Khan - suffering from racism?

[Carl Weathers]

Deserves a thread of its own.

 

Imo - of course he is - albeit by a small minority.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8396760.stm

 

 

But since then the Bolton-born Muslim has faced jeers by a small, but vocal, minority - most recently at an appearance as a guest at the recent Prizefighter tournament at London's ExCel Arena, which Khan put down to racial prejudice.

"It's probably jealousy but I can only say skin colour does make a difference," he said.

"If I were a white English fighter maybe I'd have been a superstar in Britain.

[Cade]

Could be racism but more likely to be religious bigottry as he is Muslim.

[Carl Weathers]

Could be racism but more likely to be religious bigottry as he is Muslim.

 

Fair point - I agree with that. Misleading thread title!

[Tazio]

A claim instantly refuted by his father.

[Larry]

Im one of the numpty's who wanted to see Khan fail. Im no Racist though, How can he claim if he had been white he'd be a superstar, what about guys like Benn,Eubank, Lennox Lewis, and Bruno...The reasons I didnt like him were down to his personality, and promoter. they were cocky and arrogant, and I know they need to "promote" him but there are other ways they could have went about it. Also he's been Box Office for awhile now and I think its a joke making people pay ?15 to see him fight against cans. Fair enough he is a world champion now, I don't mind paying. But before that was a joke.

 

By the way ever since he was knocked out, his attitude has changed. He still has the confidence but he is going about things the right way now. He is likeable now.

[Captain_Peacock]

I went to watch him fight Barrera at the MEN in March. He was booed pre, during and post fight by a small but vocal section of the crowd.

 

I realise that Khan is from Bolton but I has assumed he would recieve a better reception in Manchester, which is pretty much his own back yard.

 

Khan has a bit of history when it comes to road traffci incidents and a lot of the jeers aimed at him were about the subject.

Bizarrlely he was convicted of dangerous driving in October 87 when he went through a red light and hit a pedestrian named Hatton in Lancashire.

 

Khan and Warren issued free ticlets for the Barerra fight fight to members of the Royal Anglican regiment who had been jeered as they marched through the street of Luton earlier in the year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/4990271/Amir-Khan-pays-respect-to-army-heroes.html

Members of the Royal Anglian Regiment - jeered as "criminals, murderers and terrorists" by Muslim extremists during a parade through Luton - will be treated as VIPs when Khan fights for his future at the Manchester Evening News Arena on Saturday night.

Fifty ringside tickets have been donated to the regiment's 2nd Battalion by fighters and promoters including Bolton-born Khan, and Frank Warren.

 

Seems to be frequently photographed with the Union Jack, but still not accepted by some.

[Tazio]

 

Khan has a bit of history when it comes to road traffci incidents and a lot of the jeers aimed at him were about the subject.

Bizarrlely he was convicted of dangerous driving in October 87 when he went through a red light and hit a pedestrian named Hatton in Lancashire.

 

 

 

Did he start driving before he was 17 then? Quite a bit before I'd say.

[Randle P McMurphy]

Thats good going running a red light whilst still in the womb! For what its worth i think he has been discriminated against, the boy is a superstar & will be far more appreciated when he goes to usa

[Rupert Pupkin]

After watching the fight(ahem)online last night the amount of racist drivel that was spouted in the chat box leads me to believe that he has a point.This had no bearing on the fact he was a Muslim and more to to with the P word so no confusion!

[Pauline]

I think he's lovely

[Captain_Peacock]

Did he start driving before he was 17 then? Quite a bit before I'd say.

Apolgies for the typo on my part, born 86, ran the guy over in 2006, convicted 2007.

 

Born Decmeber 86 according to Frank Warren http://www.frankwarren.tv/drill/indexboxers.php?id=9&page=boxers

 

The incident itself happened on the 2nd of March 2006. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1017911/Boxer-Amir-Khan-blamed-drink-death-broken-man-steel-worker-ran-sports-car.html

Mr Hatton was crossing a road in Bolton town centre on March 2, 2006, when Khan's ?65,000 BMW 645 convertible swerved past a queue of cars which had stopped for a red light and ploughed into him.

 

Convicted of careless driving Oct 07 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7058736.stm

Boxer Amir Khan has been convicted of careless driving after he went through a red light and injured a pedestrian.

The Commonwealth lightweight champion was driving his BMW convertible in Bradshawgate, Bolton, when he struck Geoffrey Hatton on a pelican crossing.

[Peebo]

Could be racism but more likely to be religious bigottry as he is Muslim.

 

Yes, I have no doubts that his abusers will have that distinction in mind.

[Carl Weathers]

I think he's lovely

 

He did a TV programme a while back where he helped young guys from troubled backgrounds. Came across as a decent guy.

[Pauline]

He did a TV programme a while back where he helped young guys from troubled backgrounds. Came across as a decent guy.

 

Yeah, he does. Handsome too

[Ribble]

Nowt to do with spitting the dummy and threatening to box for Pakistan if Britain didn't take him to the Olympics??

[Professor.Arturo]

Im one of the numpty's who wanted to see Khan fail. Im no Racist though, How can he claim if he had been white he'd be a superstar, what about guys like Benn,Eubank, Lennox Lewis, and Bruno...The reasons I didnt like him were down to his personality, and promoter. they were cocky and arrogant, and I know they need to "promote" him but there are other ways they could have went about it. Also he's been Box Office for awhile now and I think its a joke making people pay ?15 to see him fight against cans. Fair enough he is a world champion now, I don't mind paying. But before that was a joke.

 

By the way ever since he was knocked out, his attitude has changed. He still has the confidence but he is going about things the right way now. He is likeable now.

Agreed. I thought Eubank was a great character and a very good boxer.

Lennox Lewis was a well deserved champion.

 

But as far as Khan is concerned, the sooner he's up against a quality opponent the better, and I'll raise a glass and a smile when he gets a serious career ending injury, and I dont give two f**** if anyone does not approve of that comment!

[Boris]

Agreed. I thought Eubank was a great character and a very good boxer.

Lennox Lewis was a well deserved champion.

 

But as far as Khan is concerned, the sooner he's up against a quality opponent the better, and I'll raise a glass and a smile when he gets a serious career ending injury, and I dont give two f**** if anyone does not approve of that comment!

 

I'm not a racist but...

 

[CalMac]

There are potentially lots of reasons for not liking him, depending on your persuasion & your views:

 

He's Asian

He's English

He's from Bolton, so a Northerner.

He's a cocky wee sod

He's good & the 'Brits' prefer slagging off folk that fail or predicting their demise so they can say 'told you so'

 

Take your pick.

 

It's naive for him to expect everyone to support him, for one or more of the above reasons.

[redm]

Agreed. I thought Eubank was a great character and a very good boxer.

Lennox Lewis was a well deserved champion.

 

But as far as Khan is concerned, the sooner he's up against a quality opponent the better, and I'll raise a glass and a smile when he gets a serious career ending injury, and I dont give two f**** if anyone does not approve of that comment!

 

Feel free to expand on reasons for your dislike of Khan.

 

Wouldn't want people to jump to the conclusion that it's simply the colour of his skin or his ethnic origins, would you?

[benny]

I have always wondered why a lot of boxing fans want him beat.Always a few on this forum whenever he boxes.At the Olympics it was great to see his family support him and the UK.

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Show me another British boxer who gets as much positive media coverage as he does. Obviously a few idiots have a problem with him but he's got it better than most boxers in this country.

[Prince Buaben]

Agreed. I thought Eubank was a great character and a very good boxer.

Lennox Lewis was a well deserved champion.

 

But as far as Khan is concerned, the sooner he's up against a quality opponent the better, and I'll raise a glass and a smile when he gets a serious career ending injury, and I dont give two f**** if anyone does not approve of that comment!

 

Well suppose thats going to come, next year either a fight v Marquez or a unification fight against WBO/WBC or IBF champion.

When you look at Kahns record it does contain the names of Gomez and Barrera on it.

Thing is Joe Calzaghe didnt fight "Top" opposition till nearer the end of his career, critics of Calzaghe also say that he dodged big fights at times to keep his 100% record but was still loved by the public.

[Dusk_Till_Dawn]

Well suppose thats going to come, next year either a fight v Marquez or a unification fight against WBO/WBC or IBF champion.

When you look at Kahns record it does contain the names of Gomez and Barrera on it.

Thing is Joe Calzaghe didnt fight "Top" opposition till nearer the end of his career, critics of Calzaghe also say that he dodged big fights at times to keep his 100% record but was still loved by the public.

 

That's true, but Calzaghe's record still stands up to heavy scrutiny. It's fantastic. Why Khan thinks he should be a superstar at this stage is beyond me.

[rabthejambo]

Nowt to do with spitting the dummy and threatening to box for Pakistan if Britain didn't take him to the Olympics??

 

Apart from the fact that your statement is unsubstantiated nonsense, lets suppose it was the case. Didnt he go and win a silver medal, at 17 years of age, against a certain chap called Mario Kindelan who is widely regarded as one of the top 5 all time amateur champions? Surely, if a national boxing association was threatening to take potentially the greatest moment of your life away from you you'd be quite ****ed off as well. Incredible!!

[philfae]

Could be racism. could be religious bigotry as he is Muslim but more likely people dont like him because hes a arrogant Pratt....

[Ribble]

Apart from the fact that your statement is unsubstantiated nonsense, lets suppose it was the case. Didnt he go and win a silver medal, at 17 years of age, against a certain chap called Mario Kindelan who is widely regarded as one of the top 5 all time amateur champions? Surely, if a national boxing association was threatening to take potentially the greatest moment of your life away from you you'd be quite ****ed off as well. Incredible!!

 

Whether he won a silver medal at 17 is totally irrelevant to the OP's question, i.e is Amir Khan unpopular because of his race or religion? All I gave was another possible reason as to why Khan is unpopular!

 

As for taking away the greatest moment of his life away?? What like he would have been to old to make a career in boxing if he was held back to the age of 21 before going to Beijing and most likley winning gold??

[Rocco_Jambo]

Hes disliked because he comes out with crap like this. Playing the racism card. There has only been two boxing superstars who transcended the sport in Britain in the last 15 years since boxing moved away from Terrestial TV. Hatton and Naz. Just shows its not down to colour. Even Calzaghe was never a superstar and only became relatively known outside boxing after the Lacy fight. Probably more known now by the public after stricly come dancing than when boxing at his peak.

 

Whether or not a small minority are racist this small minority does not make a miniscule of difference whether or not he is superstar or not. Personality, achievement and talent do. He seems bitter about not receiving the adulation he thinks he deserves but playing the racism card makes him seem more of a prat.

[FTH]

Why is it that if someone is black and people don't like them, that automatically means it has to be racism.

 

I'm not a Kahn fan, but that's because I don't like they way he's had his whole career so far bummed up constantly, especially when he was just turned pro and fought a load of guys who couldn't even manage 1 round (I know Salita didn't last either).

[Rocco_Jambo]

Carl Froch isnt a superstar. Deserves to be one more than Khan does.

 

David Haye wasnt a superstar at Cruiserweight still probably couldnt be classed as one now. Deserves to be more than Khan does.

 

Junior Witter. Wasnt a superstar probably deserved to be one more than Khan does.

 

There is no reason why Khan should be a superstar. Racism has nothing to do with it.

[Ibrahim Tall]

Hes disliked because he comes out with crap like this. Playing the racism card. There has only been two boxing superstars who transcended the sport in Britain in the last 15 years since boxing moved away from Terrestial TV. Hatton and Naz. Just shows its not down to colour. Even Calzaghe was never a superstar and only became relatively known outside boxing after the Lacy fight. Probably more known now by the public after stricly come dancing than when boxing at his peak.

 

Whether or not a small minority are racist this small minority does not make a miniscule of difference whether or not he is superstar or not. Personality, achievement and talent do. He seems bitter about not receiving the adulation he thinks he deserves but playing the racism card makes him seem more of a prat.

 

Naz was hardly loved either to be fair, from what i remember he wasn't actually much more popular than Kahn for most of his career.

[Rocco_Jambo]

Naz was hardly loved either to be fair, from what i remember he wasn't actually much more popular than Kahn for most of his career.

 

He was most definately a superstar though and transcended the sport.

[stirlo]

Hes disliked because he comes out with crap like this. Playing the racism card. There has only been two boxing superstars who transcended the sport in Britain in the last 15 years since boxing moved away from Terrestial TV. Hatton and Naz. Just shows its not down to colour. Even Calzaghe was never a superstar and only became relatively known outside boxing after the Lacy fight. Probably more known now by the public after stricly come dancing than when boxing at his peak.

 

Whether or not a small minority are racist this small minority does not make a miniscule of difference whether or not he is superstar or not. Personality, achievement and talent do. He seems bitter about not receiving the adulation he thinks he deserves but playing the racism card makes him seem more of a prat.

 

Calzaghe never got anything like the credit he deserved from the British public and media yet his record is absolutely brilliant. Hatton, by contrast, was absolutely adored, but let's face it, he will not go down in world boxing history as one of the greats. I suspect that if Calzaghe had been English, he would have generally enjoyed a much greater level of support from folk in England than what he actually got. Although to be fair, that's probably stating the obvious!

[Ibrahim Tall]

Calzaghe never got anything like the credit he deserved from the British public and media yet his record is absolutely brilliant. Hatton, by contrast, was absolutely adored, but let's face it, he will not go down in world boxing history as one of the greats. I suspect that if Calzaghe had been English, he would have generally enjoyed a much greater level of support from folk in England than what he actually got. Although to be fair, that's probably stating the obvious!

 

As much as i was a fan of Joe, that's up for debate. With the exception of Lacy he barely fought anyone at their peak, Eubank was done, Hopkins was long past his best and still nearly won, and even the Jones Jr fight although impressive was about 10 years too late.

[Carl Weathers]

As much as i was a fan of Joe, that's up for debate. With the exception of Lacy he barely fought anyone at their peak, Eubank was done, Hopkins was long past his best and still nearly won, and even the Jones Jr fight although impressive was about 10 years too late.

 

Kessler was at his peak.

[Denny Crane]

As much as i was a fan of Joe, that's up for debate. With the exception of Lacy he barely fought anyone at their peak, Eubank was done, Hopkins was long past his best and still nearly won, and even the Jones Jr fight although impressive was about 10 years too late.

 

Maybe those fights would have happened sooner if the likes of Hopkins and Jones (if I may politely give them some benefit of the doubt) had not refused to fight him when Frank Warren tried to get them in the ring with Joe. Only when Calzaghe couldn't be ignored for much longer did they make themselves available. If they were past their peak, then that is surely their problem for leaving it so long.

Lennox Lewis was in a similar situation with various big names going to great lengths to avoid him (Tyson and Bowe in particular). People say Tyson was past his best when Lewis beat him but had they fought when Frank Maloney tried to get Don King to agree to a match seven years earlier, who knows? (Tyson remember chose to sacrifice the WBC belt and fight journeymen like Seldon and Ferguson for the WBA version than face Lewis).

[Captain_Peacock]

Lennox Lewis was in a similar situation with various big names going to great lengths to avoid him (Tyson and Bowe in particular). People say Tyson was past his best when Lewis beat him but had they fought when Frank Maloney tried to get Don King to agree to a match seven years earlier, who knows? (Tyson remember chose to sacrifice the WBC belt and fight journeymen like Seldon and Ferguson for the WBA version than face Lewis).

 

Tyson coughed up $4 million to avoid Lennox Lewis. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/lennox-lewis-is-it-really-fair-to-call-this-man-a-loser-682876.html

Of the significant heavyweights of the Nineties, only Holyfield shares Lewis's honourable record of making himself available to fight anyone, anywhere. Mike Tyson paid $4m not to fight him. It was not step aside money, it was payment in lieu of court costs which would have inevitably followed Tyson's refusal to fight, a reluctance which led to his surrender of the World Boxing Council title. Riddick Bowe, the universal favourite among the American press, and with quite a section of the British, to beat Lewis, despite the latter's convincing defeat of him at the Seoul Olympics, chose to throw the WBC belt once worn by Ali into a rubbish bin rather than step in with his challenger.

[super_vlad]

Im one of the numpty's who wanted to see Khan fail. Im no Racist though, How can he claim if he had been white he'd be a superstar, what about guys like Benn,Eubank, Lennox Lewis, and Bruno...The reasons I didnt like him were down to his personality, and promoter. they were cocky and arrogant, and I know they need to "promote" him but there are other ways they could have went about it. Also he's been Box Office for awhile now and I think its a joke making people pay ?15 to see him fight against cans. Fair enough he is a world champion now, I don't mind paying. But before that was a joke.

 

By the way ever since he was knocked out, his attitude has changed. He still has the confidence but he is going about things the right way now. He is likeable now.

 

Nonesense, that was only his second fight on sky box office, the first was for the belt. How can you hold that against him ?

 

Nowt to do with spitting the dummy and threatening to box for Pakistan if Britain didn't take him to the Olympics??

 

Thats just a blanet lie mate. At no point in his carrer has he ever consdiered boxing for Pakistan. He is actually not that well like within the asain community that he plays the British thing up so much.

 

Why is it that if someone is black and people don't like them, that automatically means it has to be racism.

 

I'm not a Kahn fan, but that's because I don't like they way he's had his whole career so far bummed up constantly, especially when he was just turned pro and fought a load of guys who couldn't even manage 1 round (I know Salita didn't last either).

 

So he was suppose to fight people at their peak when he just turn professinal ? I reckon Warren has handled him perfectly and helped to keep his feet on the ground rather than getting sucked into fights because of the hype around him in the earlier days.

 

Is Khan a superstar, NO, not yet. He has the ability but there is a long road ahead.

 

Does Khan get called a **** when he fights by the home ground, Yes !

 

Is he not like for his attidue ? Nonesense, as he is quite well grounded for a fighter. Boxers like Naz, Eurback, calazage were much bigger dicks outside the ring than Khan will ever be.

 

I also think that as British people, we don't like winners, its just in our nature !

[Rocco_Jambo]

Nonesense, that was only his second fight on sky box office, the first was for the belt. How can you hold that against him ?

 

 

Thats just a blanet lie mate. At no point in his carrer has he ever consdiered boxing for Pakistan. He is actually not that well like within the asain community that he plays the British thing up so much.

 

 

 

So he was suppose to fight people at their peak when he just turn professinal ? I reckon Warren has handled him perfectly and helped to keep his feet on the ground rather than getting sucked into fights because of the hype around him in the earlier days.

 

Is Khan a superstar, NO, not yet. He has the ability but there is a long road ahead.

 

Does Khan get called a **** when he fights by the home ground, Yes !

 

Is he not like for his attidue ? Nonesense, as he is quite well grounded for a fighter. Boxers like Naz, Eurback, calazage were much bigger dicks outside the ring than Khan will ever be.

 

I also think that as British people, we don't like winners, its just in our nature !

 

Your the one talking nonsense mate. His first box office fight was against Prescott. Unknown Columbian.

 

Second fight. Fagan unknown Irishman

 

Third fight. Aged and old Barrerra.

 

Fourth Fight. Finally fights for a belt.

 

Fifth fight. Salita.

 

He has been fighting on PPV for 18 months now

[super_vlad]

Your the one talking nonsense mate. His first box office fight was against Prescott. Unknown Columbian.

 

Second fight. Fagan unknown Irishman

 

Third fight. Aged and old Barrerra.

 

Fourth Fight. Finally fights for a belt.

 

Fifth fight. Salita.

 

He has been fighting on PPV for 18 months now

 

i stand corected, never realised all that was within the last 14 months.

[Uberjambo]

I also think that as British people, we don't like winners, its just in our nature !

 

So sad but so very true.