Amir Iqbal Khan (
PunjabiPunjabi or Panjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region ....
/) (born 8 December 1986) is a
BritishThe British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, one of the Channel Islands, or of one of the British overseas territories, and their descendants. In a historical context, the term refers to the ancient Britons, the indigenous inhabitants of Great Britain south of the...
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
from
BoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Situated close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
,
Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.56 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He became the
WBA World light-welterweight champion after defeating Andreas Kotelnik on 18 July 2009, making him Britain's third-youngest
world champion after
Naseem HamedNaseem Hamed is a retired British boxer and former Bantamweight and Featherweight champion born to Yemeni parents who emigrated to Sheffield....
and
Herbie HideHerbie Hide is a British boxer of Nigerian heritage from Norwich currently fighting in the cruiserweight class...
. He is also the former
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
lightweightLightweight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for alcohol. It can be used as a synonym for "kind of." It may also be used to describe something as being small or...
champion,
WBOThe World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. Its offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.-History:...
Inter-Continental lightweight champion, and
WBAThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
International lightweight champion.
Background
Khan was born and raised in
BoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Situated close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is an avid supporter of his local football club,
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League....
, and uses the club's training facilities. Khan belongs to the Janjua Rajput warrior clan. His parents originate from
Rawalpindi' Rāwalpindī) is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. Locally known as Pindi, the area was home to the pre-historic Soanian culture indigenous to...
in the
PunjabThe Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the country's most populous region with about 45% of Pakistan's total population. The Punjab is home to the Punjabis and various other groups...
province of
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
.
Kahn speaks fluent
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
, Urdu and
PunjabiPunjabi or Panjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region ....
. He was educated at Smithills School in Bolton, and Bolton Community College. His first cousin is the English
cricketerA cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the term "cricket player"....
Sajid MahmoodSajid Iqbal Mahmood is an English cricketer of Pakistani Janjua Rajput descent. He is a right-arm fast bowler who plays international cricket for England and county cricket for Lancashire....
and his younger brother, Haroon Khan, is also an amateur boxer.
In an interview with GeoNews he showed his pride in representing both Pakistan and
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
, claiming to be the first Pakistani to win a world title in boxing. Khan said he won the title for Britain, the Pakistani community, and all
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
s. He also stated that he has been to Pakistan several times and may fight there in the future, and that no matter what he achieves in his life he will never forget the love he has for Pakistan.
Amateur
Khan began boxing competitively at the age of 11, with early honours including three English school titles, three junior
ABAThe Amateur Boxing Association of England is the governing body of amateur boxing in England. There are separate organisations for Scotland and Wales with boxing in Northern Ireland being organised on an All-Ireland basis....
titles and gold at the
2003 Junior OlympicsThe AAU Junior Olympic Games are the pinnacle competition held annually by the US Amateur Athletic Union.-Sports currently held:The following is a list of sports that currently take place at the Junior Olympic Games.* Aquatics - Diving and Swimming...
. In early 2004 he won a gold medal at the European Student Championships in
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
, and in South Korea several months later he won world junior lightweight title after fighting five times in seven days. Khan then rose to fame as Britain's sole representative in boxing at the
2004 Athens OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, winning a
silver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc....
at the age of 17 in the
lightweight boxingThe Lightweight class in the boxing at the 2004 Summer Olympics competition was the fifth-lightest class. Lightweights were limited to those boxers weighing more than 60 kilograms.-Medalists:-Results:...
category. He was Britain's youngest Olympic boxer since Colin Jones in 1976. He lost in the final to Mario Kindelan, the Cuban who had also beaten him several months earlier in the pre-Olympic match-ups in Greece. In 2005 he avenged the two losses by beating the 34 year old Kindelan in his last amateur fight.
Olympic results
- Round of 32: Defeated Marios Kaperonis
Marios Kaperonis born 17 February 1983 in GreeceMarios is a Greek amateur Boxer who lost in the first round of 2004 Olympics in the Lightweight division to Amir Khan....
of Greece (RSC-3)
- Round of 16: Defeated Dimitar Stilianov
Dimitar Stilianov is boxer from Bulgaria, who won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas. Two years later, at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships, he won the silver medal in the Light Welterweight .Stilianov represented his native country at the...
of Bulgaria (37-21)
- Quarterfinals: Defeated Baik Jong-Sub
Baik Jong-sub is an amateur boxer in the Lightweight division from South Korea.-Olympic Results:Participated in the 2004 Olympic Games as a Lightweight boxer"*Defeated Gyula Kate 30-23...
of South Korea (RSC-1)
- Semifinals: Defeated Serik Yeleuov
Serik Yeleuov is a Kazakhstani boxer who won the bronze medal at Lightweight at the 2004 Summer Olympics.- Olympic Results :*1st round bye*Defeated Manuel Felix Diaz 28-16...
of Kazakhstan (40-26)
- Gold Medal Match: Lost to Mario Kindelán of Cuba (23-30)
2005–2006
Despite declaring after the 2004 Olympics that he would pursue a Gold medal at the
2008 Beijing OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one...
, Khan turned professional in 2005, signing with English boxing promoter,
Frank WarrenFrank Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Biography:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row.-Career:...
. It is speculated by some that this decision was influenced by a row with the English Amateur Boxing Association over the ticketing allocation for his family and friends at the English ABA Finals.
Khan moved from
lightweightLightweight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for alcohol. It can be used as a synonym for "kind of." It may also be used to describe something as being small or...
to
light welterweight-Professional boxing:The light Welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
for a single fight against French fighter Rachid Drilzane on 9 December 2006, winning a 10 round decision. Khan experienced the first knockdown of his career when his opponent caught him with a good left. Drilzane had never scored a knockout in his 13 fight career. Khan returned to the
lightweightLightweight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for alcohol. It can be used as a synonym for "kind of." It may also be used to describe something as being small or...
division for future fights.
2007
On 7 April 2007, Khan beat Steffy Bull in a three round technical knockout in
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
.
On 14 July 2007 he faced
Willie LimondWillie Limond is a Glasgow-born professional boxer. He is the current WBU lightweight champion, former IBO Inter-Continental champion, and the former Commonwealth lightweight Champion.-Early career:...
for the Commonwealth lightweight title. During the fight Khan was knocked down in the 6th round and appeared to be hurt badly. However, after another barrage of right hands, Khan weathered the storm and in the seventh round knocked down Limond.
On 6 October 2007 Khan faced
Scott LawtonScott Lawton is an English professional boxer who competes in the lightweight division. He hails from Stoke-on-Trent, is a two time English lightweight champion and has challenged for the full British and Commonwealth lightweight titles....
in his first defence of the Commonwealth lightweight title. Khan fought a mature and clinical fight, boxing with single punches for the majority of the first three rounds. Khan increased the pressure at the end of the third, and secured a
TKOA knockout is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
victory in the fourth. The referee stepped in when Lawton failed to fight back.
The most significant win of Khan's career up until that time came when he celebrated his 21st birthday by successfully defending his Commonwealth lightweight title against
Graham EarlGraham Earl is an English lightweight boxer from Luton, England. He is a former British and Commonwealth lightweight champion.-Professional career:...
on 8 December 2007. Earl, rated the number one British lightweight and a former world title challenger, was considered Khan's toughest test by some way and a tough fight was expected; especially due to some ill-feeling between the pair in the run-up to the fight. However, it took Khan just 72 seconds to have the fight referee declare Earl in no fit state to continue. Khan later claimed that he rated this victory as the best of his career.
2008
On 2 February 2008, Khan was scheduled to fight
Martin KristjansenMartin Kristjansen is a Danish lightweight boxer from Slagelse, Denmark. He is a former WBO inter-continental lightweight champion....
but illness forced the Dane to withdraw and instead Khan beat Australian Gairy St Clair in a contest for the Commonwealth lightweight title at the ExCel Arena in London. This was his first fight to last all 12 rounds and was won via a unanimous 120-108 scoring from all three ringside judges.
On 5 April, Khan beat
KristjansenMartin Kristjansen is a Danish lightweight boxer from Slagelse, Denmark. He is a former WBO inter-continental lightweight champion....
in the 7th round of a
WBOThe World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. Its offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.-History:...
world
lightweightLightweight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for alcohol. It can be used as a synonym for "kind of." It may also be used to describe something as being small or...
title eliminator. Before the contest, the fighters had been ranked 3rd and 4th respectively by the WBO. After Khan's victory, he was ranked 2nd, behind only
Joel CasamayorJoel "El Cepillo" Casamayor Johnson is a Cuban boxer, who turned pro after defecting to the United States on the eve of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The nickname "El Cepillo", literally translated to "the brush", comes from his uppercut, which rakes his opponents across the face...
.
Following the fight, Khan split from his trainer Oliver Harrison, the trainer for all of his previous 17 professional contests. The breakup was blamed on Harrison's concerns that Khan's public engagements were interfering with his fight preparations. An official spokesperson for Team Khan told reporters there was "nothing personal" between Khan and Harrison. Dean Powell, who has trained former world champions
Duke McKenzieDuke McKenzie is one of the best British former professional boxers, now a boxing commentator for UK broadcaster ITV.He previously commentated on boxing for BBC Radio Five Live and BBC television with John Rawling. He joined ITV with Rawling when boxing returned to the network in September 2005...
and
Lloyd HoneyghanLloyd Honeyghan is a retired British boxer. Born in Jamaica, he was WBC/WBA & IBF welterweight champion from 1986 to 1987. and WBC welterweight champion from 1988 to 1989....
, will work with Khan until a decision on a permanent trainer is made, with Khan possibly looking to America. In the same month, Khan had a training session in Las Vegas with
Roger MayweatherRoger Mayweather is a retired professional boxer. He won two major world titles in two different weight classes. Throughout his career, Mayweather fought against many other boxing champions of the 1980s and 1990s. He is a part of the Mayweather boxing family; his brothers are former welterweight...
, trainer and uncle of Floyd Mayweather, Jr..
Khan fought on 21 June at the
National Indoor ArenaThe National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
in
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
against Irishman
Michael GomezMichael Gomez , also known as "The Irish Mexican" or "The Predator", is a former professional boxer...
. Gomez, a
super featherweightSuper Featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms.The Super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although first founded by the New York State Athletic Commission in 1930...
who was reaching the end of his career and had lost the last three of his six fights, was described as a "backward step" in Khan's quest for a world title. Khan stated "I think I'm above this domestic level now" and made it clear that he expected a fast and explosive finish to the fight. However, after the fight, Khan said he felt he had moved up a level by "fighting world class fighters like Gomez". Khan received criticism for being knocked down in the second round, but proved his resilience by coming back stronger after this. Former boxing champion
Barry McGuiganFinbar Patrick McGuigan MBE, more commonly known as Barry McGuigan , nicknamed the Clones Cyclone, is a former professional boxer who became a world featherweight champion....
seemed unimpressed after the fight and said Khan needed at least two more fights before he should consider a world title bout. Many journalists echoed McGuigan's opinion of Khan's defensive vulnerability.
Khan vs. Prescott
A month after the Gomez fight, it was announced that
Jorge RubioJorge Enrique Rubio is a Cuban trainer in the sport of boxing. Rubio was a trainer of the Cuban National Amateur boxing team. Today, Rubio trains numerous professional fighters in Miami, Florida, including Gil Reyes, Juan Arroyo, and Stacey Reile. Rubio was announced as Amir Khan's trainer on July...
would become Khan's new trainer. Rubio was chosen because Khan thought that he had very good chemistry with the Cuban trainer. Khan said "Rubio was showing me all these new training techniques, and I felt so comfortable because it suited my style. I knew I had the handspeed and the footwork to do it and I knew it was going to make me a much better fighter". Many boxing experts thought that Rubio needed to concentrate on improving Khan's defence and Khan's father agreed that he was showing great defensive skills during his training. In the early August, Bredis Prescott was chosen as Khan's opponent by
Jorge RubioJorge Enrique Rubio is a Cuban trainer in the sport of boxing. Rubio was a trainer of the Cuban National Amateur boxing team. Today, Rubio trains numerous professional fighters in Miami, Florida, including Gil Reyes, Juan Arroyo, and Stacey Reile. Rubio was announced as Amir Khan's trainer on July...
because he had trained a fighter who had narrowly lost to Prescott before and thought that Khan would be able to handle the bigger, taller Prescott who had a prolific knockout record of 17 KOs in 19 contests.
On 6 September 2008, Khan lost to
Breidis PrescottBreidis Enrique Prescott Consuegra is a Colombian lightweight boxer. He has a reputation as a devastating puncher, with 18 of his 21 wins by way of knockout, with all coming in the first three rounds.-Career:...
in 54 seconds at the
M.E.N. ArenaThe Manchester Evening News Arena or M.E.N. Arena is a large indoor arena in Manchester, England...
on his
Sky Box OfficeSky Box Office is the name of BSkyB's pay-per-view system. It shows movies and occasionally sporting events.- History :Sky Box Office launched on 16 March 1996 on Sky Analogue. At the time it carried mainly sporting events, such as major boxing fights. The first of these was Frank Bruno's WBC...
debut, handing him his first defeat as a professional boxer. Khan was knocked down within 25 seconds and struggled to make the count, Prescott downed him again within 41 seconds, moments later to win by knockout.
Khan vs. Fagan
Following his defeat to Prescott,
Frank WarrenFrank Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Biography:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row.-Career:...
sacked Khan's trainer
Jorge RubioJorge Enrique Rubio is a Cuban trainer in the sport of boxing. Rubio was a trainer of the Cuban National Amateur boxing team. Today, Rubio trains numerous professional fighters in Miami, Florida, including Gil Reyes, Juan Arroyo, and Stacey Reile. Rubio was announced as Amir Khan's trainer on July...
and replaced him with Freddie Roach. Khan began training with Roach in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he sparred with world lightweight champion
Manny PacquiaoEmmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao , more commonly known as Manny Pacquiao, is a Filipino professional boxer...
, who is also being trained by Roach. On December 6, 2008, Khan recorded a comeback win against
Oisin FaganOisin Fagan, nicknamed "Gael Force", is an Irish professional boxer based in Oklahoma City, U.S., who fights in the light welterweight and lightweight divisions.-Debut fights:...
in a second-round stoppage. Khan knocked Fagan down twice in the first round and Fagan's corner threw in the towel in the second. After the fight it was revealed that Fagan had broken his ankle when falling after the first knock-down.
Khan vs. Barrera
In early 2009, it was announced that Khan would fight former seven-time and three-weight world champion
Marco Antonio BarreraMarco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He is a seven time world champion in three different weight classes; he is a former world champion at WBO Super Bantamweight , IBO / WBC Featherweight , WBC Super Featherweight and IBF Junior Lightweight divisions...
on 14 March 2009 at the
Manchester Evening News ArenaThe Manchester Evening News Arena or M.E.N. Arena is a large indoor arena in Manchester, England...
.
Frank WarrenFrank Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Biography:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row.-Career:...
promoted Khan's fight against the veteran Barrera, perhaps Khan's highest-profile opponent to date. Barrera was ranked #1 and Khan #9 in the
WBOThe World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. Its offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.-History:...
world lightweight rankings. Previous
IBFThe International Boxing Federation, or IBF, is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
and WBO world lightweight title holder
Nate CampbellNathaniel Campbell is an American professional boxer in the Junior Welterweight division. He is a former unified WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion.-Professional career:...
was stripped of the belts after moving up to the
light welterweight-Professional boxing:The light Welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
division and Khan's promoter
Frank WarrenFrank Warren is an English boxing manager and promoter.-Biography:The son of a bookmaker, Warren trained as a solicitor's clerk with J Tickle & Co on Southampton Row.-Career:...
and Barrera's promoter Don King lobbied the WBO to elevate the Khan-Barrera fight to a
world lightweight title eliminator. However, the world-title status was instead given to the fight between
Juan Manuel MárquezJuan Manuel "Dinamita" Márquez Méndez , is a Mexican professional boxer and the current WBA and WBO Lightweight world champion as well as the current Ring Magazine Lightweight champion. He has also held the IBF, WBA, and WBO Featherweight titles, and the WBC Super Featherweight title...
and Juan Diaz, ranked #2 and #3 respectively by the WBO.
On 14 March at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, Khan defeated Barrera after the fight was stopped towards the end of the 5th round due to Barrera suffering a severe cut reopened from his previous fight. This was caused by a clash of heads late in the opening round. With Barrera deemed in no position to fight on by the ringside doctor, the fight went to the scorecards where Khan was ahead on all three (50-44, 50-45, 50-45).
Frank Warren was sufficiently impressed with Khan's performance that he vowed to land a world title fight for him before the end of the year.
Khan also commented on the fight, saying:
During the post-fight interview, Barrera mentioned that he would talk with friends and family regarding his future. He also stated in a press release:
As of 26 March, promoter Don King is pushing for a rematch between Khan and
Marco Antonio BarreraMarco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He is a seven time world champion in three different weight classes; he is a former world champion at WBO Super Bantamweight , IBO / WBC Featherweight , WBC Super Featherweight and IBF Junior Lightweight divisions...
, claiming the fight should have been ruled a no-contest.
Trainer Freddie Roach has also hinted at his camp's desire to pit Khan against
Ricky HattonRichard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a British professional boxer...
after the latter's fight with Roach's other star pupil,
Manny PacquiaoEmmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao , more commonly known as Manny Pacquiao, is a Filipino professional boxer...
.
Khan vs. Kotelnik
On 18 July, Khan defeated Andreas Kotelnik at the MEN Arena in Manchester for the
WBA World Light-Welterweight title. Khan won by a unanimous decision, 120-108, 118-111, 118-111, and become the third-youngest Briton to win a world title, at the age of 22.
The winner of the fight was to face undefeated up-comer
Dmitry SalitaDmitry Salita is a Ukrainian-born undefeated boxer from Brooklyn, New York in the junior welterweight division.He has a 30-0-1 record, with 16 KOs. He is , and his reach is 69"....
, as he is the immediate contender. Salita said, "Amir Khan is just holding on to my championship right now." Salita said there is a 90-day negotiating period for Khan promoter Frank Warren and Salita’s promoter, Square Ring, to finalize a deal, and that both promoters had already had preliminary talks prior to Khan’s win. According to WBA concessions, Khan will face Salita for his first
Light Welterweight-Professional boxing:The light Welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds...
title-defense..
Khan vs. Salita
On 6 October 2009, Frank Warren confirmed that Khan will defend his WBA World Light welterweight title against Dmitry Salita on 5 December at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
Trainers
- Oliver Harrison – July 2005 – April 2008
- Jorge Rubio
Jorge Enrique Rubio is a Cuban trainer in the sport of boxing. Rubio was a trainer of the Cuban National Amateur boxing team. Today, Rubio trains numerous professional fighters in Miami, Florida, including Gil Reyes, Juan Arroyo, and Stacey Reile. Rubio was announced as Amir Khan's trainer on July...
–July 2008–September 2008
- Freddie Roach–October 2008–present
Outside boxing
In July 2006 Khan became involved in the No Messin' campaign, which promotes child safety around British railways. The same year he performed an
UmrahThe Umrah or is a pilgrimage to Mecca performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year. In Arabic Umrah means “to visit a populated place”. As a technical term used in the Shari’ah,...
(a pilgrimage to
MeccaMecca , sometimes spelled Makkah is the holiest meeting site of the Islamic religion. The city is modern, cosmopolitan and whilst being closed to non-Muslims is nonetheless ethnically diverse.Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants...
).
Charitable work
After the
2005 Kashmir earthquakeThe 2005 Kashmir Earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and in North West Frontier Province near the city of Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October, 2005...
, Khan went to Pakistan and handed out food parcels to children in a camp. He has also raised more than £6,000 for a firefighter who was badly burned while trying to save a family from an
arsonArson is the crime of deliberately and maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires caused by lightning for example. The study of the causes is the subject of fire investigation...
attack in Bolton.
He has spent £1 million of his own cash on opening the Gloves Community Centre and boxing gym in Bolton to get youths off the streets.
Media
- Amir was involved in a TV programme for Channel 4
Channel 4 is a UK public-service television broadcaster which began working on November 2, 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station owned now and operated by the Channel Four Television...
, Amir Khan's Angry Young Men, which consisted of three 50-minute episodes. The programme centred around troubled angry men and aimed to use the disciplines of boxing, coupled with faith and family values, to help re-focus their lives and steer them away from trouble in the future. It was screened in August/September 2007.
- He has also been on a show called Proud Parents with his parents.
- In April 2008, Khan appeared on TV game show Beat the Star
Beat the Star is a British game show airing on television network ITV. It is the British version of Schlag den Star, a German game show that is internationally advertised as Beat your Host and is a spin-off of Schlag den Raab...
, and in January 2009 he guested on a celebrity version of ITV1's Family FortunesFamily Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 1980 until 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006...
, pitted against Jennie BondJennie Bond ) is an English journalist and television presenter. She worked for fourteen years as the BBC's royal correspondent. She has most recently hosted Cash in the Attic and the three series of Great British Menu.-Early career:Jennie Bond was educated at St...
.
- Amir also appeared at The MOBO Awards 2009 where he presented the award for best video.
Sports
As well as boxing, Khan also enjoys playing sports such as football,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
and
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
.
Motoring offences and incidents
On 23 October 2007, Khan was convicted of careless driving at Bolton Crown Court and given a six-month driving ban and a £1000 fine. The conviction related to an incident that occurred on 2 March 2006 in the centre of Bolton, when Khan's car hit and broke the leg of a pedestrian who was running on a
pelican crossingA pelican crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing featuring a standard set of traffic lights with a push button and two coloured lamps for pedestrians using the crossing...
trying to avoid cars. Immediately prior to the accident Khan had swerved around a line of stopped cars and went through a traffic light that had just turned red. He was cleared of dangerous driving and the pedestrian received an interim payment of £40,000.
Khan was also summoned to appear in court in
RochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
on 26 October 2007, accused of travelling in excess of 140 mph on the
M62 motorwayThe M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
on 31 December 2006. He failed to appear and the case was adjourned to 2 November 2007, with the District Judge warning that he would issue an arrest warrant if the accused did not appear by then. He was also charged with not producing his driving licence and insurance certificate. On 7 January 2008 Khan was fined £1000 and banned for 42 days for the speeding offence.
On 12 July 2009, Khan was once again involved in a motoring incident, this time a collision with a young cyclist. However, no action will be taken against Khan after police concluded that he was not to blame for the incident in Moor Lane following interviews with a number of witnesses.
Titles
- Current WBA World Light-Welterweight Champion
- Former Commonwealth
The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
LightweightLightweight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight. It is also a slang term, indicating insignificance or ineptitude, for example having a low tolerance for alcohol. It can be used as a synonym for "kind of." It may also be used to describe something as being small or...
Champion
- Former IBF
The International Boxing Federation, or IBF, is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
Inter-Continental Lightweight Champion
- Former WBA
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
International Lightweight Champion
- Former WBO
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. Its offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.-History:...
Inter-Continental Lightweight Champion
Amateur boxing
- 2003 – Won a gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympic Games
The AAU Junior Olympic Games are the pinnacle competition held annually by the US Amateur Athletic Union.-Sports currently held:The following is a list of sports that currently take place at the Junior Olympic Games.* Aquatics - Diving and Swimming...
.
- 2004 – Won a gold medal at the European Student Championships and the World Junior Championships.
- 2004 – Won the Strandja Cup
The Strandja Cup is an International Boxing Tournament that often determines who will qualify to compete at the upcoming Olympic summer games. The Strandja Cup is the oldest boxing competition in Europe, and it takes place in Bulgaria. The first tournament was held in 1950 in the "Younak" stadium...
to qualify for the OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
- 2004 – Won a silver medal at the Olympics, beating Marios Kaperonis
Marios Kaperonis born 17 February 1983 in GreeceMarios is a Greek amateur Boxer who lost in the first round of 2004 Olympics in the Lightweight division to Amir Khan....
, Dimitar StilianovDimitar Stilianov is boxer from Bulgaria, who won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas. Two years later, at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships, he won the silver medal in the Light Welterweight .Stilianov represented his native country at the...
, Jong Sub Baik and Serik YeleuovSerik Yeleuov is a Kazakhstani boxer who won the bronze medal at Lightweight at the 2004 Summer Olympics.- Olympic Results :*1st round bye*Defeated Manuel Felix Diaz 28-16...
. He lost to Mario Kindelan in the final.
- 2005 – Beat Craig Watson on points in the ABA Championships
The ABA Championships is the premier tournament hosted annually by the Amateur Boxing Association of England.The Championships are 'open' class...
.
- 2005 – Won the last match of his amateur career beating Mario Kindelan 19-13 at the Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
.
Professional
|align="center" colspan=8|
21 Wins (15 knockouts, 6 decisions),
1 Losses,
0 Draws
|-
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res.
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd., Time
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Venue
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location
!align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
|-
| Win
|ENG David Bailey
|TKO
|1
(4), 1:49
|July 16, 2005
|
Bolton ArenaThe Bolton Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located on the boundary between Horwich and Lostock in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England....
|
BoltonThe Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest town Bolton, but covers a far larger area including six smaller towns and a number of villages around the West Pennine Moors.-Creation:...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
|
|-
| Win
|ENG Baz Carey
|Decision
|4
(4)
|September 10, 2005
|
Cardiff International ArenaThe Cardiff International Arena is an exhibition centre and events facility located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales, in the United Kingdom. The arena contains a number of function areas, the largest being the Main Arena. The CIA has hosted many national and international events, such as...
|
CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for Wales. According to recent estimates, the...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
|
|-
| Win
|ENG Steve Gethin
|TKO
|3
(4), 0:48
|5 November 2005
|
Braehead ArenaThe Braehead Arena is a 5,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Renfrewshire, Scotland, in the western part of the Glasgow conurbation. The arena was built in 1999, and is located within the Braehead Complex.-Past & Current Events:...
|
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
|
|-
| Win
|ENG Daniel Thorpe
|TKO
|2
(4), 2:57
|10 December 2005
|
ExCeL Exhibition CentreExCeL London is an exhibitions and conference centre in London, United Kingdom. It is located on a 100-acre site on the northern quay of the Royal Victoria Dock in London Docklands, between Canary Wharf and London City Airport...
|
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, England
|
|-
| Win
|BLR Vitali Martynov
|TKO
|1
(6), 1:15
|28 January 2006
|Nottingham Arena
|
NottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England and is one of only eight members of the English Core Cities Group....
, England
|
|-
| Win
|ENG Jackson Williams
|TKO
|3
(6), 2:16
|25 February 2006
|ExCeL Exhibition Centre
|London, England
|
|-
| Win
|HUN Laszlo Komjathi
|Decision
|6
(6)
|20 May 2006
|
King's HallKing's Hall may refer to the following:*King's Hall, Cambridge - former college in the University of Cambridge, England*King's Hall, Belfast - conference venue in Northern Ireland*King's Hall, Armstrong Building, a venue at Newcastle University...
|
BelfastBelfast is the capital of and the largest city in Northern Ireland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. It is the seat of devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly. It is the largest urban area in the province of Ulster, and the second largest city on the island of...
,
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
|
|-
| Win
|SCO Colin Bain
|TKO
|2
(6), 2:20
|8 July 2006
|Millennium Stadium
|Cardiff, Wales
|
|-
| Win
|ENG Ryan Barrett
|TKO
|1
(6), 1:52
|2 September 2006
|Bolton Arena
|Bolton, England
|
|-
| Win
|FRA Rachid Drilzane
|Decision
(Unanimous)
|10
(10)
|9 December 2006
|ExCeL Exhibition Centre
|London, England]
|
|-
| Win
|FRA Mohammed Medjadi
|TKO
|1
(8), 0:55
|17 February 2007
|
Wembley ArenaWembley Arena is an indoor arena in Wembley, London, UK. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium. It was built for the 1934 Empire Games by Sir Arthur Elvin, and originally housed a swimming pool, as reflected by its former name, the Empire Pool. The pool itself was last used for the 1948 Summer...
|London, England
|
|-
| Win
|ENG Steffy Bull
|TKO
|3
(8), 1:43
|7 April 2007
|Millennium Stadium
|Cardiff, Wales
|
|-
| Win
|SCO
Willie LimondWillie Limond is a Glasgow-born professional boxer. He is the current WBU lightweight champion, former IBO Inter-Continental champion, and the former Commonwealth lightweight Champion.-Early career:...
|RTD
|8
(12), 3:00
|14 July 2007
|
O2 ArenaThe O2 arena, visually typeset in branding as The O
2 arena, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located at the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, United Kingdom...
|London, England
|
Won Commonwealth Lightweight Title.
|-
| Win
|ENG
Scott LawtonScott Lawton is an English professional boxer who competes in the lightweight division. He hails from Stoke-on-Trent, is a two time English lightweight champion and has challenged for the full British and Commonwealth lightweight titles....
|TKO
|
|6 October 2007
|Nottingham Arena
|Nottingham, England
|
Retained Commonwealth Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|ENG
Graham EarlGraham Earl is an English lightweight boxer from Luton, England. He is a former British and Commonwealth lightweight champion.-Professional career:...
|TKO
|1
(12), 1:12
|8 December 2007
|Bolton Arena
|Bolton, England
|
Retained Commonwealth Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|AUS
Gairy St. ClairGairy St. Clair is a professional boxer in the junior lightweight division. He is the former IBF world junior-lightweight champion....
|Decision
(Unanimous)
|12
(12)
|2 February 2008
|ExCeL Exhibition Centre
|London, England
|
Retained Commonwealth Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|DEN
Martin KristjansenMartin Kristjansen is a Danish lightweight boxer from Slagelse, Denmark. He is a former WBO inter-continental lightweight champion....
|TKO
|7
(12), 2:53
|5 April 2008
|Bolton Arena
|Bolton, England
|
Won vacant WBOThe World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. Its offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.-History:...
Inter-Continental Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|ENG
Michael GomezMichael Gomez , also known as "The Irish Mexican" or "The Predator", is a former professional boxer...
|TKO
|5
(12), 2:32
|21 June 2008
|
National Indoor ArenaThe National Indoor Arena or The NIA is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
|
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county of England. Birmingham is the second-most populous British city, with a population of 1,006,500 ....
, England
|
Retained WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title.
|-
| Loss
|COL
Breidis PrescottBreidis Enrique Prescott Consuegra is a Colombian lightweight boxer. He has a reputation as a devastating puncher, with 18 of his 21 wins by way of knockout, with all coming in the first three rounds.-Career:...
|KO
|1
(12), 0:54
|6 September 2008
|
Manchester Evening News ArenaThe Manchester Evening News Arena or M.E.N. Arena is a large indoor arena in Manchester, England...
|
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. In 2007, the population of the city was estimated to be 458,100...
, England
|
Lost WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|IRE
Oisin FaganOisin Fagan, nicknamed "Gael Force", is an Irish professional boxer based in Oklahoma City, U.S., who fights in the light welterweight and lightweight divisions.-Debut fights:...
|TKO
|2
(12), 1:37
|6 December 2008
|ExCeL Exhibition Centre
|London, England
|
Won vacant WBAThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
International Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|MEX
Marco Antonio BarreraMarco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He is a seven time world champion in three different weight classes; he is a former world champion at WBO Super Bantamweight , IBO / WBC Featherweight , WBC Super Featherweight and IBF Junior Lightweight divisions...
|TD
|5
(12), 2:36
|14 March 2009
|Manchester Evening News Arena
|Manchester, England
|
Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental Lightweight title.
|-
| Win
|UKR Andreas Kotelnik
|Decision
(Unanimous)
|12
(12)
|18 July 2009
|Manchester Evening News Arena
|Manchester, England
|
Won WBA World Light-Welterweight title.
External links
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