BoxRec

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6523011.stm

Amir Khan says his British lightweight rivals need to "fight me now before it's too late".

Olympic silver medallist Khan, 20, will have his 12th pro fight when he meets Steffy Bull in Cardiff on Saturday.

"I can beat the likes of Graham Earl and Kevin Mitchell already. When I've had 20 fights they will not be able to touch me," said Khan.

"I will be such a level above them they won't be able to fight me because the boxing world won't let them."

Khan earned rave reviews for his 55-second demolition of supposedly durable Frenchman Mohammed Medjadji in February.

And the Bolton fighter is irritated that some observers are reserving judgement on his talents until he has fought one his leading British rivals.

"Guys like Earl are the ones I want to be fighting now because I want to shut up a lot of people who think I am not good enough yet. I just know I can beat them already," he insisted.

"I will keep doing the business in the ring and I am more than willing to let other people plan my progress.

"But I am going to win a couple of titles before I step up for the really big ones - and by this time next year I want to be world champion."

Well yeah, whatever Amir.

Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Nice to see he's as modest as ever

"But I am going to win a couple of titles before I step up for the really big ones - and by this time next year I want to be world champion."

WBU? WBO Interim-Intercontinental? IBO? IBU? WBF?

KOJOE90 wrote:Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Khan may want Thaxton, but Warren, quite rightly, would want no part of a guy as tough, experienced and still hungry as Thaxton. Khan could win it with his handspeed, but Thaxton could end the fight with one punch.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Khan may want Thaxton, but Warren, quite rightly, would want no part of a guy as tough, experienced and still hungry as Thaxton. Khan could win it with his handspeed, but Thaxton could end the fight with one punch.

Quite rightly, from a business point of view yes, but it's the sort of fight fans want and that Khan needs (in the next 12 months) if he wants to fully develop as a fighter.

Khan needs to fight a few punchers of his own size and weight so he learns how to survive a 'shaky' moment otherwise when he gets up with the Worlds elite he will get caught with a big shot and may not know how to cope.

No matter how good a fighter and his chin are a fighter needs to develop survival techniques to be succssefull at the highest level. This will never happen whilst he is fighting non-punching Super-Featerweights.

I am also not sure Khan can beat Thaxton with just his speed.

KOJOE90 wrote:Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Khan is a commodity, & a big one at that. Can you imagine what the ramifications of him losing at this point in his career could be? Amir could say "I want to fight Jon Thaxton now" until he's blue in the face, but allegedly FW will not allow it happen this year, no way!

No disrespect to Khan, but I feel he's just becoming that bit more arrogant with each fight. Yes, he's performed well and done what's required so far in his career, but the question marks are over who has he fought yet?

Kevin Mitchell is a 130lbs fighter, Amir. You have been fighting as a LW/LWW since you turned pro. You are much the bigger man compared to Mitchell. It is a fight I'd like to see, however.

Khan has not been properly tested yet, and can we really blame his people for that at this stage of his career? Amir's management boviously want to build him into a star etc.

Is it me or does anyone else think Khan may be getting ahead of himself ever so slightly? It's good to be confident but there's a fine line I think.

Rocky Balboa wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Khan is a commodity, & a big one at that. Can you imagine what the ramifications of him losing at this point in his career could be? Amir could say "I want to fight Jon Thaxton now" until he's blue in the face, but allegedly FW will not allow it happen this year, no way!

No disrespect to Khan, but I feel he's just becoming that bit more arrogant with each fight. Yes, he's performed well and done what's required so far in his career, but the question marks are over who has he fought yet?

Kevin Mitchell is a 130lbs fighter, Amir. You have been fighting as a LW/LWW since you turned pro. You are much the bigger man compared to Mitchell. It is a fight I'd like to see, however.

Khan has not been properly tested yet, and can we really blame his people for that at this stage of his career? Amir's management boviously want to build him into a star etc.

Is it me or does anyone else think Khan may be getting ahead of himself ever so slightly? It's good to be confident but there's a fine line I think.

If Khan thinks he is well above Earl now, dont waste time fighting Earl.

Fight Michael Katsidis instead and put your money where your mouth is.

KOJOE90 wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Khan may want Thaxton, but Warren, quite rightly, would want no part of a guy as tough, experienced and still hungry as Thaxton. Khan could win it with his handspeed, but Thaxton could end the fight with one punch.

Quite rightly, from a business point of view yes, but it's the sort of fight fans want and that Khan needs (in the next 12 months) if he wants to fully develop as a fighter.

Khan needs to fight a few punchers of his own size and weight so he learns how to survive a 'shaky' moment otherwise when he gets up with the Worlds elite he will get caught with a big shot and may not know how to cope.

No matter how good a fighter and his chin are a fighter needs to develop survival techniques to be succssefull at the highest level. This will never happen whilst he is fighting non-punching Super-Featerweights.

I am also not sure Khan can beat Thaxton with just his speed.

I said could, as in, "in theory he could utilise his speed to outmanouvere Thaxton."

Thaxton is far too dangerous a step up for Khan right now, he needs to take on a few more fighters with a bit of a sting in the tail, before taking on someone like Thaxton who is big and powerful at the weight, brimming with confidence, and on a hot streak. Thaxton also has underrated boxing skills.

As for taking on Katsidis, that would be virtually suicidal right now, because Amir still makes too many mistakes which would end in a brutal KO.

Maybe in a year's time he'll be ready for Thaxton, but he has to be put in with some other testing fighters first.

KOJOE90 wrote:Well Mr Khan a certain John Thaxton has been calling you out for a while now and he holds a real Title.

Kevin Mitchell is a Super-Featherweight.

I doubt Khan - Thaxton will happen this year, Thaxton is on a winning streak so that will rule him out I imagine.

Khan's answered it for himself, he won't go near Jono until the gibbering youth has had 20 fights!

Amir, go for Romanov's European title. He'll have your effin' head, now or in 3 years' time! Romanov's a young fighter to admire, gets in with anyone and comes out of it improved. I think Yuri's the future of 135-40.

This news will no doubt strike fear into the hearts of jr lightweights throughout the land!!

I love it. All those set-ups and all his cousins/bredrins in his ear really have convinced Amir he is the dogs b#llocks. He says hes ready now so Mr Thaxton come on and do us all a favour...

Yeah if Khan were really as good as SN would have us believe, they'd put him in with Thaxton right now and he'd knock him out.

But no way anytime soon, not after all those easy set ups he's had - going in with a durable ambitious fighter like Thaxton, who could take you out with that left hook of his, would be near career suicide.

Though there's a lot of people in the game, over in the States too, who consider him one of, if not the, best young prospect in boxing. Lou DeBilla said as much recently. A lot of sceptics over here though, no doubt do to the over cautious matchmaking.

When Hamed was on the up Warren matched him reasonably fearlessly because he knew Hamed was the goods.

Granted he's not done it with anyone else but I always thought it would be a good test of how Warren rated his prodigys chances....

Thats exactly my view Goz - The confidence isn't there with Khan, and the matchmaking proves it...and will continue to do so.

Twinkle Toes wrote:Thats exactly my view Goz - The confidence isn't there with Khan, and the matchmaking proves it...and will continue to do so.

but he hadnt invested as much in hamed

i think its as much to do with what he would lose as not earn

Also a good point yes.

Khan is a twat I woud love to see someone shut his mouth NOW! If he thinks that he is too good for the likes of these guys get him someone better, oh, problem there, he would get found out in quick time. Thaxton do us a favour and ge rid of this chump Although Khan may be eager, I.M.O Warren wont let him anywhere near a dangerous old pro like Thaxton, far too dangerous, and the money mule will have it's legs cut off.

sweetscience wrote:
but he hadnt invested as much in hamed

i think its as much to do with what he would lose as not earn

Yeah that's also very true, maybe someone should tell khan then :)

"Khan" and "warpath" - aren't these terms incompatible?

Bizarre how Amir and his cronies have alienated his 'fans'.

I said all along that the hype that came along with his amateur success was sort of unavoidable, but for his first 20 fights or so he should keep a bloody low profile. He already had people moaning bout his shoddy opposition after 3 fights, so why is he still 'bigging' himself up now?

Khan's mouth is certainly starting to eclipse his ability...

No doubt he has talent and great attributes but by no means is he invincible, for some reason however, he seems to think so...

Thaxton would prove far to much for Khan at this stage, Khan would give him his best dig and the liklihood is that Thaxton, in his current form would suck it up and keep batling which I feel, would upset Khan and go against his desire for his (mainly blown-up Super-Featherweight) opponents to simply, fall down...

Khan needs to step up his opposition steadily but relatively quickly whilst looking to get a fight with a Thaxton (or similiar level) in the next 18 months or so if he is determined to show everyone that he really is the real deal...

That's my thoughts anyway.

Amir is now entering Audley territory: running his mouth about how great he is whilst routinely fighting undersized, hand-picked stiffs. If this bulging ego keeps growing and the opponents stay the same he'll quickly become another hated fighter like Audley, and people will find it hilarious when he gets chinned by a Thaxton, which is looking inevitable.

In fairness Khan probably doesn't understand the domestic rankings. He is a very talented fighter who is the British equivilent in terms of draw as Delahoya. Warren would be stupid to mess up a potential British DLH by throwing him in over his head too early. However Warren should be looking to step up the comp gradually so Khan can improve. And at 20 Khan is improving

On another note why is anyone been angry at Khan calling out Mitchell and Earl? These would be good fights, a big step up in competition, despite the cards been stacked in Khans favour and good learning experiences.

To make a comparison Floyd Mayweathers early competition wasn't much cop either until around his 16th fight I believe.

How about Khan vs Willie Limond?

Limond is not a puncher but is much better than any of the fighters has fought so far and would be a fair test.