“Chin down, eyes up and stay focused!”–Instructional words of Coach Freddie Roach to Amir Khan between seventh and eighth rounds.
You can say he and promoter Frank Warren picked on the weakest line in the powerful junior welterweight division but it won’t dampen the spirits of the people dancing in the streets of Bolton, UK, tonight.
Yes, he Khan. Yes, Amir Khan, the kid from Bolton, is the new WBA 140 pound champion after putting a slick boxing clinic in virtually shutting out smaller, slower champ Andreas Kotelnik of the Ukraine over 12 not very exciting rounds in Manchester.
Khan followed Roach’s meticulous fight plan to the letter. He boxed smartly, using his height and reach advantage to pepper Kotelnik with scoring punches, albeit many of them blocked by Kotelnik’s high and tight guard.
It was the constant movement of Khan which kept Kotelnik befuddles. Khan was the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof and never dallied in once place.
Khan, who moved up from lightweight, is now 21-1 while Kotelnik drops to 31-3-1. There were no knockdowns.
Judges had it 120-108 and 118-111 twice.
Give the once-beaten Khan full marks and ditto to Warren, whose eagle eye zeroed in on Kotelnik as a beltholder ready to be beaten by his highly publicized protege.
But the jockey here was Coach Freddie Roach of Dedham, Mass., and now of Los Angeles. Roach brought home his 25th world champion with many more to come as long as his health holds out.
Give Roach;s star pupil, Manny Pacquaio a small assist as well, not only for sparring with Olmypic sILVER medalist Khan at Roach’s Wild Card Gym but for publicly voicing his confidence in and support of Khan in his world title quest.
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I had it 11-1 rounds for Kid Khan and I am second guessing myself on giving the fourth frame to the visitor.
Kotelnik was a silver medalist in the Sydney Olympics while Khan copped silver for Great Britain in Athens. They both lost to Cuba’s Mario Kindelan.
Khan may not be the greatest at 140 pounds but he is definitely the latest, copping a world crown at the tender age of 22 and having survived a first KO in less than one full minute at the hands of Breidis Prescott.
Prescott, a free swinging Colombian who was upset by Mexico’s gritty Miguel Vasquez Friday night in Las Vegas, looms as a probable near future foe for Khan in a revenge match.
But Khan’s big immediate bonanza would be a return to the Manchester Evening News Arena in the heart of Ricky Hatton Country to fight the UK’s most popular boxer. That fight could be either a revival or a fistic farewell for Hatton who was crushed so wickedly by Pacman.
Avenging the Precott loss would be satisfying but the money is in the Hatton fight.
The punters will pack the place to see if the Only Ricky Hatton has one more victory left.
There will be time for all that.
On this night, there is joy in Bolton for Kid Khan delivered big time.
