Bolton ace excelling each match
British boxer Amir Khan delighted his home crowd after storming to victory against Ryan Barrett at the Bolton Arena.
The 19-year-old wasted no time in stamping his authority on the bout – flooring Barrett with a phenomenal right hand after a minute.
And there was no rest bite for Barrett who was dumped twice more before enough was enough after one minute 51 seconds as Khan won his ninth pro fight.
“I was up for six rounds,” said the teenager. “Ryan is fit and strong and he’s ranked a lot higher than me so it went well for me.”
He added: “He’s only lost two out of 15. All the critics out there saying Amir’s not getting the right fights. He also boxed a British eliminator fight so he’s showed how good he was.”
Khan also reiterated his desire to be given a world title shot in the near future.
“I want to be one of the youngest world champions ever and the way it’s going, things are going alright,” he said. “”I want a title more than anything and I believe that some time in the middle of next year I will be ready to fight for one. But I want to go eight rounds first for the experience.
His promoter Frank Warren said Khan’s next fight, in December, was likely to be over eight rounds.
Khan meanwhile also condemned the “traitor” jibe hurled at his cricketing cousin Sajid Mahmood by spectators, saying he was a hero and they were both proud to be representing England.
“He’s no traitor, he’s our hero. What a performance that was from Saj, and under all that pressure too,” Khan said.
Mahmood was called a ‘traitor’ by some Pakistani fans when he took 4-22 to help England win at third cricket Test against Pakistan at Headingley.
Khan said Mahmood and he were most proud to be representing England but the abuse was made by some Pakistani Muslims because the family of the Lancashire pace originally hailed from the Asian country.
“The Pakistani Muslims who were supporting Pakistan were calling him a traitor because our family is originally from Pakistan,” the 19-year-old was quoted as saying by ‘Mirror’.
“But England is our country. We were born here and England is our home. Saj is like me – he is proud to represent England.
“And he couldn’t have turned it on against a better team – I know that if I were fighting a Pakistani opponent I would want to knock him out. There would be that extra incentive.”
“Saj is a hero for us and our family… We’re all just so happy and proud of what he has done.”
Khan also praised Mahmood for the way he didn’t let the crowd bother him.
“He didn’t let it bother him. Anyone else being called the things he was being called might have retaliated and got into trouble.
