Khan wants rematch.....
Posted: 08 Sep 2008, 06:23
No chance of this happening.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... 658890.ece
AMIR KHAN’S new trainer will keep his job — despite seeing the lightweight getting knocked out for the first time in his career.
Khan recently replaced trainer Oliver Harrison with Miami-based former Cuban Olympic coach Jorge Rubio.
The switch backfired in spectacular fashion when Khan was knocked out after just 54 seconds by unbeaten Colombian Breidis Prescott.
Promoter allegedly, who had Prescott way down his list of opponents, revealed: “Rubio said he knew this guy and that he would be a good opponent.
“Rubio may be a really good coach but he’s a bad matchmaker.
“Derek Gainer was the original choice but for whatever reason he decided he didn’t want to fight.
“We were scouring around for an opponent and Jorge came up with Prescott’s name.
“We discussed it and that is what we decided to go with.
“At the end of the day, whoever Amir fights, the buck stops with me.
“When he is winning I am a great matchmaker and promoter.
“When he loses I take responsibility and Amir was caught cold.
“If it had gone a few rounds who knows what might have happened — but he never got into it from the start.
“Let’s take nothing away from Prescott — he doesn’t look a bad fighter, does he?”
Rubio was brought in to sharpen Khan’s defensive skills after the Bolton Bomber was floored by opponents considered light punchers like Michael Gomez, Willie Limond and Rachid Drilzane.
The sensational defeat will re-open the debate about Khan’s ability to take a punch — a debate which started when fighting as an amateur.
But Prescott exploited Khan’s trait of dropping his right hand by unloading a dynamite-packed left hook that exploded on the side of his face to put him on his backside.
Khan staggered to his feet at eight and was allowed to box on by referee Terry O’Connor.
But when Prescott connected with another powerhouse punch there was no beating the count for a second time.
The Bolton Bomber’s first defeat in 20 pro fights has put the brakes sharply on his aim of a world title shot within a year and he will have to carefully rebuild his career.
Khan, 21, admitted: “Critics have said I fight with my heart.
"Now it is all about using my brains. I will go back to the gym and work hard to improve. I’ll also sit down and watch the fight video but I know the mistakes already — a bit late now, I know.
“Jorge and myself are going to work on them and I am going to come back stronger, definitely.
“I’ve every confidence in Jorge. Training went really well but I got caught flush. I definitely want a rematch.
“I knew he had speed and I knew he had power. It was a massive gamble taking this fight. I took it to see where I was and that happens but I’ll come back stronger.
“I knew exactly what was going on after the first knockdown but just ran on to the shot.
“We worked on stuff in the gym and Jorge said not to do that, because he’s a big hitter. Prescott really is a big power puncher and this defeat has made me realise that it is the pro game and there are going to be tough fighters out there.
“I was always in a rush to become world champion and maybe that is what was meant to happen.
“I’m still young, it is not like my time is up. No excuses the better man won — I was caught cold.” Another big question Khan has to face is whether the fight public has gone cold on him with radio phone-ins jammed by calls gloating over his defeat.
Khan will try to take comfort from a few record-book facts as Howard Winston recovered from defeat in his first world title bout to rule the featherweight division.
And, of course, Joe Bugner lost his first pro heavyweight fight to go on to become a boxer fans loved to hate.
Maybe Khan will become a similar type of figure to Bugner as fans are split on whether he can deliver his promise of winning a world title. To rehabilitate Khan in the ring, he will ideally now face an opponent who can take a few shots but not give a bang back.
That would, of course, re-open another debate about the quality of Khan’s opponents.
But the Bolton youngster is in no doubt now that the jury is still out on his ability to deliver the goods against ‘live’ rivals.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... 658890.ece
AMIR KHAN’S new trainer will keep his job — despite seeing the lightweight getting knocked out for the first time in his career.
Khan recently replaced trainer Oliver Harrison with Miami-based former Cuban Olympic coach Jorge Rubio.
The switch backfired in spectacular fashion when Khan was knocked out after just 54 seconds by unbeaten Colombian Breidis Prescott.
Promoter allegedly, who had Prescott way down his list of opponents, revealed: “Rubio said he knew this guy and that he would be a good opponent.
“Rubio may be a really good coach but he’s a bad matchmaker.
“Derek Gainer was the original choice but for whatever reason he decided he didn’t want to fight.
“We were scouring around for an opponent and Jorge came up with Prescott’s name.
“We discussed it and that is what we decided to go with.
“At the end of the day, whoever Amir fights, the buck stops with me.
“When he is winning I am a great matchmaker and promoter.
“When he loses I take responsibility and Amir was caught cold.
“If it had gone a few rounds who knows what might have happened — but he never got into it from the start.
“Let’s take nothing away from Prescott — he doesn’t look a bad fighter, does he?”
Rubio was brought in to sharpen Khan’s defensive skills after the Bolton Bomber was floored by opponents considered light punchers like Michael Gomez, Willie Limond and Rachid Drilzane.
The sensational defeat will re-open the debate about Khan’s ability to take a punch — a debate which started when fighting as an amateur.
But Prescott exploited Khan’s trait of dropping his right hand by unloading a dynamite-packed left hook that exploded on the side of his face to put him on his backside.
Khan staggered to his feet at eight and was allowed to box on by referee Terry O’Connor.
But when Prescott connected with another powerhouse punch there was no beating the count for a second time.
The Bolton Bomber’s first defeat in 20 pro fights has put the brakes sharply on his aim of a world title shot within a year and he will have to carefully rebuild his career.
Khan, 21, admitted: “Critics have said I fight with my heart.
"Now it is all about using my brains. I will go back to the gym and work hard to improve. I’ll also sit down and watch the fight video but I know the mistakes already — a bit late now, I know.
“Jorge and myself are going to work on them and I am going to come back stronger, definitely.
“I’ve every confidence in Jorge. Training went really well but I got caught flush. I definitely want a rematch.
“I knew he had speed and I knew he had power. It was a massive gamble taking this fight. I took it to see where I was and that happens but I’ll come back stronger.
“I knew exactly what was going on after the first knockdown but just ran on to the shot.
“We worked on stuff in the gym and Jorge said not to do that, because he’s a big hitter. Prescott really is a big power puncher and this defeat has made me realise that it is the pro game and there are going to be tough fighters out there.
“I was always in a rush to become world champion and maybe that is what was meant to happen.
“I’m still young, it is not like my time is up. No excuses the better man won — I was caught cold.” Another big question Khan has to face is whether the fight public has gone cold on him with radio phone-ins jammed by calls gloating over his defeat.
Khan will try to take comfort from a few record-book facts as Howard Winston recovered from defeat in his first world title bout to rule the featherweight division.
And, of course, Joe Bugner lost his first pro heavyweight fight to go on to become a boxer fans loved to hate.
Maybe Khan will become a similar type of figure to Bugner as fans are split on whether he can deliver his promise of winning a world title. To rehabilitate Khan in the ring, he will ideally now face an opponent who can take a few shots but not give a bang back.
That would, of course, re-open another debate about the quality of Khan’s opponents.
But the Bolton youngster is in no doubt now that the jury is still out on his ability to deliver the goods against ‘live’ rivals.
