Sulaiman Urges Amir Khan To Be Patient

By James Blears

World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman is advising British boxing sensation Amir Khan to stay cool, and to bolt on a tad more ring experience, before he goes for the big one!

Amir who won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and is so far undefeated in twelve professional fights with nine knockouts. He is the International Boxing Federation’s Intercontinental Light Welterweight Champion. The IBF also ranks him eleventh in its  Lightweight category.

The World Boxing Council ranks Amir twenty first in its Lightweight rankings, and significantly that’s eight places above Scotland’s Willie Limond who’s the Commonwealth Champion. Amir and Willie will be fighting for this belt on July 14th at the 02 Arena in London. 

Amir has stated that he wants to be a world champion before he’s twenty one, which falls on December 8th. But Don Jose cautions that he must first serve his ring apprenticeship as a crown prince, before he can lord it, and royally rule a division.

Don Jose says that for Amir: “To become a king and be king for years to come,” he must listen to his Promoter Frank Warren who he praised. He reflected: “Frank Warren is a fox in boxing. He knows what to do. He’s a very experienced and a very good promoter. If he has a real prospect who can become a champion of the world and be champion for years, he must be very careful in the promotion of this Khan. I believe it’s worth the wait, whether the others like it or not!”

As for Amir himself, Don Jose suggested he must avoid being impulsive, which can often be a trait of the “Great Ones” before their prime.  He said: “The people around Amir have the experience, and he should listen, rather than do what he wants to do, when he has not yet proven himself to be what everyone expects him to be.”

Don Jose explained that in his opinion the cream of the crop in the lightweight division for this decade, will retire within two years and Khan has the opportunity to lead the new wave upcoming generation.

Don Jose pointed out that Amir’s surname is royal, and that in itself encapsulates the strong hint of what his team of kingmakers should do.

Mexican greats like Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales started their pro careers at the even more tender ages of fifteen and sixteen respectively, which might suggest that Amir is at a ripe old age in comparison. But Don Jose warned that this precocious and precipitous learning curve can often lead down a rocky path littered with the pitfalls of bitter disappointment.

He said: “How many great fighters, have we seen getting lost on the way. More than seventy percent of great fighters in Mexico have been lost in this way, because they did not follow the right advice.”

And he joked: “Foxes are intelligent, cautious and waiting to jump at the right moment. That's what my friend Frank Warren is. So follow the fox!”