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Amir Khan vs. Andreas Kotelnik likely off!
According to Dan Rafael:
NEW YORK -- Amir Khan is scheduled to challenge junior welterweight titlist Andreas Kotelnik on June 27 in London, but the fight likely will be postponed unless Khan promoter Frank Warren can line up another titleholder to face Khan on short notice.
Khan trainer Freddie Roach, in New York Friday night to accept his 2008 Boxing Writers Association of America trainer of the year award, is scheduled to fly to England on Saturday night to join Khan, who has been training with Roach in Los Angeles, for the remainder of their training camp. But Roach told ESPN.com that the fight was in jeopardy.
"I talked to Amir's father and they think the fight is probably going to be postponed," Roach said.
Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs), of Ukraine, who has not yet been officially ruled out of the bout, is suffering a tooth infection that could keep him from sparring until July and delay the bout for about six weeks, sources involved in the fight told ESPN.com.
Uncertain about Kotelnik's status, Warren was looking at the possibility of keeping the fight on June 27 and substituting another titleholder to face Khan, the 2007 ESPN.com prospect of the year.
According to Top Rank, it was contacted by Warren to see if interim titleholder Lamont Peterson would be available. Roach said he would approve of Khan fighting Peterson if that is the direction they decided to go in.
WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, also in town for the annual BWAA awards dinner, told ESPN.com that Warren had called him to see if the organization would approve a fight between Peterson and Khan (20-1, 15 KOs). Valcarcel said it would. It was unclear if Peterson, or any other titleholder, would be available.
(Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.)
NEW YORK -- Amir Khan is scheduled to challenge junior welterweight titlist Andreas Kotelnik on June 27 in London, but the fight likely will be postponed unless Khan promoter Frank Warren can line up another titleholder to face Khan on short notice.
Khan trainer Freddie Roach, in New York Friday night to accept his 2008 Boxing Writers Association of America trainer of the year award, is scheduled to fly to England on Saturday night to join Khan, who has been training with Roach in Los Angeles, for the remainder of their training camp. But Roach told ESPN.com that the fight was in jeopardy.
"I talked to Amir's father and they think the fight is probably going to be postponed," Roach said.
Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs), of Ukraine, who has not yet been officially ruled out of the bout, is suffering a tooth infection that could keep him from sparring until July and delay the bout for about six weeks, sources involved in the fight told ESPN.com.
Uncertain about Kotelnik's status, Warren was looking at the possibility of keeping the fight on June 27 and substituting another titleholder to face Khan, the 2007 ESPN.com prospect of the year.
According to Top Rank, it was contacted by Warren to see if interim titleholder Lamont Peterson would be available. Roach said he would approve of Khan fighting Peterson if that is the direction they decided to go in.
WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, also in town for the annual BWAA awards dinner, told ESPN.com that Warren had called him to see if the organization would approve a fight between Peterson and Khan (20-1, 15 KOs). Valcarcel said it would. It was unclear if Peterson, or any other titleholder, would be available.
(Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.)
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