Friday, November 6, 2009

Roach on the offensive

Freddie Roach insists Amir Khan has the key to break down WBA light-welterweight champion Andreas Kotelnik's tight defence.
Khan will step up to the 10st division for the first time on Saturday night as he bids to wrest the title from his Ukrainian opponent.
Cagey, counter-puncher Kotelnik is expected to prove a stiff test for the 22-year-old in Manchester, but Khan's trainer is convinced his charge has the qualities to succeed.
"Kotelnik does have a very good defence, he's very hard to crack, but it's a passive defence," Roach told Sky Sports News. "He's a very straight-up, European-style fighter.
"Kotelnik fights in straight lines, though, so if you use lateral movement with him and keep him picking his feet up he'll never be able to punch because he's always resetting his feet and Amir's foot speed is where the advantage is.
"Kotelnik wins a lot of fights because he lets people wear themselves out on his gloves. It's why he starts slowly because he wants you to punch yourself out and then he comes on in the later rounds.
"But if you're landing combinations and getting out of the way when he throws back you're not going to be there. That's how we're going to win the fight."

Mindset

Roach, who also trains pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, feels Khan will benefit from the extra weight as well.
"I don't want him getting hit but it's part of boxing and at 140lbs he's more resilient," Roach added.
"At 135 he was draining himself even though he knows how to make weight. He still had to dehydrate his body and then try to rehydrate so you're not fully prepared.
"At 140lbs he's going to have breakfast the day before the weigh-in, he's going to be strong and he's going to be mentally and physically a much better fighter.
"Fighting at your natural weight you're going to be much stronger and a much better fighter. I learned that with Pacquiao.
"When Pacquiao has breakfast on the morning of the fight he's happy, when he doesn't he's a miserable guy, so a happy guy is going to fight better."

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