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'''Amir Iqbal Khan''' ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]/{{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|عامر اقبال خان}}}}) (born 8 December 1986) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Boxing|boxer]] from [[Bolton]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.findmypast.com/post84BMDSearchStart.action?&submit=1&redef=X&searchType=B&fromYear=1983&toYear=2006&forename1=Amir&surname=Khan|title=findmypast.com - Amir Khan|publisher=findmypast.com|accessdate=2008-09-23}}</ref> He became the [[List of WBA world champions|WBA World]] [[List of super lightweight boxing champions|light-welterweight champion]] after defeating [[Andreas Kotelnik]] on 18 July 2009, making him Britain's third-youngest [[List of current world boxing champions|world champion]] after [[Naseem Hamed]] and [[Herbie Hide]]. He was previously in the [[lightweight]] divison, where he held the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] Inter-Continental and [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] International titles. Khan is a [[British Pakistani]] belonging to the [[Janjua Rajput]] warrior clan. He is commonly known by the nicknames '''King Khan''' and '''Pride of Bolton'''. |
'''Amir Iqbal Khan''' ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]/{{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|عامر اقبال خان}}}}) (born 8 December 1986) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Boxing|boxer]] from [[Bolton]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.findmypast.com/post84BMDSearchStart.action?&submit=1&redef=X&searchType=B&fromYear=1983&toYear=2006&forename1=Amir&surname=Khan|title=findmypast.com - Amir Khan|publisher=findmypast.com|accessdate=2008-09-23}}</ref> He became the [[List of WBA world champions|WBA World]] [[List of super lightweight boxing champions|light-welterweight champion]] after defeating [[Andreas Kotelnik]] on 18 July 2009 at the age of 22, making him Britain's third-youngest [[List of current world boxing champions|world champion]] after [[Naseem Hamed]] and [[Herbie Hide]]. He was previously in the [[lightweight]] divison, where he held the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] Inter-Continental and [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] International titles. Khan is a [[British Pakistani]] belonging to the [[Janjua Rajput]] warrior clan. He is commonly known by the nicknames '''King Khan''' and '''Pride of Bolton'''. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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The most significant win of Khan's career up until that time came when he celebrated his 21st birthday by successfully defending his Commonwealth lightweight title against [[Graham Earl]] on 8 December 2007. Earl, rated the number one British lightweight and a former world title challenger, was considered Khan's toughest test by some way and a tough fight was expected; especially due to some ill-feeling between the pair in the run-up to the fight. However, it took Khan just 72 seconds to have the fight referee declare Earl in no fit state to continue. Khan later{{When|date=March 2009}}<!-- shortly after this fight? last week? --> claimed that he rated this victory as the best of his career. |
The most significant win of Khan's career up until that time came when he celebrated his 21st birthday by successfully defending his Commonwealth lightweight title against [[Graham Earl]] on 8 December 2007. Earl, rated the number one British lightweight and a former world title challenger, was considered Khan's toughest test by some way and a tough fight was expected; especially due to some ill-feeling between the pair in the run-up to the fight. However, it took Khan just 72 seconds to have the fight referee declare Earl in no fit state to continue. Khan later{{When|date=March 2009}}<!-- shortly after this fight? last week? --> claimed that he rated this victory as the best of his career. |
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===2008=== |
===Early 2008=== |
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On 2 February 2008, Khan was scheduled to fight [[Martin Kristjansen]] but illness forced the Dane to withdraw and instead Khan beat Australian [[Gairy St Clair]] in a contest for the Commonwealth lightweight title at the [[ExCel Arena]] in London. This was his first fight to last all 12 rounds and was won via a unanimous 120-108 scoring from all three ringside judges. |
On 2 February 2008, Khan was scheduled to fight [[Martin Kristjansen]] but illness forced the Dane to withdraw and instead Khan beat Australian [[Gairy St Clair]] in a contest for the Commonwealth lightweight title at the [[ExCel Arena]] in London. This was his first fight to last all 12 rounds and was won via a unanimous 120-108 scoring from all three ringside judges. |
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Khan fought on 21 June at the [[National Indoor Arena]] in [[Birmingham]] against Irishman [[Michael Gomez]]. Gomez, a [[super featherweight]] who was reaching the end of his career and had lost the last three of his six fights, was described as a "backward step" in Khan's quest for a world title.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://britishboxing.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/shopworn-gomez-looks-made-to-order-for-khan-but-stranger-things-have-happened/|title=Shopworn Gomez looks made to order for Khan|publisher=British Boxing|date=2008-05-07|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> Khan stated "I think I'm above this domestic level now" and made it clear that he expected a fast and explosive finish to the fight. However, after the fight, Khan said he felt he had moved up a level by "fighting world class fighters like Gomez".<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7385918.stm|title=Khan eyes Filipino great Pacquiao|publisher=BBC News|date=2008-06-19|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> Khan received criticism for being knocked down in the second round, but proved his resilience by coming back stronger after this. Former boxing champion [[Barry McGuigan]] seemed unimpressed after the fight and said Khan needed at least two more fights before he should consider a world title bout. Many journalists{{Who|date=July 2009}} echoed McGuigan's opinion of Khan's defensive vulnerability. |
Khan fought on 21 June at the [[National Indoor Arena]] in [[Birmingham]] against Irishman [[Michael Gomez]]. Gomez, a [[super featherweight]] who was reaching the end of his career and had lost the last three of his six fights, was described as a "backward step" in Khan's quest for a world title.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://britishboxing.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/shopworn-gomez-looks-made-to-order-for-khan-but-stranger-things-have-happened/|title=Shopworn Gomez looks made to order for Khan|publisher=British Boxing|date=2008-05-07|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> Khan stated "I think I'm above this domestic level now" and made it clear that he expected a fast and explosive finish to the fight. However, after the fight, Khan said he felt he had moved up a level by "fighting world class fighters like Gomez".<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7385918.stm|title=Khan eyes Filipino great Pacquiao|publisher=BBC News|date=2008-06-19|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref> Khan received criticism for being knocked down in the second round, but proved his resilience by coming back stronger after this. Former boxing champion [[Barry McGuigan]] seemed unimpressed after the fight and said Khan needed at least two more fights before he should consider a world title bout. Many journalists{{Who|date=July 2009}} echoed McGuigan's opinion of Khan's defensive vulnerability. |
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===Khan vs. Prescott=== |
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A month after the Gomez fight, it was announced that [[Jorge Rubio]] would become Khan's new trainer. Rubio was chosen because Khan thought that he had very good chemistry with the Cuban trainer. Khan said "Rubio was showing me all these new training techniques, and I felt so comfortable because it suited my style. I knew I had the handspeed and the footwork to do it and I knew it was going to make me a much better fighter". Many boxing experts thought that Rubio needed to concentrate on improving Khan's defence and Khan's father agreed that he was showing great defensive skills during his training. In the early August, the lightweight [[Breidis Prescott]] was chosen as Khan's opponent by [[Jorge Rubio]] because he had trained a fighter who had narrowly lost to Prescott before and thought that Khan would be able to handle the bigger, heavier Prescott who had a prolific knockout record of 17 KOs in 19 contests. |
A month after the Gomez fight, it was announced that [[Jorge Rubio]] would become Khan's new trainer. Rubio was chosen because Khan thought that he had very good chemistry with the Cuban trainer. Khan said "Rubio was showing me all these new training techniques, and I felt so comfortable because it suited my style. I knew I had the handspeed and the footwork to do it and I knew it was going to make me a much better fighter". Many boxing experts thought that Rubio needed to concentrate on improving Khan's defence and Khan's father agreed that he was showing great defensive skills during his training. In the early August, the lightweight [[Breidis Prescott]] was chosen as Khan's opponent by [[Jorge Rubio]] because he had trained a fighter who had narrowly lost to Prescott before and thought that Khan would be able to handle the bigger, heavier Prescott who had a prolific knockout record of 17 KOs in 19 contests. |
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On 6 September 2008, Khan stepped up in weight and subsequently lost to [[lightweight]] [[Breidis Prescott]] in 54 seconds at the [[Manchester Evening News Arena|M.E.N. Arena]] on his [[Sky Box Office (UK & Ireland)|Sky Box Office]] debut.<ref name="Khan knocked out in first round">{{cite news |
On 6 September 2008, Khan stepped up in weight and subsequently lost to [[lightweight]] [[Breidis Prescott]] in 54 seconds at the [[Manchester Evening News Arena|M.E.N. Arena]] on his [[Sky Box Office (UK & Ireland)|Sky Box Office]] debut.<ref name="Khan knocked out in first round">{{cite news |
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| accessdate = 2008-09-06}}</ref> Khan was knocked down within 25 seconds and struggled to make the count, Prescott downed him again within 41 seconds, moments later to win by knockout. |
| accessdate = 2008-09-06}}</ref> Khan was knocked down within 25 seconds and struggled to make the count, Prescott downed him again within 41 seconds, moments later to win by knockout. |
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===Khan vs. Fagan=== |
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Following his defeat to Prescott, [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] sacked Khan's trainer [[Jorge Rubio]] and replaced him with [[Freddie Roach (boxing)|Freddie Roach]]. Khan began training with Roach in the [[United States]], where he sparred with then [[WBC]] World Lightweight champion [[Manny Pacquiao]], who is also being trained by Roach. On 6 December 2008, Khan recorded a comeback win against [[Oisin Fagan]] in a second-round stoppage winning the WBO Inter-Continental title (vacated by Prescott) and the [[WBA]] Inter-Contenential Lightweight title. Khan knocked Fagan down twice in the first round and Fagan's corner threw in the towel in the second. After the fight it was revealed that Fagan had broken his ankle when falling after the first knock-down. |
Following his defeat to Prescott, [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] sacked Khan's trainer [[Jorge Rubio]] and replaced him with [[Freddie Roach (boxing)|Freddie Roach]]. Khan began training with Roach in the [[United States]], where he sparred with then [[WBC]] World Lightweight champion [[Manny Pacquiao]], who is also being trained by Roach. On 6 December 2008, Khan recorded a comeback win against [[Oisin Fagan]] in a second-round stoppage winning the WBO Inter-Continental title (vacated by Prescott) and the [[WBA]] Inter-Contenential Lightweight title. Khan knocked Fagan down twice in the first round and Fagan's corner threw in the towel in the second. After the fight it was revealed that Fagan had broken his ankle when falling after the first knock-down. |
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===Khan vs. Barrera=== |
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=====Khan vs. Barrera===== |
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<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Amir khan.jpg||thumb|170px|right|Amir Khan became the [[List of WBA world champions|WBA]] [[List of super lightweight boxing champions|Light-Welterweight]] [[List of current world boxing champions|World Champion]] in July 2009.]] --> |
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Amir khan.jpg||thumb|170px|right|Amir Khan became the [[List of WBA world champions|WBA]] [[List of super lightweight boxing champions|Light-Welterweight]] [[List of current world boxing champions|World Champion]] in July 2009.]] --> |
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In early 2009, it was announced that Khan would fight former seven-time and three-weight world champion [[Marco Antonio Barrera]] on 14 March 2009 at the [[Manchester Evening News Arena]].<ref name="Khan to face ring legend Barrera">{{cite web| title = Khan to face ring legend Barrera | url = http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_4802888,00.html| publisher = [[Sky Sports News]]| date = 2009-01-16| accessdate = 2009-01-16}}</ref> [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] promoted Khan's fight against the veteran Barrera, perhaps Khan's highest-profile opponent to date. Barrera was ranked #1 and Khan #9 in the [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] world lightweight rankings. Previous [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] and WBO world lightweight title holder [[Nate Campbell]] was stripped of the belts after moving up to the [[light welterweight]] division and Khan's promoter [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] and Barrera's promoter [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King]] lobbied the WBO to elevate the Khan-Barrera fight to a [[List of lightweight boxing champions|world lightweight]] title eliminator.<ref name=Lewis>{{cite web|author=Ron Lewis|title=Amir Khan in line to make the most of new world order|publisher=''[[The Times]]''|date=16 February 2009|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/boxing/article5741783.ece|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> However, the world-title status was instead given to the fight between [[Juan Manuel Márquez]] and [[Juan Díaz (boxer)|Juan Diaz]], ranked #2 and #3 respectively by the WBO.<ref>{{cite web|title=Khan made to wait|publisher=''[[The Times]]''|date=20 February 2009|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/boxing/article5741783.ece|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> |
In early 2009, it was announced that Khan would fight former seven-time and three-weight world champion [[Marco Antonio Barrera]] on 14 March 2009 at the [[Manchester Evening News Arena]].<ref name="Khan to face ring legend Barrera">{{cite web| title = Khan to face ring legend Barrera | url = http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_4802888,00.html| publisher = [[Sky Sports News]]| date = 2009-01-16| accessdate = 2009-01-16}}</ref> [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] promoted Khan's fight against the veteran Barrera, perhaps Khan's highest-profile opponent to date. Barrera was ranked #1 and Khan #9 in the [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] world lightweight rankings. Previous [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] and WBO world lightweight title holder [[Nate Campbell]] was stripped of the belts after moving up to the [[light welterweight]] division and Khan's promoter [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]] and Barrera's promoter [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King]] lobbied the WBO to elevate the Khan-Barrera fight to a [[List of lightweight boxing champions|world lightweight]] title eliminator.<ref name=Lewis>{{cite web|author=Ron Lewis|title=Amir Khan in line to make the most of new world order|publisher=''[[The Times]]''|date=16 February 2009|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/boxing/article5741783.ece|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> However, the world-title status was instead given to the fight between [[Juan Manuel Márquez]] and [[Juan Díaz (boxer)|Juan Diaz]], ranked #2 and #3 respectively by the WBO.<ref>{{cite web|title=Khan made to wait|publisher=''[[The Times]]''|date=20 February 2009|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/boxing/article5741783.ece|accessdate=2009-02-22}}</ref> |
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Trainer [[Freddie Roach (boxing)|Freddie Roach]] has also hinted at his camp's desire to pit Khan against [[Ricky Hatton]] after the latter's fight with Roach's other star pupil, [[Manny Pacquiao]]. |
Trainer [[Freddie Roach (boxing)|Freddie Roach]] has also hinted at his camp's desire to pit Khan against [[Ricky Hatton]] after the latter's fight with Roach's other star pupil, [[Manny Pacquiao]]. |
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===Khan vs. Kotelnik=== |
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On 18 July, Khan defeated [[Andreas Kotelnik]] at the [[MEN Arena]] in Manchester for the [[List of WBA world champions|WBA]] [[List of current world boxing champions|World]] [[List of super lightweight boxing champions|Light-Welterweight]] title. Khan won by a unanimous decision, 120-108, 118-111, 118-111, and become the third-youngest Briton to win a world title, at the age of 22.<ref>http://www.skysports.com/khan/story/0,25588,15833_5440440,00.html</ref> |
On 18 July, Khan defeated [[Andreas Kotelnik]] at the [[MEN Arena]] in Manchester for the [[List of WBA world champions|WBA]] [[List of current world boxing champions|World]] [[List of super lightweight boxing champions|Light-Welterweight]] title. Khan won by a unanimous decision, 120-108, 118-111, 118-111, and become the third-youngest Briton to win a world title, at the age of 22.<ref>http://www.skysports.com/khan/story/0,25588,15833_5440440,00.html</ref> |
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The winner of the fight was to face undefeated up-comer [[Dmitry Salita]], as he is the immediate contender.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346493819&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull]</ref> Salita said, "Amir Khan is just holding on to my championship right now."<ref>[http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_5447572,00.html]</ref> Salita said there is a 90-day negotiating period for Khan promoter Frank Warren and Salita’s promoter, Square Ring, to finalize a deal, and that both promoters had already had preliminary talks prior to Khan’s win.<ref>[http://www.fightnews.com/?p=17963]</ref> According to WBA concessions, Khan will face Salita for his first [[Light Welterweight]] title-defense.<ref>[http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=21325 Vester, Mark, "Khan v. Salita: Early Negotiations Initiated," ''Boxing Scene'', 7/30/09, accessed 8/17/09]</ref>. |
The winner of the fight was to face undefeated up-comer [[Dmitry Salita]], as he is the immediate contender.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346493819&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull]</ref> Salita said, "Amir Khan is just holding on to my championship right now."<ref>[http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_5447572,00.html]</ref> Salita said there is a 90-day negotiating period for Khan promoter Frank Warren and Salita’s promoter, Square Ring, to finalize a deal, and that both promoters had already had preliminary talks prior to Khan’s win.<ref>[http://www.fightnews.com/?p=17963]</ref> According to WBA concessions, Khan will face Salita for his first [[Light Welterweight]] title-defense.<ref>[http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=21325 Vester, Mark, "Khan v. Salita: Early Negotiations Initiated," ''Boxing Scene'', 7/30/09, accessed 8/17/09]</ref>. |
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===Khan vs. Salita=== |
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On 6 October, Frank Warren confirmed that Khan would defend his WBA World Light welterweight title against undefeated [[Ukrainian American]] boxer [[Dmitry Salita]], the mandatory challenger, on 5 December at the Metro Radio Arena in [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], England. <ref>[http://www.amirsfans.co.uk/news/082/khan-to-face-salita-on-5th-december "Khan to face Salita on 5 December "]</ref> Due to Khan being a practicing [[Muslim]] and Salita being an [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jew]], the fight was hyped as a religious clash by the media, referring to it as a "battle of faiths" or "[[Religious war|holy war]]", though Khan and Salita have both denied such claims.<ref>{{cite web|title=Khan destroys Salita in battle of faiths|publisher=[[CNN International]]|date=December 5, 2009|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/12/05/boxing.amir.khan.salita/|accessdate=2009-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Amir Khan: Bigots only drive me on to new glory|work=[[Daily Mail]]|author=Jeff Powell|date=4 December 2009|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1233331/Amir-Khan-Bigots-drive-new-glory.html|accessdate=2009-12-06}}</ref> |
On 6 October, Frank Warren confirmed that Khan would defend his WBA World Light welterweight title against undefeated [[Ukrainian American]] boxer [[Dmitry Salita]], the mandatory challenger, on 5 December at the Metro Radio Arena in [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], England. <ref>[http://www.amirsfans.co.uk/news/082/khan-to-face-salita-on-5th-december "Khan to face Salita on 5 December "]</ref> Due to Khan being a practicing [[Muslim]] and Salita being an [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jew]], the fight was hyped as a religious clash by the media, referring to it as a "battle of faiths" or "[[Religious war|holy war]]", though Khan and Salita have both denied such claims.<ref>{{cite web|title=Khan destroys Salita in battle of faiths|publisher=[[CNN International]]|date=December 5, 2009|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/12/05/boxing.amir.khan.salita/|accessdate=2009-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Amir Khan: Bigots only drive me on to new glory|work=[[Daily Mail]]|author=Jeff Powell|date=4 December 2009|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1233331/Amir-Khan-Bigots-drive-new-glory.html|accessdate=2009-12-06}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 01:10, 8 December 2009
Amir Khan | |
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![]() | |
Born | Amir Iqbal Khan 8 December 1986 |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Pride of Bolton King Khan |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Light Welterweight |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 23 |
Wins | 22 |
Wins by KO | 16 |
Losses | 1 |
Draws | 0 |
No contests | 0 |
Olympic medal record | ||
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Men's boxing | ||
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2004 Athens | Lightweight |
Amir Iqbal Khan (Punjabi/Urdu: عامر اقبال خان) (born 8 December 1986) is a British boxer from Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.[1] He became the WBA World light-welterweight champion after defeating Andreas Kotelnik on 18 July 2009 at the age of 22, making him Britain's third-youngest world champion after Naseem Hamed and Herbie Hide. He was previously in the lightweight divison, where he held the Commonwealth, WBO Inter-Continental and WBA International titles. Khan is a British Pakistani belonging to the Janjua Rajput warrior clan. He is commonly known by the nicknames King Khan and Pride of Bolton.
Background
Khan was born and raised in Bolton ok then, England. He is an avid supporter of his local football club, Bolton Wanderers, and uses the club's training facilities. His grandparents emigrated from Rawalpindi in the Punjab province of Pakistan, in the 1950s.[2]
Khan speaks fluent English, Urdu, and Punjabi. He was educated at Smithills School in Bolton,[3] and Bolton Community College. His first cousin is the English cricketer Sajid Mahmood, and his younger brother, Haroon Khan, is an amateur boxer.[4]
Amateur
Khan began boxing competitively at the age of 11, with early honours including three English school title, three junior ABA titles, and gold at the 2003 Junior Olympics.[5] In early 2004 he won a gold medal at the European Student Championships in Lithuania, and in South Korea several months later he won world junior lightweight title after fighting five times in seven days. Khan then was Britain's sole representative in boxing at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning a silver medal at the age of 17 in the lightweight boxing category. He was Britain's youngest Olympic boxer since Colin Jones in 1976. He lost in the final to Mario Kindelan, the Cuban who had also beaten him several months earlier in the pre-Olympic match-ups in Greece. In 2005 he avenged the two losses by beating the 34 year old Kindelan in his last amateur fight.
Professional
2005–2006
Despite declaring after the 2004 Olympics that he would pursue a Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Khan turned professional in 2005, signing with English boxing promoter, Frank Warren. It is speculated by some that this decision was influenced by a row with the English Amateur Boxing Association over the ticketing allocation for his family and friends at the English ABA Finals.
Khan moved from lightweight to light welterweight for a single fight against French fighter Rachid Drilzane on 9 December 2006, winning a 10 round decision. Khan experienced the first knockdown of his career when his opponent caught him with a good left.[6] Drilzane had never scored a knockout in his 13 fight career. Khan returned to the lightweight division for future fights.
2007
On 7 April 2007, Khan beat Steffy Bull in a three round technical knockout in Cardiff.
On 14 July 2007 he faced Willie Limond for the Commonwealth lightweight title. During the fight Khan was knocked down in the 6th round and appeared to be hurt badly. However, after another barrage of right hands, Khan weathered the storm and in the seventh round knocked down Limond.
On 6 October 2007 Khan faced Scott Lawton in his first defence of the Commonwealth lightweight title. Khan fought a mature and clinical fight, boxing with single punches for the majority of the first three rounds. Khan increased the pressure at the end of the third, and secured a TKO victory in the fourth. The referee stepped in when Lawton failed to fight back.
The most significant win of Khan's career up until that time came when he celebrated his 21st birthday by successfully defending his Commonwealth lightweight title against Graham Earl on 8 December 2007. Earl, rated the number one British lightweight and a former world title challenger, was considered Khan's toughest test by some way and a tough fight was expected; especially due to some ill-feeling between the pair in the run-up to the fight. However, it took Khan just 72 seconds to have the fight referee declare Earl in no fit state to continue. Khan later[when?] claimed that he rated this victory as the best of his career.
Early 2008
On 2 February 2008, Khan was scheduled to fight Martin Kristjansen but illness forced the Dane to withdraw and instead Khan beat Australian Gairy St Clair in a contest for the Commonwealth lightweight title at the ExCel Arena in London. This was his first fight to last all 12 rounds and was won via a unanimous 120-108 scoring from all three ringside judges.
On 5 April, Khan beat Kristjansen in the 7th round of a WBO world lightweight title eliminator. Before the contest, the fighters had been ranked 3rd and 4th respectively by the WBO. After Khan's victory, he was ranked 2nd, behind only Joel Casamayor.
Following the fight, Khan split from his trainer Oliver Harrison, the trainer for all of his previous 17 professional contests. The breakup was blamed on Harrison's concerns that Khan's public engagements were interfering with his fight preparations.[7] An official spokesperson for Team Khan told reporters there was "nothing personal" between Khan and Harrison.[8] Dean Powell, who has trained former world champions Duke McKenzie and Lloyd Honeyghan, will work[needs update] with Khan until a decision on a permanent trainer is made, with Khan possibly looking to America. In the same month, Khan had a training session in Las Vegas with Roger Mayweather, trainer and uncle of Floyd Mayweather, Jr..[7]
Khan fought on 21 June at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham against Irishman Michael Gomez. Gomez, a super featherweight who was reaching the end of his career and had lost the last three of his six fights, was described as a "backward step" in Khan's quest for a world title.[9] Khan stated "I think I'm above this domestic level now" and made it clear that he expected a fast and explosive finish to the fight. However, after the fight, Khan said he felt he had moved up a level by "fighting world class fighters like Gomez".[10] Khan received criticism for being knocked down in the second round, but proved his resilience by coming back stronger after this. Former boxing champion Barry McGuigan seemed unimpressed after the fight and said Khan needed at least two more fights before he should consider a world title bout. Many journalists[who?] echoed McGuigan's opinion of Khan's defensive vulnerability.
Khan vs. Prescott
A month after the Gomez fight, it was announced that Jorge Rubio would become Khan's new trainer. Rubio was chosen because Khan thought that he had very good chemistry with the Cuban trainer. Khan said "Rubio was showing me all these new training techniques, and I felt so comfortable because it suited my style. I knew I had the handspeed and the footwork to do it and I knew it was going to make me a much better fighter". Many boxing experts thought that Rubio needed to concentrate on improving Khan's defence and Khan's father agreed that he was showing great defensive skills during his training. In the early August, the lightweight Breidis Prescott was chosen as Khan's opponent by Jorge Rubio because he had trained a fighter who had narrowly lost to Prescott before and thought that Khan would be able to handle the bigger, heavier Prescott who had a prolific knockout record of 17 KOs in 19 contests. On 6 September 2008, Khan stepped up in weight and subsequently lost to lightweight Breidis Prescott in 54 seconds at the M.E.N. Arena on his Sky Box Office debut.[11] Khan was knocked down within 25 seconds and struggled to make the count, Prescott downed him again within 41 seconds, moments later to win by knockout.
Khan vs. Fagan
Following his defeat to Prescott, Frank Warren sacked Khan's trainer Jorge Rubio and replaced him with Freddie Roach. Khan began training with Roach in the United States, where he sparred with then WBC World Lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who is also being trained by Roach. On 6 December 2008, Khan recorded a comeback win against Oisin Fagan in a second-round stoppage winning the WBO Inter-Continental title (vacated by Prescott) and the WBA Inter-Contenential Lightweight title. Khan knocked Fagan down twice in the first round and Fagan's corner threw in the towel in the second. After the fight it was revealed that Fagan had broken his ankle when falling after the first knock-down.
Khan vs. Barrera
In early 2009, it was announced that Khan would fight former seven-time and three-weight world champion Marco Antonio Barrera on 14 March 2009 at the Manchester Evening News Arena.[12] Frank Warren promoted Khan's fight against the veteran Barrera, perhaps Khan's highest-profile opponent to date. Barrera was ranked #1 and Khan #9 in the WBO world lightweight rankings. Previous IBF and WBO world lightweight title holder Nate Campbell was stripped of the belts after moving up to the light welterweight division and Khan's promoter Frank Warren and Barrera's promoter Don King lobbied the WBO to elevate the Khan-Barrera fight to a world lightweight title eliminator.[13] However, the world-title status was instead given to the fight between Juan Manuel Márquez and Juan Diaz, ranked #2 and #3 respectively by the WBO.[14]
On 14 March at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, Khan defeated Barrera after the fight was stopped towards the end of the 5th round due to Barrera suffering a severe cut reopened from his previous fight[citation needed]. This was caused by a clash of heads late in the opening round. With Barrera deemed in no position to fight on by the ringside doctor, the fight went to the scorecards where Khan was ahead on all three (50-44, 50-45, 50-45).
Frank Warren was sufficiently impressed with Khan's performance that he vowed to land a world title fight for him before the end of the year.
"There was a lot on his shoulders, but I always felt he could rise to the big occasion. I'd like to see him get a belt round his waist by the end of this year." [15]
Khan also commented on the fight, saying:
"I felt so completely easy, catching him with jabs. I felt like I was on a better level than him. The jabbing and patience – I felt so strong. You could see the difference. I had to take some shots in that match. I made some mistakes in the past and I'm not going to make them again."[15]
During the post-fight interview, Barrera mentioned that he would talk with friends and family regarding his future. He also stated in a press release:
"If I'd have had both my eyes the fight wouldn't have ended this way. I couldn't see the guy from the first round, the blood was in my eye and I just couldn't see with it."[16]
As of 26 March, promoter Don King is pushing for a rematch between Khan and Marco Antonio Barrera, claiming the fight should have been ruled a no-contest.[17]
Trainer Freddie Roach has also hinted at his camp's desire to pit Khan against Ricky Hatton after the latter's fight with Roach's other star pupil, Manny Pacquiao.
Khan vs. Kotelnik
On 18 July, Khan defeated Andreas Kotelnik at the MEN Arena in Manchester for the WBA World Light-Welterweight title. Khan won by a unanimous decision, 120-108, 118-111, 118-111, and become the third-youngest Briton to win a world title, at the age of 22.[18]
The winner of the fight was to face undefeated up-comer Dmitry Salita, as he is the immediate contender.[19] Salita said, "Amir Khan is just holding on to my championship right now."[20] Salita said there is a 90-day negotiating period for Khan promoter Frank Warren and Salita’s promoter, Square Ring, to finalize a deal, and that both promoters had already had preliminary talks prior to Khan’s win.[21] According to WBA concessions, Khan will face Salita for his first Light Welterweight title-defense.[22].
Khan vs. Salita
On 6 October, Frank Warren confirmed that Khan would defend his WBA World Light welterweight title against undefeated Ukrainian American boxer Dmitry Salita, the mandatory challenger, on 5 December at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. [23] Due to Khan being a practicing Muslim and Salita being an Orthodox Jew, the fight was hyped as a religious clash by the media, referring to it as a "battle of faiths" or "holy war", though Khan and Salita have both denied such claims.[24][25]
On 5 December, Khan fought Dmitry Salita and won by technical knock out in the first round, with the first knock down coming after just ten seconds.[26] Khan defeated Salita in 1 minute and 16 seconds of the first round, giving Salita the first ever loss of his career.[27]
Trainers
- Oliver Harrison – July 2005 – April 2008[28]
- Jorge Rubio–July 2008–September 2008[29]
- Freddie Roach–October 2008–present[30]
Outside boxing
In July 2006 Khan became involved in the No Messin' campaign, which promotes child safety around British railways.[31] The same year he performed an Umrah (a pilgrimage to Mecca).[32]
Charitable work
After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, Khan went to Pakistan and handed out food parcels to children in a camp.[33] He has also raised more than £6,000 for a firefighter who was badly burned while trying to save a family from an arson attack in Bolton.[34][35]
He has spent £1 million of his own cash on opening the Gloves Community Centre and boxing gym in Bolton to get youths off the streets.[36][37]
Media
- Amir was involved in a TV programme for Channel 4, Amir Khan's Angry Young Men, which consisted of three 50-minute episodes. The programme centred around troubled angry men and aimed to use the disciplines of boxing, coupled with faith and family values, to help re-focus their lives and steer them away from trouble in the future. It was screened in August/September 2007.
- He has also been on a show called Proud Parents with his parents.
- In April 2008, Khan appeared on TV game show Beat the Star, and in January 2009 he guested on a celebrity version of ITV1's Family Fortunes, pitted against Jennie Bond.
- Amir also appeared at The MOBO Awards 2009 where he presented the award for best video.
Sports
As well as boxing, Khan also enjoys playing sports such as football, basketball and cricket.[38]
Motoring offences and incidents
On 23 October 2007, Khan was convicted of careless driving at Bolton Crown Court and given a six-month driving ban and a £1000 fine. The conviction related to an incident that occurred on 2 March 2006 in the centre of Bolton, when Khan's car hit and broke the leg of a pedestrian who was running on a pelican crossing trying to avoid cars. Immediately prior to the accident Khan had swerved around a line of stopped cars and went through a traffic light that had just turned red. He was cleared of dangerous driving[39] and the pedestrian received an interim payment of £40,000.[40] Khan was also summoned to appear in court in Rochdale on 26 October 2007, accused of travelling in excess of 140 mph on the M62 motorway on 31 December 2006. He failed to appear and the case was adjourned to 2 November 2007, with the District Judge warning that he would issue an arrest warrant if the accused did not appear by then. He was also charged with not producing his driving licence and insurance certificate.[41] On 7 January 2008 Khan was fined £1000 and banned for 42 days for the speeding offence.[42]
On 12 July 2009, Khan was once again involved in a motoring incident, this time a collision with a young cyclist. However, no action will be taken against Khan after police concluded that he was not to blame for the incident in Moor Lane following interviews with a number of witnesses.[43]
Titles
- Current WBA World Light-Welterweight Champion
- Former Commonwealth Lightweight Champion
- Former IBF Inter-Continental Lightweight Champion
- Former WBA International Lightweight Champion
- Former WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight Champion
Record
Amateur boxing
- 2003 – Won a gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
- 2004 – Won a gold medal at the European Student Championships and the World Junior Championships.
- 2004 – Won the Strandja Cup to qualify for the Olympics in Athens
- 2004 – Won a silver medal at the Olympics, beating Marios Kaperonis, Dimitar Stilianov, Jong Sub Baik and Serik Yeleuov. He lost to Mario Kindelan in the final.
- 2005 – Beat Craig Watson on points in the ABA Championships.
- 2005 – Won the last match of his amateur career beating Mario Kindelan 19-13 at the Reebok Stadium.
Professional
References
- ^ "findmypast.com - Amir Khan". findmypast.com. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^ "Amir Khan's journey to fame". Gulf News. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ Manchester Sports & Olympic Champions
- ^ "'Mum's curries keep us at home'". The Guardian. 2006-07-30. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Amir's road to Athens". BBC Sport. 2004-08-28. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Khan tested on way to first title". BBC Sport. 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ a b "Khan rings in the new with change of trainer". The Guardian. 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Amir Khan splits with trainer Oliver Harrison". The Telegraph. 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Shopworn Gomez looks made to order for Khan". British Boxing. 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Khan eyes Filipino great Pacquiao". BBC News. 2008-06-19. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Khan knocked out in first round". BBC Sport. 2008-09-06. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
- ^ "Khan to face ring legend Barrera". Sky Sports News. 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
- ^ Ron Lewis (16 February 2009). "Amir Khan in line to make the most of new world order". The Times. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "Khan made to wait". The Times. 20 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ a b http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7940138.stm
- ^ http://www.ringtv.com/blog/487/king_files_barrerakhan_protest/
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/5053449/Don-King-demands-Amir-Khan-rematch-with-Marco-Antonio-Barrera-claiming-fight-tainted.html
- ^ http://www.skysports.com/khan/story/0,25588,15833_5440440,00.html
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ Vester, Mark, "Khan v. Salita: Early Negotiations Initiated," Boxing Scene, 7/30/09, accessed 8/17/09
- ^ "Khan to face Salita on 5 December "
- ^ "Khan destroys Salita in battle of faiths". CNN International. December 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ Jeff Powell (4 December 2009). "Amir Khan: Bigots only drive me on to new glory". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "KHAN v SALITA ROUND-BY-ROUND". 2009-12-05.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Amir Khan knocks out Dmitriy Salita in first round". BBC Sport. 2009-12-05. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
- ^ http://www.frankwarren.tv/drill/News/Articles/2008/09/22/khan-splits-with-rubio.html
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7627111.stm
- ^ http://www.sportinglife.com/boxing/news/st...OXING_Khan.html
- ^ "'No Messin' Live! 2006' - railway safety campaign". Network Rail. 2006-07-06. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Bolton wanderer on pilgrimage from Mecca to Muhammad". The Times. 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "A gift for Pakistan". The Bolton News. 2005-12-22. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Amir to help injured firefighter". This Is Lancashire. 2008-08-06. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^ "Firefighter hero back on his feet". The Asian News. 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^ "Amir Khan Helps mend Broken Britain". The Sun. 2008-03-01. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^ "Socially conscious Khan giving back to local youth in community". ESPN. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
- ^ "Amir Khan - A True Talent". Smaart Talent. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Khan cleared of dangerous driving". Manchester Evening News. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Boxer Amir Khan blamed for drink death of 'broken man' steel worker he ran down in sports car". Daily Mail. 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Judge gives Khan arrest warning". BBC News. 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Amir Khan driving ban". The Mirror. 2008-01-07. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_5432803,00.html
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2009
- 1986 births
- Living people
- People from Bolton
- English boxers
- Lightweights
- Olympic boxers of Great Britain
- Boxers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- WBO Champions
- Olympic silver medalists for Great Britain
- English Muslims
- British people of Pakistani descent
- Punjabi people