Amir Khan vs. Zab Judah Is The Fight That Makes Sense

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Amir Khan wants to take the next step in his career. To do so, he needs an opponent with solid skills and a good reputation. He was originally expected to fight WBO and WBC light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, a fighter that filled both criteria.  Unfortunately, the messy world of boxing match making reared its ugly head again and Bradley turned down the fight. While bouts against Brendis Prescott and Robert Guerrero were discussed, the preferred choice seemed to be an alternative unification match with IBF title-holder Zab Judah. Finally, after bickering over money and the location of the fight, Khan’s camp was able to finalize a bout with Judah after all. Honestly, Khan will be a heavy favorite against Judah, just as he would have been against Prescott or Guerrero. But Khan’s end goal is to build up his reputation and for that, the Judah fight was the only one of the three that ever made sense.

In reality, the Prescott fight was never even seriously considered. Even though Prescott volunteered to filled in for the space left by Bradley, Khan never expressed any interest in fighting him again. Prescott, as well as more critical fans, will say that Khan is ducking him. The reality is that a victory over Prescott at this point in Khan’s career would be meaningless, and Khan knows that. The Amir Khan is the same fighter that was knocked out in 54 seconds by Prescott. He has put on size and made significant improvements to his technique. Furthermore, Khan has been gradually increasing his profile since that loss while Prescott has become somewhat irrelevant. A win over Prescott may have made a few of Khan’s critics happy, but it would not have shown that he’s ready to go up to the next level.

Neither would a fight with Robert Guerrero. Khan is trying to prove that he belongs in the same conversation with fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Paccquiao. To do this, he needs to match up with higher profile fighters. Although Guerrero is an excellent fighter, he is still fairly unknown to the general public. Khan is bigger and stronger than Guerrero. Guerrero is a quick striker with decent power and he looked excellent in his recent victory over Katsidis, but he is just too small for Khan. Most of his fights have been at lightweight or below. Stylistically, he is a good counterpuncher, but Khan throws smarter than he used to and has shown that he is willing to work behind his jab when needed.  In short, it’s a fight that Khan would have been expected to win with ease.

With little to gain from a victory over a lesser known opponent and everything to lose in event of an upset, there was never a good reason for Khan’s camp to take the fight with Guerrero. The fight with Judah was only logical move.  From a business perspective, the Judah fight can draw decently. Khan and Judah don’t like each other and trash talk is always a good way to sell tickets. Furthermore, not only does Judah have some name value remaining, he is in the midst of a career resurgence. Yes, he is getting old and is past his prime but, even at this point in his career, he will represent a step up in competition for the still-developing Khan.

The fight offers the an excellent balance between risk and reward. Khan will be the expected to win, but won’t be viewed as taking on an unworthy opponent. The upset potential is definitely there. Judah has a conservative style that will work well against the occasionally wild Khan. He will also be the quickest opponent Khan has faced and he definitely has the power to knock Khan out.

Judah will certainly be dangerous, particularly in the early rounds, but it’s a fight that Khan should win. Judah isn’t known to have the best chin and, unlike Khan, has been known to fold when pressured. Judah also doesn’t have the cardio to hang with Khan late into the fight. After the fifth or sixth round, Khan will likely be able to overwhelm him and either finish the fight or cruise to a decision.

There is an old adage that “a win is a win.” In some cases this may be true, but it doesn’t apply to Khan’s situation. He wants to be in a position to take on the big boys of boxing. The fight with Judah is perfect. A dominating win over a game veteran is just what Khan needs to prove his worth. Best of all it gives him the chance to add Judah’s IBF Title to the WBA belt he already wears. It’s good that Khan’s management was able to get this fight made, rather than settling for an inferior bout. In the grand scheme of things, it’s the right move for his career.

Matt Gambino is a longtime fan of both mixed martial arts and boxing. He has trained in both kickboxing and bjj, but would much rather watch other people fight than do so himself. Matt currently resides in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two dogs.