Amir Khan claims he is so upset by the bitterness and jealousy shown towards him by rival fans and other British boxers that he may quit Britain for a new life in America.
Khan, the Olympic silver medalist in Athens, has pointed the finger of blame at WBC world super-middleweight champion Carl Froch and British lightweight champion John Murray for their verbal attacks on him.
But he says he encounters a negative attitude everywhere he goes. ‘I’d like to live in America eventually,’ said Khan, during a break in preparations for the defence of his
WBA world light-welterweight title against Dmitriy Salita on December 5.
Amir Khan and Dmitriy Salita
Ready for action: Amir Khan and Dmitriy Salita
‘It’s getting tougher and tougher living here now. I love the British public and it would be very hard for me to leave them. But my career comes first and and if I think it’s the right move to make, I’ll follow my career.’
Amir Khan
Hats off to me: Amir Khan feels more loved by the Americans
Khan regularly escapes from the name-calling in his homeland with his training camps at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, where he works with trainer Freddie Roach, and he believes he thrives on the positive American attitude compared with
what he regards as the negativity shown to him in England.
‘The difference in LA is that people appreciate what you achieve,’ said the 22-year-old from Bolton. ‘In England I don’t really see that. I see a lot of bitterness. It’s a mixture of everything. Random people in the streets, everywhere, whereas in America I haven’t come across any hate.’
The level of abuse suffered by Khan was summed up in a recent boxing website article, which questioned whether the light-welterweight was the most hated boxer in
the United Kingdom.
It compared the treatment he received from some sections of fans with that of Audley Harrison and James DeGale, who had enjoyed Olympic success and were heavily hyped as professionals but in the eyes of their harshest critics failed to match expectations.
Yet, it is the criticism from fellow professionals that has hurt Khan most. Froch recently described Khan’s world title victory over Andriy Kotelnik as ‘boring’ and said he was not a fan of the Briton, while the unbeaten Murray, from Manchester, has continued to call on Khan to fight him, even after Khan moved up to light-welterweight. Murray berated his rival as ‘a complete joker’.
Khan responded: ‘I’ve worked hard from day one to win in the amateurs then to go to the Olympics, turn professional, win the Commonwealth title and go on to bigger and better things.
It’s taken a long time and a lot of hard work. People think it’s easy. They don’t see me waking up at 5am to go running, doing my steps, doing the work. They don’t see the injuries, the aches and pains, the hard side of it.
‘They see the easy side of it, when you relax and chill. You buy a nice car, live in a nice house and have a lot of money. That’s the reason that in England there’s a lot of bitterness.
Amir Khan
Reason to celebrate: Amir Khan celebrates victory over Marc Antonio Barrera this year
‘That’s the reason Froch doesn’t like me. I’ve never spoken out or spoken bad about him. Murray, even though we’re in totally different weight categories, he’s still saying this and that.
At the end of a day I’m a fighter, and in British boxing there’s a lot of jealousy. Froch is a bitter person but I like to keep people happy.
‘I always give time to my fans. I want them to feel comfortable around me and see me as a normal person.’
Khan insists he does not want to become a celebrity, preferring to let his record of only one defeat in 22 fights speak for him. But he has attracted A-list names to his workouts near the Hollywood film studios.
Movie action man Jason Statham has been to see him, as has pop superstar Robbie Williams. Khan shares an apartment block with rap stars P Diddy and Snoop Dogg.
‘They speak to me and I find it kind of weird,’ said Khan. ‘I’m starstruck to meet these people. Look how big these guys are — and they’re fans of me!’
It is the way he is treated by ordinary people, though, that has made his time in California so heartwarming. ‘I kept my world title belt in a box in the gym changing room, I was kind of embarrassed because there’s bigger fishes out there.
'Then I showed it to one guy and he started showing it to everyone else. It makes you happy that they respect a world champion.’
DD
