Former British Olympian Amir Khan fashioned a stunning American debut, easily stopping Paulie Malignaggi in the 11th round of a one-sided fight at Madison Square Garden.
The 23-year-old Khan retained his World Boxing Association super lightweight title with a Technical Knockout (TKO) of Brooklyn native Malignaggi. Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) was clearly the better fighter, landing jabs and head shots. Referee Steve Smoger finally stopped the bout at 1:25 of the 11th round after the 29-yearold Malignaggi failed to put up a defence.
Khan upbeat after the win “I think with my speed I can catch any fighter,” he said. “I knew I was going to catch him and I could see him getting his head knocked back. I could see him get frustrated.” This was the second title defence for Khan, who landed 132 more punches than the American.
Malignaggi’s face was swollen and he had to plead with the ringside doctor before the 11th round just to let him continue but did not argue with the final decision, tapping his chest and congratulating Khan on the win.
“He knows how to win rounds, man,” said Malignaggi. “He has a lot of ability.” Up next in the 140-pound class for Khan could be fighters such as Marcos Maidana and fellow title-holders Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander.
Khan won the title over Andriy Kotelnik on July 18 last year and then defended the belt with a first-round TKO of Dmitriy Salita. He remains unbeaten (14-0) above 135 pounds. This was the sixth title fight for Malignaggi, who held the International Boxing Federation title at 140 pounds in 2008. AFP
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