BoxRec

Looks like SN are making headway into getting Amir Khan's signature.

I understand that they have signed a three-year agreement with the ABA to stage mixed shows. The ABA will earn a good few quid, six figures.

First up is an amateur international match alongside Joe Calzaghe in Manchester in Feb. Khan not confirmed but likely.

"If I'm honest, I don't think he'll be at Beijing in 2008," said Warren. Well, certainly not if you have your way.

I hope the lad resists all the pleas.

about time those old fcukers got with the real world.

They nearly kicked the Peacock ABC out of the ABA because they held an amateur show in the same venue as a pro show on the same day....

Shame Warren had to wave serious dosh around to finally get them to see sense

What happens if Khan loses, this can happen quite often in the amatuer game, as top fighters face each other often.

Will Warren lose interest.

What's the betting Amir will be facing a better opponent than Joe?

I don't think so, losses don't mean as much in the amateur game, but it is an interesting point, TV is obsessed with amateurs winning.

I don't know that staying around until the next olympics is neccesary, however, another couple of years will see him mature, maybe move up a weight class and gain some vital experience.

There are no guarantees that he will turn into a world class pro either, the codes are so different, and he may never develop into a puncher, it's all up in the air.

i cannot see Khan losing many internationals...... too damn good

You can match make internationals as well of course

Its only when he goes to the majors (euros worlds Olympics) when there is a chance he loses... and like all amateur tournaments the chances of losing in the first round are the same as losing in the final ie: you could draw a Kidelan in your first fight

Silly that, why don't they have seeding if it's a tournament structure?

I am all for the pro-am co-operation, and the merger of the two codes which is likely, it's about time the amateur sport modernised.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:and he may never develop into a puncher, it's all up in the air.

i think he is already a puncher.... amateur boxing tends to hide the punchers and Amir has already hurt and a lot of people. The gloves and the head guards offer protection of sort

he is accurate and quick enough to land often and generally wears the opponents down quickly..... the last round tends to be his strongest

jamesmcdonnell wrote: it's about time the amateur sport modernised.

hear hear....

exactly why talented amateurs like Hatton, Mitchell, Linford, Haye, Tony Dodson turned over too early... too many dinosaurs

Yes, but being a puncher at amateur and at professional are two different things.

More to the point, he could just fall apart like a sack of shite when he first gets tagged by anyone who can bang.

Of course, I'm not saying that's the case, I just think any talk of Amir going on to worldwide superstardom as a pro is well and truly previous.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Yes, but being a puncher at amateur and at professional are two different things.

More to the point, he could just fall apart like a sack of shite when he first gets tagged by anyone who can bang.

Of course, I'm not saying that's the case, I just think any talk of Amir going on to worldwide superstardom as a pro is well and truly previous.

the bit about the chin is always a possibility.... like i said the gloves and head guard provide a bit more security

but if you can punch in the amateurs you can punch in the pros... cannot think of many people who were good punchers as Amateurs but not as pros....

knockout wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote: it's about time the amateur sport modernised.

hear hear....

exactly why talented amateurs like Hatton, Mitchell, Linford, Haye, Tony Dodson turned over too early... too many dinosaurs

I agree that the sport should modernise, in France the Pro-Am shows seem to go down well, and you can mix in some young local talent on the shows to bring in ticket sales.

The one thing that might be a problem is where the money for the ticket sales go.
Local boxing clubs rely on the take from shows to keep going.

topper123 wrote:

knockout wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote: it's about time the amateur sport modernised.

hear hear....

exactly why talented amateurs like Hatton, Mitchell, Linford, Haye, Tony Dodson turned over too early... too many dinosaurs

I agree that the sport should modernise, in France the Pro-Am shows seem to go down well, and you can mix in some young local talent on the shows to bring in ticket sales.

The one thing that might be a problem is where the money for the ticket sales go.
Local boxing clubs rely on the take from shows to keep going.

i would assume that local boxing clubs will be un-affected by this... only the elite boys will features on pro-am cards I would guess. And they dont tend to appear on local shows too much anyway.

Its important that Warrens money gets to the grass roots though... rather than getting the ABA officials plusher hotels

knockout wrote: but if you can punch in the amateurs you can punch in the pros... cannot think of many people who were good punchers as Amateurs but not as pros....

Yeah good point, usualy other way round if anything - Just imagine, the amateur Tommy Hearns was a non punching stick and move artist. Who'd have imagined the thunderous KO puncher he was to become?

Old big head Manny Steward takes full credit for that, of course!

Khan looks a puncher alright. and yes, let's hope to Christ his chin is ok ( seems fine so far ) and we don't have another Errol Christie on our hands. Doubt it somehow....he really looks the Golden Boy.

You can see the blazers now:

"And what would you like, sir? The usual chicken in a basket and pint of Tetley's?"
"Er, no, me and the lads are feeling a bit flush tonight. Duck a l'orange all round and three bottles of your finest sparkling wine, please."
"But sir, I thought you had to be back for the boxing in half an hour?"
"Don't worry son...they can wait."

It has been discussed before I know, but Khan is on £70k from the ABA and presumably as much again from other sponsors, but what will his opponent receive?

I am not in favour of mixed pro and amateur shows; I do not see how they really benefit the amateurs.

Amir Khan at the moment has got his 15 minutes of fame which will perhaps make people come from the bar at the professional shows to watch him.
What other amateur will get people to do this, there are quite a few pro fights only watched by a handful of people at almost every show I’ve been to.

A promoter will not be able to sell a show with an amateur headlining, so it will be to pad a show out, which then will take the slot and the payday from a pro.

How soon before we see a show featuring two pro fights and half a dozen amateur fights, it won’t be long if the promoters can get away with it that’s for sure.

And getting back to the money we know that Amir Khan receives, how much does a pro like Peter Buckley make in a year? Or for that matter any other 8rnd fighter.
£70k a year ain`t bad for an amateur, many pros would be happy making the same I’m sure.

[/quote]


i would assume that local boxing clubs will be un-affected by this... only the elite boys will features on pro-am cards I would guess. And they dont tend to appear on local shows too much anyway.

Its important that Warrens money gets to the grass roots though... rather than getting the ABA officials plusher hotels[/quote]

Yeah i think the ABA have tried a little bit to cut back on the amout of officials that travel to a tournement.

I've been told by people at the club i used to box at of travelling to foreign lands and staying in shitholes whilst the ABA officials stayed in the nice hotels.

tonyevs wrote:
And getting back to the money we know that Amir Khan receives, how much does a pro like Peter Buckley make in a year? Or for that matter any other 8rnd fighter.
£70k a year ain`t bad for an amateur, many pros would be happy making the same I’m sure.

i hear what your saying, but in boxing terms Buckley hasnt got a tenth of the talent Amir's got... and in the world we live in, thats what matters....

I know plenty of guys who are british championship level and above who dont earn anything near £70k a year.. and they have to pay tax!!!!!

Surely the ABA should ensure that the money is filtered into the amateur programme to help support the sport, with lads who featuren getting an appearance fee of some kind.

Personally, in time, I think that the amateur code will dissapear as we know it now, and that everyone will be getting paid something. After all amateur shows represent good vallue for money compared to the money

The lads at the gyms who get to feature on shows will be able to work part time and make some extra money to augment their income.

topper123 wrote:

knockout wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote: it's about time the amateur sport modernised.

hear hear....

exactly why talented amateurs like Hatton, Mitchell, Linford, Haye, Tony Dodson turned over too early... too many dinosaurs

I agree that the sport should modernise, in France the Pro-Am shows seem to go down well, and you can mix in some young local talent on the shows to bring in ticket sales.

The one thing that might be a problem is where the money for the ticket sales go.
Local boxing clubs rely on the take from shows to keep going.

In France the pro and amateur ass. is the same. Most of the small cards are being promoted by amateur clubs.

TonyEvs, there's a lot of sense in what you say.

If amateurs are getting annexed, especially the better ones, for pro show, then that's going to shrink the drawing value of club cards that feature lesser boxers. Seeing as this is a significant cash generator for amateur clubs, I'd be dubious about replacing this with money 'filtered' through the ABA by a big professional promoter.

People will always box for nothing - people have played rugby for free for years and continue to do so even though both codes are now paid. But at the fringes of semi-pro there is too much tension over cash in all sports. It would be a shame if boxing became a solely cash-driven sport at amateur level. I realise it plays a part now but to become entirely mercenary won't happen but even going part of the way would be a Bad Thing.

looks like calzaghe home fans are not interested in him anymore.

I am all in favour of amateurs on pro shows, we may actually get to see some competitive fights!

Seeing two top amateurs coming to win battling out on a big stage will surely outshine most of the fights on the current uncompetitive professional bills.

It's got to the point where everyone knows the 10 winners will come from the same corner before the "action" begins.

Not a big fan of the head guards or computer scoring mind you, but at least these lads will both be fired up an evenly matched!

I do not understand how somebody can receive £70k a year tax free also, and still be classed as an amateur.

REAL_DEAL wrote:looks like calzaghe home fans are not interested in him anymore.

were they ever??? i thought thats why he fought in Newcastle