The flawed diamond that is Amir Khan was ruthlessly exposed last night as he
suffered a devastating first-round knockout at the violently quick and
powerful hands of Colombian opponent Breidis Prescott.
After 18 straight wins against an array of mostly light-punching opponents
which had established Khan’s box-office appeal, the 21-year-old from Bolton
was destroyed in 54 seconds by the fierce puncher from South America.
Prescott, a 25-year-old who had boxed only twice before outside his native
Colombia and never outside of South America, while accumulating a record of
19 straight wins in three years, 17 by stoppage, had been confident from the
moment he stepped off the plane that he would acquaint the 21-year-old
Olympic silver medallist from Bolton with the harsh realities of the prize
ring.
Some of these were articulated recently by former world featherweight champion
Barry McGuigan, who was speaking of Khan when he warned: “I always tell kids
that anybody with two fists, who can turn their weight over, can punch. If
the target is open, if the defence is poor, hands down, chin up, feet all
wrong, then any decent boxer can knock you over.”
Khan was not only knocked over by Prescott, he was clinically knocked out.
Lauded on both sides of the Atlantic as the foremost prospect in boxing, he
was hurt almost immediately by a right hand to the jaw thrown hard and
accurately by the Colombian and, suddenly, he had the startled look of a
deer caught in headlights. Prescott sensed his chance.
Standing tall and forcing maximum leverage into his punches, the Colombian
assassin went for the quick kill. Two more right hands crashed into Khan’s
jaw and, as his legs betrayed him and he went down, the 10,000-strong crowd
registered their shock, but the man most shocked of all was Khan. He rose to
his feet as referee Terry O’Connor tolled the mandatory eight-count but it
was clear that his powers of resistance were gone.
Prescott moved in and drove Khan back into his own corner before delivering a
hard right and wicked left to the chin that left Khan in a heap, his world
title dreams in tatters and his distressed mother, sitting at ringside, in
tears. O’Connor’s completion of the 10-count was a formality.
Despite the experienced manoeuvrings of his promoter, Frank Warren, whose
matchmaking had secured Khan a top-10 ranking by the world sanctioning
bodies, the danger signs had been there all along. Even in a dominating
performance against light-punching Dane Martin Kristjansen in April at the
Bolton Arena he betrayed a worrying vulnerability to being hit by a right
hand over the top of his low left, the same punch with which Willie Limond,
another light hitter, induced a serious crisis in his career by flooring him
in the sixth round of their July 2007 bout.
Michel Gomez floored him in June and Gomez was five years removed from his
last meaningful performance, a fifth-round knockout of Scotland’s Alex
Arthur; the fact that his most productive fighting days took place in the
super featherweight (9st 4lb) division discouraged any notion that Khan was
ready to challenge for the world lightweight (9st 9lb) title.
“I have been working on things like keeping my hands in the correct position
and moving with my hands up and keeping my feet together, stuff like that,”
Khan said recently. “I have really enjoyed the work because I love learning,
especially if I know it’s going to help me.” Unfortunately, it did not help
him much into the burning cauldron of the prize ring.
Nate Campbell, who has stopped 25 of the 32 opponents he has beaten, had
recognised the flaws. “Limond couldn’t even punch and he almost knocked him
out, so what’s going to happen when he fights a guy who can box, throws in
volume, can slug, has great defence, a great inside game and a great outside
game?”
Campbell asked following Khan’s elevation to No 2 in the WBO rankings on the
basis of his seventh-round stoppage of Kristjansen, which paved the way for
a proposed title challenge by the end of this year. “He’s fighting guys like
Kristjansen, who couldn’t score a knockout with a hammer.”
On the undercard, Arthur boxed a poor fight and was clearly outmanoeuvred by
Dagenham’s Nicky Cook, who won the WBO super featherweight title by a
unanimous points decision after 12 rounds. Cook opened up in the second
round with a straight right which pierced Arthur’s guard and followed up
with a left hook, his assertiveness proving the difference in the fight. A
jab and right hand by Cook and another left hook to the head kept the
challenger in control in round three. He was boxing well, landing another
good one-two and making Arthur miss with a wild right hand before the bell.
Arthur began to box better in round four, connecting with a couple of right
hands which sent Cook back-pedalling. Much to his frustration, he was unable
to build momentum in round five, but Arthur’s strength won him the sixth.
Several times he caught Cook with jabs and right hands, the effect of which
was evident on the damage to his nose. Cook turned the tide again in the
seventh with two left hooks and a right to the jaw which knocked Arthur into
the ropes. Arthur responded with a heavy right to the jaw before the end of
the round but Cook was the more aggressive.
The Scot was being outworked, getting caught by long, sucker right hands and
sharp left hooks in close. His own jab was virtually non-existent and,
meanwhile, he was being picked off by Cook’s left hand. The Dagenham boxer
wilted perceptibly in the penultimate round as Arthur tagged him with two
strong right hands to the chin but he finished strongly and deserved his
win.
sorry Amir
as sam of London & peter hepburn said.....the show is over son. No one wants to watch you fighting hand picked opponents and lining your pocket with huge sums of money. I'd pay to watch you fight a brilliant guy like Briedis in a return, winner takes all.
melly, knott end poulton, england
Amir is a true gentleman with his conduct and contribution to the community. All that music and lights b4 a fight is not right 4 him.In the ring, only the violent and ferocious succeed. Lennox played chess to strengthen his mind and focus. Amir must work on his strengthing his mind-He'll be back!!
Agnelo, London, UK
i was shocked when he went down, amazed by the strength of the blows and lack of guard from kahn.
i do hope he bounces back though as he is an inspirational boxer, maybe this knock to the chin will drive him to be better, we should back and support him on gloving up and having another crack at it
paul, leeds,
his career is over now. simple, i thought he was destined for big things, he was too young to go pro in my opinion, and he needed alot more challenging fights before he stepped up, he was obviously mismatched with prescott, and it showed bigtime. that jaw will never let him become champion now
Paul, middlesbrough,
i cant believe he losttt =(
hez stiil da best tho
luv ya amir khan =D
XxX
pwincess, sheffield,
No way Amir Khan was fasting in Ramadan. Its a lie, i know man boxers and there is no way he could of been fasting. And what a lame excuse, why take a fight in Ramadan if he was a so called good muslim. While the rest of the muslim population went to Tarabi prayers hes fighting. He has glass jaw.
Mo, Manchester,
Amir is the best boxer i have seen apart from the legends likes Mohammed Ali but anyways he has only lost becoz its da tym of ramadan and imagine going thru without food and drink and den fighting after?and not evry boxa can win u no:D so i say big up to Amir khan!!!he is best boxer!!!
Yazzo, Cardiff, Wales
Hmm. Call me a cynic...
Falsely up his rankings, then get a big pay day knowing exactly what the outcome would be.
Warren knows exactly what he was doing. I wonder how much of a wedge FW put on Prescott to win...
It's all about the money.
Richard, Jersey,
Khan never was and never will be.
He believed his own hype. This article is correct in saying that the signs were there, - check out some of Amir's amateur fights, - he can't take a punch at all - & punch resistance is something that you CANNOT teach.
End of Khan.
Phil, Guildford, Surrey
Khan has a glass jaw we had seen it in other fights before this. I susspect he will not be put in with any big punchers again for a long long time. For Khan to be respected by the public he needs to get rid of the skeleton in his closet and have a rematch and beat Prescott. It won't happen though
Tim, London, uk
Amir Khan is a good fighter but he isn't immortal. The problem is that fighters have win after win and think they are invincible, it just isn't the case. It becomes a bitter pill when you claim to be unbeatable and then you get beat.
He'll be back and stronger after this.
Keith, Warrington, England
Im an Amir fan, but why is everyone talking about bad matchmaking? To be the best you have to beat the best! If Amir wants a world title shot you have to fight the best there is and get that by fighting your way to the top! I dont remember Nigel Benn being wrapped in cotton wool!
Amir will be back
dan, london, uk
Khan will come back, but he'll never be a "proper" world champ thats a fact. You cant train to get rid of a glass jaw you are stuck with it. So no matter how much khan tightens his defense thats always going to be in the back his mind and the forefront of his opponent's
PAUL, glasgow, scotland
I reckon the man was fasting, but then again he can never use this as an excuse as he agreed to fight him.
What really is funny is that the advert in which he was saying that he aint gonna lose.
Mohammed, London,
Pommy pugmate of mine who was at the fight....said exactly the same thing re Khan's defensive stance and glove position when walking in.
Warren has cotton-wooled Khan and not really exposed him to ANY quality fighters. The boxing world is bigger than Europe....Khan knows this now!
SENRAB, HONG KONG, HONg KONG
khan is a really good fighter but he wasnt ready for prescott khan is 21 he is still a young man give him atleast 3 years and he will be knocking out every prescott kind of fighters they are!
kadir, birmingham, u.k
Khan will be back. He needs to come back slowly, fighting the mean Mexicans, Colombians and Puerto Ricans - not pushover European fighters. Remember, he is still a boy at 21 and needs to become stronger and meaner. His trainer needs to test his jaw in training.
Mohammad, Glasgow, Scotland
Breidis Prescott is a class act. Anyone who knows boxing regards him as a dangerous fighter who will soon fight for a title at lightweight. Khan's new trainer recommended Khan fight him and so showed a lack of judgement. Warren okayed the fight so he was at fault too. Khan was too green.
Charles Stuart, manhattan, usa
could see this coming for years pity khan warrencould not.
jeff, durham, england
agree wiv you all lads,kahns a very skillfull,fast and powerfull fighter but like peter says all his fights have bin handpicked,he's completely looked past the fights in front of him talking about who he's going to fight next,and wats this moving from itv to box office like that.
kev, stoke on trent, england
Fairplay to Prescott, he was 'the man' & definately proved it! However,the hype around Amir khan was certainly what led to his downfall!Money got to his head big time.No one is invincible apart from the almighty!Wearing Rolexes doesn't make one a better fighter.Amir is only 21 & will come back defo!
Razib, Birmingham, UK
amir khan the great british hope ? not a chance , F.Warren has spent 4 yrs feeding khan hand picked fighters & swelling his ranking & bank balance, prescott is from a columbian slum, hard,mean,hungry he looked like a man with somthin 2 fight 4, khan looked like a rich scared boy
peter hepburn, hull, england
Well done to Breidis Prescott. Lets hope Khan can get himself together and make a come back, this time with boxers in the same league as Prescott and not Frank Warren "Fodder". A boxer can always come back a better, stronger fighter having learnt some hard lessons, and I hope Khan does that.
James Band, London, UK
I like Khan and think he's a good fighter. But he was running before he could walk and believed the hype after fighting a succession of average fighters (typical UK). I think this will be a devastating blow to his career. It's one thing to lose a fight but to be knocked out so soon. It's all over.
sam , London,
Oh please?? Barry McGuigan warned nothing!! Did you actually listen to the three years that he spent covering Khan fights on ITV?? He was the chief Khan cheerleader.
Daz, Maidstone, UK