even a prime Klitschko could stop Povetkin and he used all the ugly tactics he could to disrupt Alexander’s rhythm. So can Wilder really stop him? Is this a case of Wilder’s size and athleticism outweighing Povetkin’s boxing skill? How often is that the case? Can you think of similar historical match ups that support the theory?

At the moment I am inclined to believe that Wilder will execute a game plan very similar to what he did with Stiverne and attempt to stay outside and take less risk. But if this is the case I expect Povetkin wins a close decision regardless of whether the fight is close or not. I would be surprised if Wilder went in guns a blazing. Walk me through how this fight plays out, Doug. – Vincent, Winston-Salem, NC

I see an even fight in the upcoming WBC heavyweight title showdown. Povetkin, as you noted, is the more seasoned and technical boxer. He also appears to be sturdier (like you noted, he proved he’s got a good set of whiskers – and a lot of heart – against Klitschko). However, the Russian veteran doesn’t have the height, reach or athleticism that Wilder possesses. I think the undefeated American can give Povetkin a lot of trouble by sticking and moving. I’m not sure how well the Russian can cut the ring off.

So can Wilder really stop him? Yes, I think so. I know Povetkin got up from Klitschko’s knockdowns but Wilder hits at least as hard as the former champ and with much better speed. If Wilder can walk Povetkin into a punch (most likely a right hand) that he doesn’t see, I think he can take the mandatory challenger out.

Is this a case of Wilder’s size and athleticism outweighing Povetkin’s boxing skill? Not entirely. It’s a factor, but Wilder’s technique and control of distance (which is really the essence of boxing) is also key in his winning this fight.

How often is that the case? All the time, didn’t we sort of see that with Canelo-Khan?

Can you think of similar historical match ups that support the theory? Bobo Olson over Kid Gavilan, Aaron Pryor over Alexis Arguello, Iran Barkley over Thomas Hearns, Mike Tyson over Michael Spinks come to mind.

I was very impressed with Canelo. I appreciated his performance more when I watched a replay of it. I wanted more activity from him while watching it live. I always want more from Canelo when he’s in with a boxer, which is why I also expected him to have a difficult fight against Khan.

He really showed me he continues to improve and be able to overcome his deficits. Against Lara, he struggled to close the gap for an entire fight. On Saturday, he made the adjustments within two rounds. That he did, although it was subtle.

And the punch that stopped Khan, I think would have stopped a lot of junior middle and middleweight fighters. I’m not so sure about that. It certainly would have gotten their attention, though.

Also, cheers to Amir for being the sacrificial lamb of boxing to cross hostile promotional lines and make the best fights. I hope he inspires other fighters to do the same and seek the biggest challenges. As do I.

 

WHAT A FIGHT!

Hey Dougie!

Hope I make it on the mailbag for the first time. This is a ritual for me every Monday and Friday. You actually know your boxing compared to others.

But man oh man what a fightÔǪ Khan had me on the edge of my seat at home and not because he was doing so good up until the KO but I was just waiting for Canelo to land that one crisp shot on Khan’s chin to see how he holds up. But respect to Khan for taking on such a beast when he didn’t have toÔǪ he had a huge welterweight fight with Danny Garcia waiting for him but decided to try and tame the beast instead… Gotta respect Canelo too, man. This guy is becoming the man if not already the man in my eyes. He’s the guy on everyone’s radar and he’s only 25!!

Canelo vs GGG is indeed the fight to be made, 2 gladiators in a ring with no way out but on the ground, which is how I assume it will end. How do you see that fight playing out? I see GGG finally hurt and knocked down and the same for Canelo but I feel GGG will finally get his huge win but in a close fight that will call for a rematch immediately.

Garcia vs Khan. Do you think that a Khan vs Garcia rematch is now an easier win for Garcia since Khan was just hurt and beat by Canelo? I know it wasn’t at welterweight but I think a loss like that does have some future repercussions in your career wouldn’t you agree?

Thanks a lot, Dougie. Keep up the awesome work and I hope one day to make it to a fight in Vegas and finally meet you.

Mythical matchups:

Canelo vs Floyd at 155 now

Ricardo Torres vs Lucas Matthyssee

Miguel Cotto (prime) vs Keith Thurman at 147

Thanks. – Juan G

Thanks for the kind words and congrats to finally making it into the mailbag column. Don’t be a stranger when you travel to Vegas for a big fight in the near future.

But respect to Khan for taking on such a beast when he didn’t have toÔǪ he had a huge welterweight fight with Danny Garcia waiting for him but decided to try and tame the beast instead… I definitely respect Khan for rolling the dice against Canelo. He did have other options in the PBC universe, but let’s be real, a rematch with Garcia would not have paid him a fraction of what he made against Canelo. I know his challenge wasn’t all about money, but it had to be a factor.

Gotta respect Canelo too, man. I do (even though that’s not really in vogue at the moment).

This guy is becoming the man if not already the man in my eyes. He’s the guy on everyone’s radar and he’s only 25! Hard to believe, but it’s true. I wonder how much he can accomplish between now and age 30.

Canelo vs GGG is indeed the fight to be made, 2 gladiators in a ring with no way out but on the ground, which is how I assume it will end. How do you see that fight playing out? I think Golovkin will score a hard-earned stoppage in an entertaining scrap but I can see it going the distance.

I see GGG finally hurt and knocked down and the same for Canelo but I feel GGG will finally get his huge win but in a close fight that will call for a rematch immediately. I don’t see Golovkin getting dropped but I can see him getting rocked and marked up (same for Canelo, obviously). Will it call for a rematch? Maybe, but it might be physically grueling enough for both fighters that their teams think twice about doing an immediate return bout.

Garcia vs Khan. Do you think that a Khan vs Garcia rematch is now an easier win for Garcia since Khan was just hurt and beat by Canelo? A little bit, yes, but I still think Khan can win that fight. Garcia has not impressed me in the last two years (and especially not above 140 pounds).

I know it wasn’t at welterweight but I think a loss like that does have some future repercussions in your career wouldn’t you agree? Absolutely.

Your mythical matchups:

Canelo vs Floyd at 155 now – I know that Canelo was only 22 and likely drained from making 152 pounds, but I didn’t really see anything in the first four or five rounds against Khan that makes me think he can get the better of Mayweather in a rematch. I know Canelo is much stronger at 155 pounds, and he’s used to the mega-fight atmosphere now, but he’s still not active enough to repeatedly catch Mayweather. There’s a chance that age could catch up with Floyd and the future hall of famer could get clipped as Khan did, but I think his chin is better than Khan’s and he knows how to survive when he gets hurt. (Plus, the fight would take place in Las Vegas, Kenny Bayless would be the referee and USADA would be the anti-doping agency used. With all of these factors, I gotta figure Mayweather wins another decision.)

Ricardo Torres vs Lucas Matthysse – The Machine survives numerous wobbly moments and maybe a knockdown to grind down the Colombian banger to a late TKO in a classic slugfest.

Miguel Cotto (prime) vs Keith Thurman at 147 – Cotto by late TKO or decision in a competitive boxing match.

 

WHO BEATS CANELO (BESIDES GGG)?

Doug –

Outside GGG, who has the best shot at beating Alvarez between 147-160? – Kevin Key, Duluth, MN

I think Daniel Jacobs could do exactly what Khan did in the early rounds, only with more precision, power and elusiveness. In fact, I might slightly favor the Brooklynite against Canelo. I also think WBO beltholder Billy Joe Saunders has a tricky style for the Mexican star, and Chris Eubank Jr.’s mix of athleticism and accurate power shots also make him a threat. I’d love to see Canelo (as well as Golovkin) take on anyone from that talented trio.

Below middleweight, I think Lara is still a difficult fight for Canelo, and Julian Williams would give THE RING/WBC middleweight champ an old-school Philly style scrap. I can envision both junior middleweight standout pulling the upset.

 

WHERE DOES KHAN GO FROM HERE?

Hi Doug,

I haven’t written in a while, but had to after that knockout the other night. I can’t remember the last time a fight followed the script as precisely as Canelo Vs Khan, and yet the damage caused by the knockout still shocked me. Can you remember the last time you were surprised by a fight, despite it ending in the most predictable way?

Not sure where Khan goes from here to be honest, because part of my thinks that such a devastating knockout will hurt him mentally (more than physically). I genuinely believe that Khan thought he would win and for him to be boxing so well to be sparked out cold, I think that it could affect his performances down the line George Groves style. I hope I’m wrong. Then again Khan’s self-belief has always been insanely high, so maybe he’ll just carry on like normal. What do you think?

Lastly a mythical matchup: Canelo Vs Maravilla (not sure if this one’s been done, but I’d have a Martinez winning an entertaining split decision.

Looking forward to the mailbag as it’s the highlight of my Monday morning, and I wish you and yours all the best! – Miles, UK

Thanks for the kind wishes and words about the mailbag column, Miles.

Maybe I’m just a Khan fan, but I think he’ll bounce back and I believe he has at least one more elite-level performance in him. Maybe he shines in a rematch with Danny Garcia or Lamont Peterson (which I think is very possible) or perhaps against UK rival Kell Brook or the Thurman-Porter winner (which is not as likely). We’ll see, but I don’t think this is the end for Khan. If it is, he can leave the sport with his head held high (with his faculties intact and financially secure).

I can’t remember the last time a fight followed the script as precisely as Canelo Vs Khan, and yet the damage caused by the knockout still shocked me. Same here.

Can you remember the last time you were surprised by a fight, despite it ending in the most predictable way? The fight that comes to mind is the first bout between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe. I knew that Bowe was too big, too powerful and skilled for the overachieving and undersized undisputed heavyweight champ to overcome. I knew the titles would change hands via decision in an entertaining scrap, but I was still in shock and awe of the action and drama that was produced in the late rounds (particularly the classic 10th round).

Your mythical matchup:

Canelo Vs Maravilla (not sure if this one’s been done, but I’d have a Martinez winning an entertaining split decision) – I agree. I think Sergio Marintez’s speed, athleticism and busy unorthodox southpaw style would enable him to outpoint Canelo in a good fight. Canelo’s counter-punching and body attack would make it competitive enough for one judge to give him the fight, but the majority of observers (especially all those hardcore heads that love to hate the freckle-faced star) will believe that Marvavilla clearly won eight rounds to four.

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @dougiefischer

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