LAY OFF KHAN
AMIR KHAN seems to draw a lot of what I feel is unfair criticism. Sure, he is ‘chinny’ and vulnerable when up against a big puncher, but this vulnerability, added to his speed and skills, make him exciting to watch. His career achievements are very impressive. He is a former holder of the WBA and IBF super-lightweight titles. He has a number of big-name opponents on his victim list at 140lbs, including Paulie Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana and Zab Judah. He was very unlucky to lose to Lamont Peterson by controversial split decision on away turf in Washington, D.C. He has good wins at welterweight on his record against Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri. At 31 years old, I’m sure he’s still got more to offer. Michael Hinton (Bournemouth EBA)
UNPOPULAR WINNER
A BAD result for boxing – a respected champ in Gennady Golovkin being beaten by a drug cheat in Canelo Alvarez. History shows with Justin Gatlin in athletics and Lance Armstrong in cycling that the fallout will carry on for a long time. If Canelo ends up seriously injuring an opponent in a future fight, boxing would take a serious hit. The people who run the sport would then have to look in the mirror and ask themselves, ‘Was it worth it?’ Drug cheats, whatever the sport, should be banned for life. David Proud
TIME TO BOW OUT
GENNADY GOLOVKIN vs Canelo Alvarez II was truly an amazing fight. I had “GGG” winning by one round, but felt Canelo earned the decision, if that makes sense. Outside of Roy Jones Jnr, Golovkin is the best middleweight I’ve ever seen, but in recent years he has really slowed down and now looks jaded. He’s earned the right to walk off into the sunset. I hope he retires and allows Canelo to carve out his own legacy. A third fight would be awesome, but I don’t want to see an aging Golovkin in another war like that. He’s not what he once was and ships too many punches now. I’d like Canelo to fight Martin Murray or Billy Joe Saunders next. Mike Hills
LOSING HOPE
WILL we ever see a prime Anthony Joshua fight a prime Deontay Wilder? Reading between the lines, why would Joshua’s team risk the goose that lays the golden egg? I think they will wait until Wilder is past his prime, instead of taking a risk against such a dangerous opponent. In the meantime, Joshua will continue to fill stadiums against less threatening opposition. It is frustrating when top fighters avoid each other. Herol Graham and Nigel Benn spring to mind. That would’ve been the ultimate ‘boxer vs fighter’ matchup; a fight fan’s dream contest. Also, Amir Khan vs Kell Brook is another fight that should’ve happened by now. I fear that Joshua vs Wilder may end up following the same path. Max Winberg
ONE TO WATCH
I WAS at York Hall in Bethnal Green earlier this month, where a Lithuanian debutant called Denis Denikajev caught my attention. I’d never heard of him before, yet I was very impressed with his style, movement and skills. He seemed disciplined and keen to learn. He looked like a very good prospect but, of course, will need a few more bouts and more experience to really progress. I look forward to seeing more of this young boxer to find out how far he can go in the sport. John Bryan