Amir Khan vs. Andriy Kotelnik Preview
Why Brave Khan Shouldn't Overlook Wily Veteran Kotelnik
Jul 2, 2009
2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Amir Khan will move up in weight on the 18th July to fight a tough Ukranian in Andriy Kotelnik. This will be Khan's first attempt at gaining world honours at the professional level, and while Khan is the favourite, his Ukranian opponent should not be overlooked.
Kotelnik himself was a highly successful amateur boxer, winning the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. While he may not have the speed (and arguably the skill) of Khan, he has all the craftiness and wiliness of a seasoned ring veteran, and this, at a world class level is something Khan has never had to deal with before.
Up and Down For Khan
Amir Khan has had a rough ride over the last year and a half. In this time he has changed trainers twice and been knocked out in one round by Colombian surprise package Breidis Prescott. His critics have been as present as ever, and the glow has faded off Khan ever so slighly, since his explosive entry to the pro ranks in 2005.
However, Khan seems to be finding his feet once again under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, the world class trainer that also trains Manny Pacquiao. Roach is insistent that Khan will be his next world champion as he believes Khan has the raw ability to go all the way.
Under Roach, Khan has had two fights; one against Irishman Oisin Fagan and another against modern day legend Marco Antonio Barrera. He impressed in both of these fights, and after his bout against Barrera, many of his critics seemed to back off.
However, what should be noted is that the Barrera fight was an example of world class promotion. Frank Warren, Khan's promoter knew that Barrera was there for the taking as today's Barrera is not anything like as dangerous as the Barrera that handed 'Prince' Naseem Hamed his only defeat. Khan also had all the physical advantages in so far that he had a huge reach advantage and that he was naturally more suited to the weight being fought at. However, this was still a huge name for Khan to have on his record, and this fight catapulted him into the fight against Kotelnik.
Are There Unanswered Questions About Khan?
Make no mistake about it, Andriy Kotelnik will be going to the MEN Arena to hand Amir Khan his second loss. He is genuinely offended by Khan's remarks that he is the 'worst world champion', and he wants to prove that he is one of the best light welterweights in the world.
One thing that Khan may struggle with is the style of Kotelnik. While he doesn't look massively impressive when he fights in the way that he isn't massively explosive or a knockout artist, Kotelnik stands tall, utilises the jab well, and is an extremely solid ring technician. Furthermore, he has an extremely good chin and he has never been down in the professional ranks.
The same thing can't be said about Khan though. Khan's chin has come under fire throughout his whole career, amateurs included, and he has been put down by small lightweights such as Michael Gomez and Willie Limond. While Kotelnik only has a 38.24% knockout percentage, he is a natural light welterweight, and considering this is Khan's first move up to this weight, it will be interesting to see if Khan can deal with the power of Kotelnik.
While fighting the likes of a past it Marco Antonio Barrera and a past it Michael Gomez has helped increase his bank roll considerably, it may come back to haunt Khan in the way that a genuinely dangerous opponent (like Kotelnik) may take him by surprise with their power and ring savvy. However, all these questions will be answered on the 18th July.
So Who Will Win Khan vs. Kotelnik?
Amir Khan is the betting favourite for this fight, and if he sticks to the gameplan of Freddie Roach and uses his undoubtable boxing talent, then the most likely outcome is a hard fought Khan points victory. However, if he goes in underestimating Kotelnik and looking for a 'tear up', then the ring savvy of the Ukrainian could catch Khan out and leave any thoughts of a British blockbuster between Khan and fan favourite Ricky Hatton in dust.
