The outcome of Khan vs Algieri was no shocker. Our BoxingBase.com Prediction was fairly accurate, but we’re not about to say we told you so. Khan was a heavy favorite. And rightly so.
Remarkably, it seemed to be Algieri who was instilled in fight fan’s minds post fight. Yes, Khan looked good, and won an unquestionable Unanimous Decision. Credit to the Brit. (See our Khan vs Algieri Round by Round updates.) But Algieri hadn’t been intimated by the magnitude of his task on Friday. In fact, Khan really had his hands full with this cat.
Algieri (20-2, 8 KO) connected to the head and body on quite a few occasions. His right-hands and downstairs attack really raised some eyebrows on the Premier Boxing Champions headliner. The New Yorker made the fight competitive throughout, but it was Khan (31-3, 19 KO) who seemed to edge just about every round. At least on BoxingBase.com’s scorecard that read 119-109.
That score almost seems too harsh on poor old Algieri – the sport’s new greatest loser? – but the fact was Khan out-shined him just enough when it mattered. It was a shame, since the New Yorker really laid it all on the line in a bout which saw him more puncher than boxer. His tactics were spot on – but Khan was just that little bit better.
Despite throwing fewer punches due to Algieri’s pressure, Khan brought the same skill set to the fight as in those against Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it certainly showcased his ring smarts and discipline. (And his ‘tactical holding’ – but we’re not going down that road…)
Had Khan been taking those kind of shots from a fighter like Kell Brook or Keith Thurman, he could have found himself in some serious trouble here. Algieri is no Malignaggi, by any means, but he lacks serious firepower. He has shown he can be an affective boxer-puncher, however, somewhat akin to Lamont Peterson. Well, there are perhaps ‘similarities’.
(see Khan vs Algieri Video Highlights)
Will Khan vs Algieri Audition Lead to Mayweather?
So now the big (same old) question: Will Khan get the Mayweather fight?
Let’s pretend we’re super-psyched for this bout and can’t wait to see Mayweather vs Khan. Like we really want to see a chess match between Khan and Mayweather. Psyching up button pressed…and…activated!
Who knows what Mayweather and his team are thinking, and what their criteria are for picking the Pound for Pound King’s next opponent. Let’s assume it’s money, first of all. OK, a ton of money.
Does Khan have a big fan base? Check. Is Khan popular in the UK and US? Check. Is he capable of selling Pay Per View events? Check.
All good so far, so we’ll assume Khan is a good candidate. Moving onto his chances of beating Mayweather…
It’s doubtful Khan would be able to cause an upset here. Let’s be honest. Remember Khan’s last three opponents haven’t exactly been elite contenders, let alone champions. In fact…they were all ex-champions, and not exactly a murderers row of opponents. They included a seasoned, shopworn Collazo, a good but limited – and certainly not dangerous – Alexander, and now, an unranked Algieri.
Khan has looked great in all these fights. But come on…this whole thing stinks of hand-picked opponents. So many sanctioning bodies rank Khan in their top 5 – but what the heck did he do to earn those places? Khan isn’t deserving of a Mayweather shot. But then again, Floyd probably already knows that. He knows Khan has looked good against ‘2nd tier’ opposition.
To Mayweather, Khan is a fan-favorite who just got tagged far too often by a huge underdog in Algieri. This looks like easy money for Mayweather.
But Khan would be all over Mayweather with those flashy combinations, right? And on the ropes, he’d be connecting all over the place!
Unlikely. Let’s remind ourselves that Manny Pacquiao was supposed to execute that offense strategy also. Or at least was supposed to before his shoulder injury – think what you will of it – crashed the party in the 3rd round. In short, speedster Pacquiao failed.
Call our prediction bold, whatever – Mayweather would patiently go about his business with Khan, stealing round after round as he did with Pacquiao. Khan is a great boxer, there’s no denying. But a better boxer than Mayweather? Please…
The fact Khan has been dodging just about every Welterweight threat shows just how much he fears defeat pre-Mayweather. Khan vs Mayweather would be just as tedious as Mayweather vs Pacquiao, on paper. Boxer vs Boxer equals another stinker that could scald boxing just as it is healing its wounds.
OK, rant over. Moving onto Algieri.
The spirited New Yorker is anything but done in boxing. After Friday’s fight, he will no doubt receive another offer fairly soon. If fed the right opponent, we could even see him become a two-time champion sometime in the future. After September, Mayweather will have to relinquish his four Welterweight titles. That means a lot of vacant straps up for grabs.
Now it’s time to have your say. What did you think of Khan vs Algieri? And what of Khan’s chances against Mayweather? Agree with our prediction? Think it stinks? Let us know, readers!
The BoxingBase.com writing staff provide worldwide boxing news, coverage and analysis – they can be contacted via email and social media.
