Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri: Once again Amir Khan (30-3, 19 KO) finds himself with the short end of the stick. For the past few years Khan has tried to get a fight with pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather to no avail. Khan may be the one fighter who could give Mayweather some real problems but that fight may never happen. So Khan, as usual, has to settle for whatever he can find. In this case it will be a 12 round welterweight bout with Chris Algieri (20-1, 8 KO). The two will square off this Friday night on PBC on Spike TV. While appearing on a Friday night card on an obscure cable television station is a step down for Khan for Algieri it is a big opportunity. How Algieri got this big opportunity is a head scratcher. He only has three notable fights, a win over a solid but nowhere near elite Emmanuel Taylor, then beat Ruslan Provodnikov after being dropped twice in a fight many people thought he lost. Then came a brutally one-sided loss to Manny Pacquiao, and after that he still finds himself in a big fight on TV. Algieri certainly represents a step down from Khan's last opponent in Devon Alexander but he is still a slick boxer who Khan can't overlook. As a boxer Khan is extremely talented out of the orthodox stance. He has what might be the fastest hands in the sport and he flashes a great jab along with a strong left hook. Khan also has a solid right hand, although he doesn't use it much because he likes to keep it home on defense to protect his fragile chin. In the past Khan has opened up too much with his combinations, throwing a few too many, and he paid the price. However, Khan has shown vast improvements under new trainer Virgil Hunter, something Algieri hopes to do under his new trainer John David Jackson. Algieri is an orthodox boxer who loves to stick and move. While he has no power to speak of he is very intelligent in the ring and moves very well. Algieri also has a nice jab to go along with a quality left hook that can score points althought it isn't very heavy. Like Khan whose chin has always been a question so too is Algieri's. In his past two fights he has been dropped eight times including six knockdowns in his most recent fight against Pacquiao. This fight should be a chess match between to skilled, quick boxers but Khan is in a different class than Algieri and he will prove that on Friday night by winning a clear unanimous decision.
Bryan Vasquez vs. Javier Fortuna: The co-feature on Friday night at the Barclays Center was supposed to be a bout between Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi and Danny O'connor. However, Malignaggi suffered a bad cut and had to cancel the fight so in step Bryan Vasquez (34-1, 18 KO) and Javier Fortuna (27-0-1, 20 KO). Vasquez and Fortuna are scheduled to go 12 rounds in the junior lightweight division for a vacant WBA "regular" title. Vasquez is an orthodox fighter who loves to use his jab, and while it lands often it doesn't have much on it. Along with that jab Vasquez also flashes a nice straight right hand and a good uppercut with the right hand. Along with those weapons Vasquez will also throw a left hook which is a solid punch but one that he doesn't use often enough. When it comes to Fortuna one thing is very clear, he is a power puncher, and one who has never lost a fight as a professional. Fortuna is a 25-year-old southpaw who loves to mix it up. He uses his jab often but really that is just a punch he uses to blind his opponent to set up his power punches. Fortuna will often get wild and he tends to reach too far with his punches which leaves his chin exposed but he is always a whirlwind of activity. The young southpaw has a good left hook to go along with a heavy right hand that he will throw straight or over the top. The scarey thing about Fortuna is that he is so young and seemingly getting better with each fight. While this fight will be a good match between two fighters are fairly similar places in their careers it will be Fortuna who gets the better of the action on his way to an 8th round stoppage.
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