More news on Khan

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 23 Sep 2004, 05:40

from bbc website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3682358.stm

can anyone answer me this, If Khan gets sponsorship from big companies will this affect his amatuer status?

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 23 Sep 2004, 05:50

Can somebody please explain to me why it is so important that Amir stays amateur? I genuinally don't understand.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 23 Sep 2004, 06:05

FlawedGenius wrote:Can somebody please explain to me why it is so important that Amir stays amateur? I genuinally don't understand.

I think the main worry is he goes with Warren, and develops Mitchell/Hatton/Calzaghe syndrome.

As in a career of knocking over stiffs for various low rent IBO/WBU/WBO titles, and an endless line of potential Big Fights falling through.

FW doesn't deal with the big three titles remember - prefering the easy pickings his boys can get, care of Frank's BIG influence over the smaller organisations.

Ok Warren knows how to sell a fighter in the UK, and how to make the guy money as well.
Maybe he knows Hatton can't compete with the big boys, so that's why he holds him back ( year after year ) but he's failed big time when he has a genuine world class talent: Calzaghe.

Years of obscure WBO defences = a wasted career.

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 23 Sep 2004, 06:20

Sorry, MW. I didn't mean why are people on this forum against him turning pro. I'm talking about the public, ABA and those offering him financial aid. Are Olympic medals important enough to pay a kid 100's of thousands of pounds?

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 23 Sep 2004, 06:40

Well I can understand why the ABA want him to stay, not sure about the general public though - but seeing as they know f*** all about boxing, who cares anyway.

I'm sure the Khans will do as they damn well please, and rightly so.
Personaly I'd be happy for a fighter as good as Khan to turn pro - when you're that talented, I don't think his age is a problem.

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 23 Sep 2004, 06:57

It seems odd to me. Right from the get go people were saying "We've got to do everything we can to keep this lad amateur." I was thinking "Why?"

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 23 Sep 2004, 06:58

The reason its vital that Amir Khan stays amatuer is because he's now a household name and an inspiration to those young kids, whatever their ethnic group, who want to emulate him and go to boxing gyms.

We constantly hear about the death knell being sounded for Amatuer boxing and that talent is no longer coming through, how we cannot support our fighters etc and how in years to come if the influx into Amatuer gyms continue to fall then inevitably the output of capable fighters, with the fundamentals to have good careers, will also dry up.

In Khan they have an icon to sell, remember the BBC will continue to show Amatuer events after their departure from the pro game in March, if not before. And a talent like AMir, a successfull, affable, humble, photogenic young superstar is the best tonic the sport could have and crucially motivates the BEEB to show boxing to the public.

If he turns professional, whoever it is with, he's lost to the British public to all intents and purposes. Terrestrial televsion lose their prize asset a long with the Amatuer game and whilst us addicts or 'anoraks' to use the topical vernacular will still watch him fight Peter Buckley for the next three years, I'm damn sure none of the casual observers will be going to Bethnal Green to catch him at 6.20 on a Friday, nor will they be scanning SKY sports for them showing him either.

Khan needs to stay Amatuer for his own personal progression, better served by fighting the best Cubans, Eastern Europeans and Asians for the next couple of years, so the Amatuer game can benefit from the spotlight and popularity he delivers and lastly so that terrestiral television have a hook to capture the imagination of the watching public.

He's only one man, but I think his significance for the long-term prosperity of the sport cannot be underestimated.

What do you think?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 23 Sep 2004, 07:10

It is surely a contradiction in terms for a fighter who is an amateur to be earning money from the sport.

Unlike other sports, amateur boxing is entirely different from pro boxing, for instance, the only difference between a professional sprinter and an amateur sprinter is money and the time they devote, the sport is exactly the same.

I think this is the problem. A sprinter can earn money for appearances, get endorsements etc, and compete against the best in the world, whereas an amateur boxer is cut off from all the money available in the sport, because they cannot compete against professionals.

Can anyone else think of another sport where the professional and amateur codes actually have different rules, because I can't.

I can entirely understand why Khan wants to make money, and whilst it is good for the ABA for him to do so, is amateur boxing really going to get any more coverage off of the back of it. Professional boxing gets little or not coverage

It would be nice if there was some sort of boxing show which would feature amateur boxing updates, but most people simply are not interested in the amateur code. I was doing some reading, and the sport has been in decline ever since the compulsory wearing of headguards. Amateur boxing doesn't offer enough of a spectacle for modern audiences who haven't grown up watching boxing regularly, it simply doesn;t mean anything. The olympics are different, everyone watches the olympics, even people who are not normally switched on to sport.

Whilst I think Amir might have done well to stay amateur for a year or two more to get a more solid grounding, if he's good enough to win a silver medal already, then how much competition is he going to get on the domestic scene? One more world championship might have been good, but again, is it that important?

Good luck to him if he turns professional, I just hope he does end up competing for major world title belts is all.

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 23 Sep 2004, 07:24

Pro boxers inspire kids, not amateurs.

When I first started boxing all the kids wanted to be like Tyson. In the mid-90's it was Naz, now it's Ricky Hatton.

I believe if Amir ditches the headguard, he'll sell out the M.E.N. with ease. It'll be full to the rafters with Pakistani immigrants waving the green and white flag and although not my scene, will be one hell of an atmosphere. Seeing that is what will inspire kids, not boring amateur tournaments.

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 23 Sep 2004, 07:27

Agreed Flawed.

But the difference is

Naz, Tyson etc were all on terrestrial television.

If AMir is on SKY, the ONLY home for PRO boxing from March, will anyone see him?

Within those parameters, its surely better he stays Amatuer to enjoy that kind of exposure?

And besides, I think he cans still learn from the Ams and grow in stature physically and mentally before discarding the head-gear.

DP

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 23 Sep 2004, 07:29

And as for everyone wanting to be Ricky Hatton...in Manchester maybe.

In the rest of the world most kids couldn't pick him out of a line if the LA Lakers made up the other five guys.

My friends, all sports fans, didn't know DLH let alone Hopkins.

Terrestrial telly is the only way to genuinely deliver the kind of expsoure in the UK....

Lefthookhappy19 · Post by **Lefthookhappy19** » 23 Sep 2004, 10:36

Khan will have to fight journeymen opponents for at least the 1st 3 years, does anyone want to see him do that? Pick up tons of bad habits and become complacent from knocking these guys over. My main point is he should stay amateur until he's fully physically mature, these journeymen will try and rough him up and throw him around, he's still a kid and these guys are grown men. The amatuers will also help him keep the hunger which is vital. His technique will also develop. He has not had 20 amatuer fights yet, he's basically turning pro without an amatuer career. Almost all the greats have many amatuer fights, not including the Mexicans but they are different.

If the inevitable happens and he turns pro he has to get a top class trainer. A top American one would be perfect, say Freddie Roach. He would benefit greatly from being around the likes of Pacquaio and the rest of Roachs top fighters. He has to move over though, no bullshit kind of Alex Arthur setup. It would suck if he got a local guy and friend to train him like David Haye got Adam Booth, it has to be the best. It will be worth it.

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 23 Sep 2004, 11:02

Lefthookhappy19 wrote:My main point is he should stay amateur until he's fully physically mature, these journeymen will try and rough him up and throw him around, he's still a kid and these guys are grown men.

I see where you're coming from, but Wilfredo Benitez didn't take any harm and he turned pro at 15.

Lefthookhappy19 · Post by **Lefthookhappy19** » 23 Sep 2004, 11:09

The Latino's are exceptions to the rule. Benitez was a defensive master and an all time great. How many guys are going to reach that sort of level? Its amazing that he did at such a young age. He also burned out very young as well remember.

Freiheit · Post by **Freiheit** » 23 Sep 2004, 11:12

I think it more like comparing him to Michel Trabant who turned pro at a young age

Exile · Post by **Exile** » 23 Sep 2004, 12:11

FlawedGenius wrote:
Lefthookhappy19 wrote:My main point is he should stay amateur until he's fully physically mature, these journeymen will try and rough him up and throw him around, he's still a kid and these guys are grown men.
I see where you're coming from, but Wilfredo Benitez didn't take any harm and he turned pro at 15.

Barrera at 15 aswell. Khan should move on now while the public are at their most interested rather than wait til next olympics imo.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 23 Sep 2004, 16:22

ABA'S offered him more now up to £70,000 a year

Jesus thats loads.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/3682358.stm

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 23 Sep 2004, 17:14

Lefthookhappy19 wrote:Khan will have to fight journeymen opponents for at least the 1st 3 years, does anyone want to see him do that? Pick up tons of bad habits and become complacent from knocking these guys over. My main point is he should stay amateur until he's fully physically mature, these journeymen will try and rough him up and throw him around, he's still a kid and these guys are grown men. The amatuers will also help him keep the hunger which is vital. His technique will also develop. He has not had 20 amatuer fights yet, he's basically turning pro without an amatuer career. Almost all the greats have many amatuer fights, not including the Mexicans but they are different.

If the inevitable happens and he turns pro he has to get a top class trainer. A top American one would be perfect, say Freddie Roach. He would benefit greatly from being around the likes of Pacquaio and the rest of Roachs top fighters. He has to move over though, no bullshit kind of Alex Arthur setup. It would suck if he got a local guy and friend to train him like David Haye got Adam Booth, it has to be the best. It will be worth it.

Totally agree.

He's 17 for pucks sake. 21 years old and and Olympic gold and silver medallist will be the perfect time to turn pro, now is not.

However from his (and his family's) point of view, I can understand the financial aspect, anything could happen to him in the next 4 years.

It's like when, for example, Everton fans call Wayne Rooney a traitor for going to Man.Utd, he could break his leg next month and his career could be over, at least he's now insured for at least 60k per week for the next 5 years. Sometimes in life I guess you have to take what's on the table because you don't know what's around the corner (two cliches in one sentence).

adamiw · Post by **adamiw** » 23 Sep 2004, 17:18

70 grand a year!