Total-Boxing Blog

News has filtered through today that Amir Khan has left promoter Frank Warren and signed with Oscar De La Hoya’s Goldenboy Promotions, one of the leading boxing promotions based in the United States. Khan, the WBA Light Welterweight Champion has been promoted by Frank Warren since turning professional in 2005, who has since led him to Commonwealth and World Titles.

Amir Khan and Frank Warren

These turn of events shows some spirit and hunger on the part of Khan, but also it shows of a lack of loyalty to a man who has saved Khan’s reputation after his 1 minute demolision at the hands of Briedis Prescott in 2008.

After all, Warren has put all, or at least the majority of his focus on Amir since turning professional in 2005 leaving the likes of Kevin Mitchell, Nathan Cleverly and Kel Brook in the shadows. Frank, the leading promoter in the UK, saw Amir as a future star and the darling of the nation following his fantastic Silver Medal at the Olympics in Athens at just 17 years of age. From the word go, Amir was plying his trade on national television in 4 rounders against the kind of no hopers you expect a top prospect to face early in his career.

Warren continued to showcase Khan on national television gaining him a Commonwealth title along the way, despite the mediocre opposition he was put against. As is always the case in boxing, tv channels pulled out of offering big contracts to show Khan’s fights, and Warren landed a deal with Sky for Pay Per View events, even at this early stage in Khan career. Despite, in his first pay per view showing, being knocked out in under a minute, Frank Warrren continued to get Khan on Pay Per View shows, regaining his confidence and reputation as a top boxing prospect.

Yet despite so much, and even getting Khan the WBA light welterweight title, Frank Warren finds himself getting ditched. Something he must be getting used to since the likes of Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe did the same thing, although much later on in their careers. Warren is notoriously outspoken about fighters not on his payroll and you do wonder how much of a kick in the teeth this is for Sports Network, the company behind Frank Warrens empire. If true to tradition, Warren will express his dismay and feeling of betrayal by Amir.

Khan is probably the second most popular boxer in the country after Ricky Hatton, and he will have been Franks treasured cash cow. But many people will applaud Amir for breaking away and leaving behind Warrens cautious approach to match making. Amir has stated many times he wants to fight the best out there, and he must have known deep down that with Frank Warren overseeing things, that was never going to happen.

Leaving Warren and heading stateside, Khan will get some much needed exposure over the pond, and will no doubt be matched against tough opposition, as that is what Golden Boy Promotions is all about. Amir has left Warren early in his career, something Joe Calzaghe may well have wished he had done. Calzaghe’s talent is undisputed, but his achievements in the ring are questioned because of the cautious management of Warren. Many feel Calzaghe never went after the big american names when he should have done, and instead took on Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins a good half a decade too late. Amir Khan, can avoid such accusations.

There is no doubting that Frank Warren is a shroud business man and we must remember thats what he is first and foremost. Match making is an important part of his job, and he needs his fighters to win to generate the most money he can both for the boxer and himself. Warren can however take somewhat limited boxers to heights they should only dream of, but there is always a common belief that he also holds back the boxers with the most promise.

Amir Khan may well go on to face the best opponents, and he might even lose to a few, but his hunger to maximise his legacy will never be questioned nor being accussed of ducking the best. Having the courage to ditch Frank and go stateside early on in his career is worthy of applaud, but it is yet to be seen whether he really can mix it with the big boys and live up to his own opinions of his potential greatness.

As we roll into a New Decade, there is only 1 fight on the mind of most fight fans! Since the turn of the century, there have been 2 men who can claim they are up there amongst the all time best pound for pound boxers. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have began a fued over blood testing which has ingited an impending lawsuit by Team Pacman against the Mayweathers and Goldenboy. Tongues have wagged and people have been quick to jump to conclusions. Is Pacquiao a drug cheat? Is Mayweather ducking the challenge?

What this sorry mess has done, is jeapordise one of the biggest fights in boxing history, to rival the Rumble in the Jungle, the Thriller in Manilla, Hagler vs Hearns and Tyson vs Holyfield. However it has also brought to light something that has, for years, had people turning a blind eye to! Drugs have always been involved in sport, for someone to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent. Boxing is no different, but then again boxing is a lethal sport without the added advantage someone make gain by using drugs.

Innocent until proven otherwise is definately the case here. Supporters of both camps make accussations and excuses against the other. Whether this is a huge publicity stunt or not, it should make the boxing authorities think about amending rules on drugs test to eliminate and cheats. Mayweather may have accidently opened up the gates to a reveiw here, and it can only be for the better.

Should the sport act now on amending testing to try and catch the drug cheats, or will we have to wait for someones untimely death due to injuries suffered in the ring at the hands of a “juiced” boxer? Are current tests sufficient enough to catch the most advanced performance enhancing drugs? And does blood testing have its disadvantages and have an affect on a boxers’ performance and condition in the ring?

There are many factors to consider and questions to be answered here. But this observer is always welcome of a review of how things are done, especially if it will eliminate any cheats in this already dangerous sport.