BoxRec

from http://www.allegedly.tv

KHAN GETS 4MILLION+
by Iain Axon 2005-07-19 14:12:19 GMT


The audience for Amir Khan’s professional debut on Saturday night on ITV peaked at 4.4million, the network’s highest viewing figures for the evening.

Khan, 18, beat David Bailey in 109 seconds, an impressive showing that will have left viewers keen for more.

His defeat of Mario Kindelan in May was watched by a maximum of 6.3million people on ITV, and he is already viewed as a ratings winner.

Mark Sharman, head of ITV sport, said: "I was very pleased with the figure for Khan's fight and delighted with the buzz surrounding it. It confirms to me that the ball really has started rolling again for boxing on ITV."

i think audley harrison got more.

REAL_DEAL wrote:i think audley harrison got more.

but they soon got bored...

As long as Khan doesn't keep fightin journymen then the figures could rise.

Max Molyneux wrote:As long as Khan doesn't keep fightin journymen then the figures could rise.

Im afraid thats all you can expect for the next 10 -15 fights!

If ever there was a career I didn't want Frank to ruin, this is it.

It's a bit farfetched to expect otherwise, though.

How will Warren ruin his career? If Khan is good enough Warren will get him the big fights.

ABA Boxing wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:As long as Khan doesn't keep fightin journymen then the figures could rise.

Im afraid thats all you can expect for the next 10 -15 fights!

yup, 25th fight for the WBF-, or WBU-title

There really is some ridiculous nonsense on this thread.

I suppose Warren ruined Hatton's career......oh wait, he's the #1 in his division, in line for some huge fights, and the biggest draw in Europe, and one of the biggest in the world...

Yeah, sure, Hatton's really had his career ruined.

So all the years of mismatches and letting fighters fester away are forgotten when Tzsyu calls warren's bluff by agreeing to fight Hatton?

BubiScholz wrote:

ABA Boxing wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:As long as Khan doesn't keep fightin journymen then the figures could rise.

Im afraid thats all you can expect for the next 10 -15 fights!

yup, 25th fight for the WBF-, or WBU-title

I'm not a lirva apologist by the way, just that I remain cynical about Warren's matchmaking. one fight, for me, does not make it all better.

In a word....yes.

so you'd have no problem with many more years of what we have had to endure, ending in one big fight?

I didn't say that.....I won't be happy seeing hatton defending his belt against patsies...before he wasn't a genuine champ, and he was very carefully moved to get a title shot.

Point is, Hatton should have been moved along MUCH quicker, and being the draw that he is he didn't even need that godawful WBU tag.

No doubt Khan will go the same laboured route, earning Frank more criticism and sullying British boxing further over the atlantic.

ABA Boxing wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:As long as Khan doesn't keep fightin journymen then the figures could rise.

Im afraid thats all you can expect for the next 10 -15 fights!

Just like Audley.

If you ask me hatton caught kosta at the perfect time and warren got the fight in manchester doesnt sound to bad.Audley is in america because he couldnt do it here.

Yes, we've already seen how well Audley's self promotion has done for him.

So what if he fights journeymen in his next 10-15 fights, I expect him to do so, it just have to be durable journeymen that can give him rounds and different styles. IMO its not critical until fight 25 or so.

Just getting back to the point at hand. It's very encouraging to see those viewing figures, which AGAIN confirms that people like watching boxing - why this is so difficult for TV execs to grasp is beyond me.

As for Khan's career direction, if he keeps appearing just under the top of the bill with fighters like Calzaghe, Hatton and Co then I'm not too worried he'll "do an Audley".

Freiheit wrote:So what if he fights journeymen in his next 10-15 fights, I expect him to do so, it just have to be durable journeymen that can give him rounds and different styles. IMO its not critical until fight 25 or so.

How about Earl for the British Belt around fight 12, Earl;s shit anyway Vanzie ran roings around him won nealry every round and was robbed.

Then Euro belt around fight 18 and a world shot around fight 25

Without wanting to turn this into an Audley Harrison thread, I think one of the main frustrations with Harrison's career has been the slow pace and long gap between fights (yes I know he got injured!). If Khan does have 15-20 fights against lesser mortals I don't think people will mind so long as that part of the record is concluded within 24 to 30 months. It's when it drags on for 5 years that we get tetchy.

It's exactly what most big name fighters have done, they fight stiffs until they've learnt enought to make them a well rounded fighter so they can cash in.

Another thing for the people comparing Khan to Harrison, Harrison was what about 29 when he turned pro and has spent the past 5 years fighting nobodies, Khan is 18 and still has a lot of maturing to do, in 5 years time he'll just be entering the peak of his career and I'd bet he won't be fighting nobodies then.
There's nothing wrong with having a few easy fights at the start of your career and slowly stepping up in class, the way a lot of people are reacting it's as if they want him in with Mayweather in his next fight.

On the original subject, I think 4 million is quite a good figure for there first show, I can't wait to see how many Hatton will get.

James - don't make the mistake of thinking that everyone who posts on here actually understands how a pro fighter's career evolves.

At the moment, there are at least 50 lightweights that would knock Khan out. That is no criticism, just a recognition of how tough the sport is at elite level.

It's remarkable isn't it, who the fornicate do people want Khan to face in his 5th fight, Diego Corralles? Khan has a lot of old pro tricks to learn, he still holds than head up and fights a bit sqare on, lots of veterans would catch him out at this stage.

I think Khan may prove me wrong and turn out to be something that bit special, I was skeptical, and still am, but he looked so confident for a guy on his pro debut.