AMIR KHAN RESPONDS TO STEPHEN A. SMITH: "NO NEED TO PUT ME DOWN...I'M FASTER AND I BOX BETTER THAN MANNY PACQUIAO"
By Ben Thompson | October 15, 2014
BT: What's up, Amir? Have you been keeping up with Stephen A. Smith's comments about Floyd and Manny fighting? I don't know if you heard about it, but he brought your name up a couple of times.
AK: Yeah, I heard about that. Who is he? I'm from England, so I don't know this guy.
BT: He's an analyst for ESPN. He does a show called First Take where he and another analyst debate different topics. Late last week, and for the past two days, they've been talking about Floyd fighting Manny. During their conversations, Smith suggested that you weren't an elite fighter, you didn't deserve to fight Floyd next, and if Floyd did fight you, he would "religiously" tell people not to buy the fight.
AK: No disrespect, I understand he may want to see that fight, but if there are reasons why that fight isn't going to happen, there's no need to put me down. Has this guy ever been in a boxing ring to know what it's like to box? Some of these guys just sit behind the TV and watch boxing and think they know all about it. I mean, if he puts the boxing gloves on, gets in the ring and realizes what a tough sport boxing is, he might see the sport differently and start respecting these fighters. Even the fighters who go in the ring and get knocked out, you still have to have respect for them because boxing is the toughest sport in the world, you know what I mean. He's the one who mentioned me; otherwise, I wouldn't even have said anything about him.
BT: According to Smith, and these were his words, not mine, but according to him, "nobody gives a damn about Amir Khan". He said he saw you get "destroyed" a few fights back, obviously referring to the Garcia fight. I realize everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but do you think his criticism of you is a little unfair considering that styles make fights.
AK: I wasn't knocked out. I was on my feet, but then you've got Manny Pacquiao, who's been knocked out cold, and you guys are saying he should be next in line? Manny's my friend, but I've just come off a good win at 147 and looked better in my last fight than he did in his last fight. Look, I've fought and beat guys like [Andriy] Kotelnik, Paulie [Malignaggi], Zab [Judah] and Maidana, who fought Mayweather twice and everyone was like, "Yeah, he [Maidana] has got a great chance. He's a great fighter." I've already beaten a guy that Mayweather just fought. I fought and beat Maidana, and put him down as well. You guys were praising this guy and I already beat him before he was on the radar. When it comes to any boxing fight, I don't think anyone out-boxes me. I've won every boxing fight, but the thing is, I've been caught with shots I didn't recover from. Twice that's happened to me, but that's just life. It even happened to Manny Pacquiao.
BT: If you had a chance to speak with Smith, what would you tell him regarding you fighting Floyd Mayweather?
AK: Look, Floyd is not the biggest puncher, so I know he's not going to hurt me, but can he out-box me? I'm younger, I'm faster and I box better than Manny Pacquiao. I've got youth behind me and I have a new trainer, which has made a massive difference in my training, being in the Bay Area and getting away from all the distractions in LA. I've come here because I'm serious about the sport. I know what my potential is and where I should be, you know what I mean. When I go into a fight, I never want to be an opponent. When I go in there, I want to be a winner. I bring excitement to the ring. I mean, none of my fights are ever boring. When I come to fight, I come to fight and that's one thing everyone knows about Amir Khan. Regardless of the losses, whenever Amir Khan comes to fight, he gives 110%.
http://fighthype.com/news/article18132.html
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Amir Khan tired of the bullshyt now
He just sent some FIRE at Manny Pacquiao
By Ben Thompson | October 15, 2014
BT: What's up, Amir? Have you been keeping up with Stephen A. Smith's comments about Floyd and Manny fighting? I don't know if you heard about it, but he brought your name up a couple of times.
AK: Yeah, I heard about that. Who is he? I'm from England, so I don't know this guy.
BT: He's an analyst for ESPN. He does a show called First Take where he and another analyst debate different topics. Late last week, and for the past two days, they've been talking about Floyd fighting Manny. During their conversations, Smith suggested that you weren't an elite fighter, you didn't deserve to fight Floyd next, and if Floyd did fight you, he would "religiously" tell people not to buy the fight.
AK: No disrespect, I understand he may want to see that fight, but if there are reasons why that fight isn't going to happen, there's no need to put me down. Has this guy ever been in a boxing ring to know what it's like to box? Some of these guys just sit behind the TV and watch boxing and think they know all about it. I mean, if he puts the boxing gloves on, gets in the ring and realizes what a tough sport boxing is, he might see the sport differently and start respecting these fighters. Even the fighters who go in the ring and get knocked out, you still have to have respect for them because boxing is the toughest sport in the world, you know what I mean. He's the one who mentioned me; otherwise, I wouldn't even have said anything about him.
BT: According to Smith, and these were his words, not mine, but according to him, "nobody gives a damn about Amir Khan". He said he saw you get "destroyed" a few fights back, obviously referring to the Garcia fight. I realize everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but do you think his criticism of you is a little unfair considering that styles make fights.
AK: I wasn't knocked out. I was on my feet, but then you've got Manny Pacquiao, who's been knocked out cold, and you guys are saying he should be next in line? Manny's my friend, but I've just come off a good win at 147 and looked better in my last fight than he did in his last fight. Look, I've fought and beat guys like [Andriy] Kotelnik, Paulie [Malignaggi], Zab [Judah] and Maidana, who fought Mayweather twice and everyone was like, "Yeah, he [Maidana] has got a great chance. He's a great fighter." I've already beaten a guy that Mayweather just fought. I fought and beat Maidana, and put him down as well. You guys were praising this guy and I already beat him before he was on the radar. When it comes to any boxing fight, I don't think anyone out-boxes me. I've won every boxing fight, but the thing is, I've been caught with shots I didn't recover from. Twice that's happened to me, but that's just life. It even happened to Manny Pacquiao.
BT: If you had a chance to speak with Smith, what would you tell him regarding you fighting Floyd Mayweather?
AK: Look, Floyd is not the biggest puncher, so I know he's not going to hurt me, but can he out-box me? I'm younger, I'm faster and I box better than Manny Pacquiao. I've got youth behind me and I have a new trainer, which has made a massive difference in my training, being in the Bay Area and getting away from all the distractions in LA. I've come here because I'm serious about the sport. I know what my potential is and where I should be, you know what I mean. When I go into a fight, I never want to be an opponent. When I go in there, I want to be a winner. I bring excitement to the ring. I mean, none of my fights are ever boring. When I come to fight, I come to fight and that's one thing everyone knows about Amir Khan. Regardless of the losses, whenever Amir Khan comes to fight, he gives 110%.
http://fighthype.com/news/article18132.html
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Amir Khan tired of the bullshyt now
He just sent some FIRE at Manny Pacquiao
