MecnunK
15th March 2005, 20:07
Warren deal ends Khan speculation
By Ron Lewis
AMIR KHAN has settled any continuing arguments over his future by signing an agreement to turn professional with Frank Warren, The Times can reveal. However, Khan, the Olympic silver medal-winner, may have time for one last hurrah as an amateur by facing Mario Kindelán, his Athens conqueror.
After winning the lightweight silver medal at last summer’s Games, the chances of Khan resisting the lure of the professional game for four years to go to Beijing in 2008 always seemed slim. After the shock of seeing Khan dropped on his backside against Craig Watson in the opening round of the ABA Championships, a trip to China for the World Championships this year and next year’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne have now also been excluded.
The deal with Warren, which could see Khan earn £500,000 in his first year, was verbally agreed ten days ago, at the time Khan was withdrawn from his ABA Championships quarterfinal against Johnny Martin in Norfolk, saying that he had not been given enough tickets.
Since then the contracts have been with Khan’s lawyer, who approved them at the end of last week. The deal is unlikely to be announced until next month, though, when Khan will have his next and final amateur bout on April 16 at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton, which will be a fundraising event for his club, Bury ABC.
Khan’s withdrawal from the ABAs quickly became a public relations disaster for him and his close group of family and advisers. In their haste to find an exit route, not only was the ticket row exposed as a farce but comments were made against hard-working and unpaid ABA officials that bordered on the disgraceful.
Keen to avoid any more controversy, the family has asked Warren to help to promote the Bolton show, where Khan could have faced Kindelán, the 34-year-old Cuban double Olympic and triple world champion. Khan will not box in the Four Nations versus Cuba international match in Liverpool on April 8.
Kindelán retired after his Athens success, then decided to continue. He has a sister living in Carlisle and is keen to visit England. He has offered to face Khan at either lightweight or light-welterweight — where Khan boxed in the ABA Championships — and has also offered his services to the ABA to coach youngsters here.
Clinton Woods, the new IBF light-heavyweight champion, is unlikely to rush into a defence against Joe Calzaghe, the WBO super-middleweight champion. Woods produced a brilliant display to stop Rico Hoye, of the United States, in five rounds for the vacant title in Rotherham on Friday night.
“I think it’s just about sunk in now,” Woods said yesterday. “My dream would be a match with Glen Johnson (who outpointed him last year) or Bernard Hopkins, if he is moving up to lightheavyweight. I signed to face Joe eight months ago, but two weeks into training camp they pulled out.
“I’m a fan of Joe. I love the way he fights, but he hasn’t been operating at a high enough level. If he is as good as Frank Warren says, he should have gone to the US and taken his chances there by now.”
I hope it goes well for him but I think he made a mistake by signing up with that crook warren, plus fighting the cuban as his last ameture fight may be bad news for him publicity wise..If he loses imagine the media hype...This would be the third time he would lose to Kindelan if he loses..
By Ron Lewis
AMIR KHAN has settled any continuing arguments over his future by signing an agreement to turn professional with Frank Warren, The Times can reveal. However, Khan, the Olympic silver medal-winner, may have time for one last hurrah as an amateur by facing Mario Kindelán, his Athens conqueror.
After winning the lightweight silver medal at last summer’s Games, the chances of Khan resisting the lure of the professional game for four years to go to Beijing in 2008 always seemed slim. After the shock of seeing Khan dropped on his backside against Craig Watson in the opening round of the ABA Championships, a trip to China for the World Championships this year and next year’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne have now also been excluded.
The deal with Warren, which could see Khan earn £500,000 in his first year, was verbally agreed ten days ago, at the time Khan was withdrawn from his ABA Championships quarterfinal against Johnny Martin in Norfolk, saying that he had not been given enough tickets.
Since then the contracts have been with Khan’s lawyer, who approved them at the end of last week. The deal is unlikely to be announced until next month, though, when Khan will have his next and final amateur bout on April 16 at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton, which will be a fundraising event for his club, Bury ABC.
Khan’s withdrawal from the ABAs quickly became a public relations disaster for him and his close group of family and advisers. In their haste to find an exit route, not only was the ticket row exposed as a farce but comments were made against hard-working and unpaid ABA officials that bordered on the disgraceful.
Keen to avoid any more controversy, the family has asked Warren to help to promote the Bolton show, where Khan could have faced Kindelán, the 34-year-old Cuban double Olympic and triple world champion. Khan will not box in the Four Nations versus Cuba international match in Liverpool on April 8.
Kindelán retired after his Athens success, then decided to continue. He has a sister living in Carlisle and is keen to visit England. He has offered to face Khan at either lightweight or light-welterweight — where Khan boxed in the ABA Championships — and has also offered his services to the ABA to coach youngsters here.
Clinton Woods, the new IBF light-heavyweight champion, is unlikely to rush into a defence against Joe Calzaghe, the WBO super-middleweight champion. Woods produced a brilliant display to stop Rico Hoye, of the United States, in five rounds for the vacant title in Rotherham on Friday night.
“I think it’s just about sunk in now,” Woods said yesterday. “My dream would be a match with Glen Johnson (who outpointed him last year) or Bernard Hopkins, if he is moving up to lightheavyweight. I signed to face Joe eight months ago, but two weeks into training camp they pulled out.
“I’m a fan of Joe. I love the way he fights, but he hasn’t been operating at a high enough level. If he is as good as Frank Warren says, he should have gone to the US and taken his chances there by now.”
I hope it goes well for him but I think he made a mistake by signing up with that crook warren, plus fighting the cuban as his last ameture fight may be bad news for him publicity wise..If he loses imagine the media hype...This would be the third time he would lose to Kindelan if he loses..