Amir Khan: Why he just can’t win over the doubters

Spend an hour on Twitter after an Amir Khan fight and you will discover why the Bolton-born boxer doesn't spend more time in his home country than he strictly needs to. The amount of ill will out there for a man who won a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2004 Olympics and a world title as a pro is depressing. Amir Khan is arrogant, Amir Khan is an embarrassment, Amir Khan can't box. No, really, this is what people are saying. And this after he gave Sheffield fans - and thousands more watching on television - one of the most entertaining fights of the year, a barnstormer against Mexico's Julio Diaz at the Motorpoint Arena. That's gratitude for you. One of Khan's biggest crimes, as far as I can work out, is that he is not as good as Floyd Mayweather, which is a bit like saying Andy Murray is iffy at tennis because he is not as good as Novak Djokovic. In truth, the fight against Diaz revealed that Khan is always likely to come up short against the very best because he is unable to break the habit of being drawn into a war almost every time he fights. And left hooks are drawn to his face like iron filings to a magnet. His trainer Virgil Hunter can get under the bonnet and tune his defences, but he cannot put muscles on his chin. But it is this defensive susceptibility which makes Khan such tremendous box office. The fight against Diaz followed a similar path to his ding-dong engagement with Marcos Maidana in 2010, which was voted fight of the year by United States boxing writers. Indeed, he is hardly ever in a bad one. Few British fighters have provided so much bang for their buck - Nigel Benn? Naseem Hamed? - yet instead of thanking Khan for his entertainment, his heart and his bravery, many choose to focus on his deficiencies. It has apparently been forgotten by some, but Benn was wobbled many times during his career and stopped four times. However, unlike Khan, the former two-weight world champion was wildly popular and remains so to this day. Sir Henry Cooper is perhaps the most loved British fighter in history, yet he lost 14 fights and was usually found wanting against elite-level heavyweights. This is not a criticism of Cooper, merely a comment on how people's attitudes towards boxers and boxing have apparently changed down the years. This antipathy towards Khan is not a new development. Ringside observers were disgusted by the reaction of sections of the crowd when he was knocked out in less than a minute by Breidis Prescott in 2008. Khan was booed out of the ring that night while some of the abuse thrown his way was racially motivated, as it was again before and after his defeat of Marco Antonio Barrera in 2009. Khan has rarely complained about his treatment and when he did a few years ago - "if I were a white English fighter," he said, "maybe I'd have been a superstar in Britain" - he was criticised by some for playing the race card. Khan's detractors on the home front will be buoyed by the news that Khan is unlikely to fight in Britain again. His next fight will take place in the US in December, when he is pencilled in to face the winner of the light-welterweight tournament that kicked off in New York on Saturday. Danny Garcia, who knocked Khan out last July, beat Zab Judah with a unanimous points decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and is scheduled to fight the winner of next month's bout between Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse. If he emerges victorious from that lot, Khan will probably land his dream fight against Floyd Mayweather next year. Mayweather will probably stand Khan on his head and people will say he can't box. So it goes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/22327752

Comments (20)

yup Khan thinks he's to good to commit full time This is interesting: The trainer is exposing something that may strain this relationship and The fighter is a celebrity trying to cram in this sport If GBP really cared about this kid then they would assign him a trainer and make him come to big bear. as it is now i believe they plan on feeding this poor guy to Luca or Danny and he may be really hurt. Hes is only serving GBP as a leg on the english boxing market some of you may disagree but I think the kid is punch drunk already.

13y ago

FrankieBruno

WOW! I didnt catch that, Was this after the diaz fight? yup Khan thinks he's to good to commit full time

13y ago

EDD1

Khans problem is he doesn't train hard enough on his flaws because he is to busy being a celeb here is what Virgil said after the fight 'Amir has to acknowledge that right now he is at a disadvantage because of the distance between us. 'I see Amir for three months when he comes over here, so the opposition can creep ahead of you because all the top fighters are with their trainers all the time. 'It is something we are going to work on to see if we can bring him up to the level we need him to be at.' WOW! I didnt catch that, Was this after the diaz fight?

13y ago

Targaryen

Cos he chats **** all the time. You don't hear a peep from Martin Murray, but he waltzes over to Argentina and damn near becomes Middleweight Champion of the world, meanwhile Khan is being put on Queer Street by a journeyman lightweight

13y ago

Marvellous1

Probably because we had him forced down our throats as the next big things for years while he fought nobodies on national TV. I also think a lot of people bought into the hype and feel let down by him. Personally, I've been saying he'd get knocked out at World level since the Willie Limond fight, so can't really say I've been let down much. However, it does get old listening to him blame trainers for his flaws, while hyping up his newest trainer... until the same thing happens again. This right here. I've watched Amir Khan since his olympic success. The sense of entitlement that has gone along with his pro career has been astounding. The master of spin, Ol Fish Eyes Frank Warren, started it with a "rematch" against Mario Kindelan (his olympic conqueror). Then Khan was given top billing on prime time UK tv right from the get go.... and was getting put down by career super featherweights (Gomez and Limmond) while spouting he was the next big thing. Then he basically was already playing the superstar card when refusing to fight John Murray, stating he was already beyond that despite no even winning a British title. The money his team/family were demanding would only be satisfied by a Sky contract. I remember the advertising like it was yesterday: "Lewis, Tyson, Hamed, Hatton..... Khan joins all the legends on Sky". On which he went on to get knocked out in 54 seconds in his first fight. Who's fault was it? His trainer's of course. Khan did go on to improve despite some careful matchmaking along the way (Oisin ***an?). Under Roach Khan put together some good wins which led to his spouting about a Mayweather fight (not for the first time as he did claim he'd be ready for either Mayweather or Pacquiao in a couple more fights just before getting sparked by Prescott). Two losses later.... it was his trainer's fault again. Despite careful matchmaking again in the "rebuilding" process, Khan hasn't convinced. Yet he is held up as some sort of prize for those going through harder opponents despite still being bounced around by lesser fighters. As a Brit, my dislike of Khan has nothing to do with his ethnic origin, but his teen-like sense of entitlement from the start. His "superstar" attitude to peers from very early in his career, and most importantly, while being talented, he seems to lack any kind of self awareness and balmes all his flaws and defeats on other people. I can enjoy his fights, yes, but I can't respect an athlete that won't acknowledge his own flaws. Too much "yes man" treatment from the start.

13y ago

Kev

One of Khan's biggest crimes, as far as I can work out, is that he is not as good as Floyd Mayweather Some more crimes: Getting knocked down a total of 10 times in his career at 26 years old, matching 35 year old, 52-fight Zab Judah on the same night Judah was KD'ed for the 10th time of his career. Getting brutally knocked out by Breidis Prescott and avoiding the rematch like the plague. Til this day, Amir Khan and his handlers are still terrified of Prescott and are probably waiting 'til Prescott has 10 losses to rematch him. Julio Diaz sucks.

13y ago

craigus1990

I never liked Khan from the start and the reason is simple, he is overpaid and overhyped. He got his chances in the pro game handed to him because he was groomed to be a star even though his talent doesn't hold up. Now even when he has been exposed countless times he still gets favors from GBP etc and paid way too much and ranked way too highly. People always say his problem is his defense but it isn't (his defense ain't amazing sure). His defense in the Diaz fight was good but every fighter will get hit in a fight and unlike other fighters, when Khan gets hit, he gets hurt and the gameplan goes out the window and he either runs around the ring or he tries to trade. He gets hurt too easily.

13y ago

T97

13y ago

fight_professor

Oh dont worry about that, we will support one of our own even if others dont. He's a good kid, he works hard and he's willing to learn. What's not to like?

13y ago

Chris_Collins

grooming what exactly and why? grooming is what a lot of british Pakistani gangs do to young white girls age like 12-14, it's basically gang rape but more subtle.

13y ago

Ray

Think that's a fair article. What i don't understand is why some people still claim he's a overhyped Brit fighter. He get's 10 times the hype and respect in America than he does here in the UK. Yea I laugh when I see the "overhyped Brit" that some of these American posters cry out, Khan is hardly rate over here, he gets abuse more than anything and he probably has more American fans than British fans (His Pakistani people probably supports him).

13y ago

FrankieBruno

Amir Con has had everything handed to him on a plate. He is a bum. End of. If he wasn't a "fighter" he would be driving around the North West in a Range Rover (paid for by mummy and daddy), grooming and selling drugs like the rest of "Team Khan". Absolute ****ing muppet. I can't wait till he gets banged out again but nothing will top him getting laid out by Breidis Prescott. Made my day. grooming what exactly and why?

13y ago

fight_professor

13y ago

Hardasnailz

13y ago

Mr_Ehrmantraut

khan is british asian there lies your reason so to why he is disliked so much if he was a white or black englishman, he would be adored What a load ****.

13y ago

FrankieBruno

So outside of training camp, Khan isn't with Hunter, he should move there and stay with him full time

13y ago

4Corners

But of course you dislike him. We already knew that. You dislike anyone who dares utter thy name holy name of Floyd Mayweather in anything less that a 100% worshipping manner. ......What??? What does saying Khan needs to focus on the tasks at hand, which everyone seems to agree with, have to do with what you accused me of??? I understood him talking about it before the Peterson fight, because he was close to getting it at that point. But now.....like really man??? I dislike Khan because he talks about getting these big fights now even after putting on less than stellar performances 3 of his last 4 fights. He's exciting to watch though, I did say that. Damn....first Prometheus was a good movie and now this.

13y ago

FrankieBruno

13y ago

Roy_Jones_Jnr

Well I dislike him because while he's being beaten by Peterson and knocked out by Garcia, and than getting dropped and struggling with an old former Lightweight Julio Diaz....he still talks about fighting Mayweather for some reason. But of course you dislike him. We already knew that. You dislike anyone who dares utter thy name holy name of Floyd Mayweather in anything less that a 100% worshipping manner.

13y ago

4Corners

Translation: leave my Floydie alone change the record 4C No...more like focus on what's in front of you man. I understood him talking about Floyd prior to the Peterson fight, he was arguably 1-2 fights away from it at that point. But doing it now....just looks ignorant. Get the stick out of your ass, because you're acting like a b*tch the past 24 hours on here.

13y ago