Tweet
FRANK WARREN - Columnist
Published: Today
I DO not mind admitting I was gutted at the way Amir Khan and his team brought our partnership to an end after five years and 25 fights together.
These days it seems loyalty is a quality bestowed in very few sportsmen.
I am also offended they say Golden Boy Promotions can do a better job in guiding his career.
It is amazing to think that the last time Amir and I were together was in Newcastle, after his demolition of Dmitriy Salita, when he told the Sky TV cameras 'Me and Frank are going to America'. He repeated that statement in the post-fight press conference.
Yet, just a few weeks later, I was left to hear it 10th-hand that our partnership was over.
Under my promotional banner, Amir became light-welterweight world champion and banked millions of pounds.
And I do not even hear of the split from the horse's mouth, after all I have done for him.
Remember, just four fights ago Khan was wiped out in less then 60 seconds by Breidis Prescott.
I do not think GBP could have resurrected his career in the same way I did and I am angry Amir should suppose they can do more for him than me.
Yes, they have blanket dates with pay-per-view giants HBO. But can they really build fighters?
Victor Ortiz recently lost to underdog Marcos Maidana and even GBP part-owner, the great Oscar De La Hoya himself, does not seem capable of picking opponents.
He has come unstuck in four of his last seven bouts. It was Shah Khan, Amir's dad, who finally contacted me last Sunday to thank me for the 'brilliant job' I had done for Amir.
But he added the boy 'wanted to go to the States and move his career on'.
I told him I was offended he should say GBP could do a better job than me and annoyed they had chosen to tell me 48 hours after I had heard the news elsewhere.
It does make you wonder. I suppose people will point to that upset against Prescott and point the finger.
But the Khans picked a trainer recommended by David Haye and Adam Booth, who was unheard of. Not to mention an opponent I was unhappy with. Against my better judgement, THEY insisted on the fight.
Looking back, it seems that the root of the problem is a mandatory title defence against Maidana that was ordered by the WBA last summer, when Khan won his crown against Andreas Kotelnik.
Yes, part of the deal was to fight Salita. But the governing body also insisted the winner defend against the winner of Ortiz v Maidana, who triumphed unexpectedly.
The Khan camp were not happy and claimed to be unaware of the Maidana issue. Yet they had been told by me and copied into my correspondence with the WBA.
Furthermore, Amir's trainer Freddie Roach described Maidana as a dangerous puncher and declared it was not 'good business'.
But this was the way it had to be and only last Thursday I agreed terms with Maidana's promoter, Peter Kohl, which were lucrative for Khan and guaranteed the fight in the UK.
Shah was also aware I contacted world No 1 Timothy Bradley's camp too and I offered Khan the biggest purse of his career to face him.
Previously, I was approached by both HBO and Don King about Amir fighting WBC champion Devon Alexander. But it was not for good money.
American network Showtime wanted and agreed the Bradley fight and HBO also wanted to screen Amir's fight with Maidana.
To all concerned, it made far more financial sense for Khan to fight Maidana or Bradley in the UK - with American TV - especially as Sky are not that keen on doing pay-per-view shows from the States in the early hours of the morning.
That was the situation and Shah said he would call me on Friday. He waited until Sunday.
Instead, Lou DiBella phoned me to say Richard Schaefer, GBP chief executive, had been in touch to say he had signed Khan and would DiBella's fighter Paulie Malignaggi be interested in facing him.
Ken Hershman of Showtime also called, saying he spoke to DiBella and told him GBP had signed Khan.
It was obvious what was going on and that Roach has had a hand in it all.
As for all this nonsense about Khan leaving Britain because of racism, do me a favour.
In Newcastle he was cheered to the rafters, while any boos he has received during the course of his career have been from fans of rival boxers.
So that is it. We have split. Who will Khan face next - Juan Manuel Marquez, Malignaggi or Maidana?
His next fight is pencilled in for May 1.
But if it is on PPV, he is going to be up against two other Brits - Haye and Ricky Hatton - who have PPVs on April 3 and in late May.
Despite the way the Khans have handled this, I did my best for Amir and it is disappointing he has not even picked up the phone.
But he is very talented, great for boxing and I genuinely hope he does well.
Published: Today
I DO not mind admitting I was gutted at the way Amir Khan and his team brought our partnership to an end after five years and 25 fights together.
These days it seems loyalty is a quality bestowed in very few sportsmen.
I am also offended they say Golden Boy Promotions can do a better job in guiding his career.
It is amazing to think that the last time Amir and I were together was in Newcastle, after his demolition of Dmitriy Salita, when he told the Sky TV cameras 'Me and Frank are going to America'. He repeated that statement in the post-fight press conference.
Yet, just a few weeks later, I was left to hear it 10th-hand that our partnership was over.
Under my promotional banner, Amir became light-welterweight world champion and banked millions of pounds.
And I do not even hear of the split from the horse's mouth, after all I have done for him.
Remember, just four fights ago Khan was wiped out in less then 60 seconds by Breidis Prescott.
I do not think GBP could have resurrected his career in the same way I did and I am angry Amir should suppose they can do more for him than me.
Yes, they have blanket dates with pay-per-view giants HBO. But can they really build fighters?
Victor Ortiz recently lost to underdog Marcos Maidana and even GBP part-owner, the great Oscar De La Hoya himself, does not seem capable of picking opponents.
He has come unstuck in four of his last seven bouts. It was Shah Khan, Amir's dad, who finally contacted me last Sunday to thank me for the 'brilliant job' I had done for Amir.
But he added the boy 'wanted to go to the States and move his career on'.
I told him I was offended he should say GBP could do a better job than me and annoyed they had chosen to tell me 48 hours after I had heard the news elsewhere.
It does make you wonder. I suppose people will point to that upset against Prescott and point the finger.
But the Khans picked a trainer recommended by David Haye and Adam Booth, who was unheard of. Not to mention an opponent I was unhappy with. Against my better judgement, THEY insisted on the fight.
Looking back, it seems that the root of the problem is a mandatory title defence against Maidana that was ordered by the WBA last summer, when Khan won his crown against Andreas Kotelnik.
Yes, part of the deal was to fight Salita. But the governing body also insisted the winner defend against the winner of Ortiz v Maidana, who triumphed unexpectedly.
The Khan camp were not happy and claimed to be unaware of the Maidana issue. Yet they had been told by me and copied into my correspondence with the WBA.
Furthermore, Amir's trainer Freddie Roach described Maidana as a dangerous puncher and declared it was not 'good business'.
But this was the way it had to be and only last Thursday I agreed terms with Maidana's promoter, Peter Kohl, which were lucrative for Khan and guaranteed the fight in the UK.
Shah was also aware I contacted world No 1 Timothy Bradley's camp too and I offered Khan the biggest purse of his career to face him.
Previously, I was approached by both HBO and Don King about Amir fighting WBC champion Devon Alexander. But it was not for good money.
American network Showtime wanted and agreed the Bradley fight and HBO also wanted to screen Amir's fight with Maidana.
To all concerned, it made far more financial sense for Khan to fight Maidana or Bradley in the UK - with American TV - especially as Sky are not that keen on doing pay-per-view shows from the States in the early hours of the morning.
That was the situation and Shah said he would call me on Friday. He waited until Sunday.
Instead, Lou DiBella phoned me to say Richard Schaefer, GBP chief executive, had been in touch to say he had signed Khan and would DiBella's fighter Paulie Malignaggi be interested in facing him.
Ken Hershman of Showtime also called, saying he spoke to DiBella and told him GBP had signed Khan.
It was obvious what was going on and that Roach has had a hand in it all.
As for all this nonsense about Khan leaving Britain because of racism, do me a favour.
In Newcastle he was cheered to the rafters, while any boos he has received during the course of his career have been from fans of rival boxers.
So that is it. We have split. Who will Khan face next - Juan Manuel Marquez, Malignaggi or Maidana?
His next fight is pencilled in for May 1.
But if it is on PPV, he is going to be up against two other Brits - Haye and Ricky Hatton - who have PPVs on April 3 and in late May.
Despite the way the Khans have handled this, I did my best for Amir and it is disappointing he has not even picked up the phone.
But he is very talented, great for boxing and I genuinely hope he does well.
Comment