AN OPEN LETTER TO AMIR KHAN
BY STEPHEN S. JOHNSON
INSIDE BOXING 

(IB-January 18, 2009) The news that Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO's), the WBA World light-welterweight Champion since July of 2009, had officially been signed by Golden Boy Promotions was taken by the majority of the boxing community as rather disturbing.

Khan is the third youngest fighter from England to hold a world title following stars "Prince" Naseem Hamed and Herbie Hide. The talent pool in the United Kingdom is healthy, but world-wide exposure (translation: MONEY) remains being popular in the United States of America.

The now 22 years old Khan has been successfully promoted by Englishman Frank Warren since turning professional some 5 years ago, but says he needs Golden Boy Productions for "proper exposure".   

For those that may wonder who Amir Khan is, here's some quick background information...

Amir Khan is 5'10" and fights in the lightweight (140 lbs) to light welterweight (145 lbs) divisions.

Fighting in competition since age 11, Khan established himself as a crowd favorite. He assembled quite an impressive number of titles along the path to star status.

3 English school titles, 3 junior ABA titles, gold medals in both South Korea and Lithuania not to mention the 2003 gold medal at the Junior Olympics made it hard not to notice this kid. His overall amateur record of 100 wins and just 2 losses (both losses were to Cuban, Mario Kindelan) is mind boggling.

Amir Khan is from Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom and participated in the 2004 Olympic Games, representing England, where he was a silver medallist fighting in the lightweight division.

Khan vowed to return in 2008 as an Olympian and bring home the gold medal, but instead he decided to turn pro and was signed by Frank Warren, the respected English promoter who boasts such former champions as Naseem Hamed, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton. Successfully guiding the talented young Muslim to the top of the lightweight division is another fine accomplishment for Frank Warren. 

The logical thinking would be to remain with the successful promotions established by Frank Warren, but Amir Khan has decided Golden Boy Productions gives him a better opportunity in establishing himself as a world-wide boxing SUPERSTAR.

THAT is what inspired me to write this letter to Amir Khan...

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Dear Amir Khan,

It was very disheartening for me to hear of your signing with Golden Boy Productions this past Friday afternoon and I felt compelled to write you in an attempt to find out just what you were thinking. 

The game of professional boxing can be very lucrative for the chosen few that are in the right place, at the right time. You must be under the assumption you fall into that category and I hope you are correct, for your sake.

I have some concerns that I assume you took the time to consider in making your decision to go with Golden Boy Productions. These concerns affect not only your career in boxing but also your allegiance to fellow boxers, friends and countrymen.

You had a fantastic amateur record of 100-2. There is little doubt that with a record like that, the probability of you considering a career in professional boxing would be automatic.

When you made the decision to turn pro Mr. Frank Warren carefully assembled a team of respected individuals that would be referred to as Team Khan with a major emphasis on TEAM.

You've only been defeated once in your professional career and Breidis Prescott, a Columbian fighter now living in Miami, Florida, was probably too big for you. That defeat should have reminded you that as talented as you are, realizing your limitations and staying within those limits gives you a respect that carries lifelong ramifications.

In announcing your partnership, Oscar de la hoya of Golden Boy Productions said, "Amir Khan has the talent, and we are sure will be, the next fighter who is the best and most desired, in any weight class". In other words, you are the next Golden Boy Productions "cash cow".

The new theme in boxing seems to be the mysterious "Pound-for-Pound" (non-existent) belt that only promoters seem to think matters. A great fight is a great fight and the numerous belts presently awarded
for any number of alleged "titles" only makes the whole thing smell even worse.

With the heavyweight division in a stagnated state and the Klitschko brothers dominating the division, while refusing to fight each other, some kind of catch phrase had to be invented so that the smaller weight categories could remain interesting.

Hopefully, you took the time necessary to evaluate what you had in Frank Warren as a promoter versus any number of promoters who were courting you. That process, had it been done correctly, could have never brought you to the conclusion that Golden Boy Productions was the best to include as your partner.

You are presently being trained by Freddie Roach. Freddie Roach has a long standing relationship with Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions. I'm going to assume Freddie Roach will also be abandoned by you because there is no way Freddie Roach will have any affiliation with Golden Boy Productions, period.

You have sparred with Manny Pacquiao and are familiar with how things should be done correctly in a training atmosphere. There has to be a respect and admiration for you by your fellow sparring partners, trainers, cornermen and especially your countrymen for you to be successful.

How can you begin to think that Oscar de la hoya or Golden Boy Productions gives a damn about you when you got to personally see how they attacked Manny Pacquiao's character and country of the Philippines? 
You were able to see and hear things that will probably never be spoken of in public but the one thing you should have in your mind is the unsubstantiated claims of illegal drug usage.

Do you honestly believe that having been so closely involved with both Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach and even Bob Arum that you were not perceived as possibly using some type of Performance Enhancing Drug, if for no other excuse than "guilt by association"?

The next consideration you hopefully concerned yourself with was the apparent demise of fighters that take on Golden Boy Productions as their promotions team. The names of Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera (who you've defeated) and Juan Manuel Marquez headline what is commonly referred to as "the face of Golden Boy Productions".

Is this the star you've hitched your wagon to? You're not yet a member of the "over the hill gang" so why approach that angle when there were so many other options available to investigate? The choice you apparently made is no better than Bob Arum or Don King. At least they both have been exploring the aspects of new talent, not the "recycled boxing dump" Golden Boy Productions oversees.

Next, before "Coming to America", you should have taken care of business in the United Kingdom.

Kevin Mitchell (30-0, 22 KO's) just one month ago defeated Breidis Prescott (remember he, who gave you your only blemish on your record) by unanimous decision. That was probably your next fight to take on and maybe THEN you could look to dump Frank Warren and pursue greener pastures.

The lure of fame and fortune the United States seems to offer, for some, is too much to handle.
That is where Oscar de la hoya and Golden Boy Productions seems such an odd choice for you.

Golden Boy Productions has no choice but to put you in against some rugged, tough and veteran Mexican fighters. The smaller weight divisions offer any number of fighters you have neither seen nor heard of. Your problem is they are all of a lesser caliber than what you presently have in England.

I'm quite sure that you have been promised to be featured on a fight card that will most certainly be a Pay-Per-View event. Were you given the names of possible opponents and not only their records, but their fan following? The one thing you are positively aware of is the importance of a fan following. When the fan following is minimized, so is the fighter regardless of his talent.

I'm sure all the points I've made were considered thoroughly by you in reaching your decision to have Golden Boy Productions become your promotions partner. But I really, really hope you stopped to consider the long term NEGATIVE effect you decision may have.

You, Amir Khan, have spit in the face of Frank Warren and the people of the United Kingdom who have followed and supported you for many years.

You, Amir Khan, have shown no consideration for either Freddie Roach or Manny Pacquiao having seen the attempted character assassination attempt launched by Golden Boy Productions against them.  

You, Amir Khan, must face the music which most definitely will not be very sweet to your ears, when the fallout from this horrendous decision made by you comes back to haunt you. Turning your back on the people that cared for and nurtured you on your qwest for fame and glory may not appreciate your self centered actions.

For your sake, I hope I am dead wrong. 

In closing, I want to leave with you a saying my own father passed onto me many years ago when discussing the pitfalls of fame and fortune, something most of us at one time relished...

"The people you meet on the way going up...those are the same people you'll see coming back down"! 

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