Amir Khan: ‘I’d be a superstar if I was white’
Discussion
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/...
What a stupid thing to say.
I've spent a bit of time with Khan in the past and frankly the only thing that surprises me is that it's taken him this long to say something so imbecillic in public.
You WERE well on the way to superstardom.....until you got put on your ass in 20-odd seconds last year.
This followed years of us "in the trade" knowing full well that his technique was suspect and that a beating was inevitible as the class of opponent he fought increased.
He also fails to mention his brushes with the law regarding automotive incidents.
Khan was wrapped in cotton wool and marketed very very well in his early years. Sadly, as time has gone by, he has been found out.
To bring religion and race into this debate is not wanted or needed in sport. Especially in a sport that is dominated by non-whites from across the globe. Pretty much everyone in the UK loves old Cassius; as I recall he was both a Muslim (sort of) and non-white.
I doubt this outburst has done Saturday night's pay per view figures any favours. What a moron.
What a stupid thing to say.
I've spent a bit of time with Khan in the past and frankly the only thing that surprises me is that it's taken him this long to say something so imbecillic in public.
You WERE well on the way to superstardom.....until you got put on your ass in 20-odd seconds last year.
This followed years of us "in the trade" knowing full well that his technique was suspect and that a beating was inevitible as the class of opponent he fought increased.
He also fails to mention his brushes with the law regarding automotive incidents.
Khan was wrapped in cotton wool and marketed very very well in his early years. Sadly, as time has gone by, he has been found out.
To bring religion and race into this debate is not wanted or needed in sport. Especially in a sport that is dominated by non-whites from across the globe. Pretty much everyone in the UK loves old Cassius; as I recall he was both a Muslim (sort of) and non-white.
I doubt this outburst has done Saturday night's pay per view figures any favours. What a moron.
EDLT said:
Maybe he should try fighting someone people have heard of.
He can try doing that all he likes.It will end in tears though, make no mistake.
The problem is really that he has nowhere to go, fight-wise.
"Real" boxing fans think he's a pratt and not too great a pugilist whilst the general public mostly only take an interest in winners.
Don't get me wrong, he has earned a nice sum of money that most could retire on. However, his real issue, if you ask me, is a certain Nazeem Hamed. He always thought he was heir to Nas' throne. I guess he's thinking that maybe he'll end up a dead-beat like Hamed, and it's everyone's fault but his own.
It will be interesting to see if the deals dry up sooner rather than later too.
In fact, it must be rather scary seeing the life one has become accustomed to potentially drifting away.
Despite this; he's still a tit.
Interesting one. There is little doubt that a lot of the press interest in Khan is down to his ethnicity and religion rather than despite of it. However, we in Albion like our starts to be quietly spoken and faux humble. Think Johnny Wilkinson and Joe Calzaghe.
Khan is one of the most energetic, expressive, articulate and interesting current sports personalities on the scene. Contrast his interviews with a dullard like Ricky Hatton who struggles to put words together to form a sentence. Similarly Khan's fights are like watching a thunderstorm with lightning strikes compared with Hatton's paint drying. The most interesting thing I've seen Hatton do in recent years is fall to the canvas.
Khan will always attract criticism because he doesn't fit into the traditional 'British" mould and traditional "British" fans can't immediately relate to him.
Finally,don't forget the art of the provocative interviewer. He's always being asked about race, identity, ethnicity and religion. He always handles these questions well. However, it doesn't take much for an interviewer to propose a question like, " Amir, do you think you would be more popular if you were white" and then quote the answer out of context.
pp
Khan is one of the most energetic, expressive, articulate and interesting current sports personalities on the scene. Contrast his interviews with a dullard like Ricky Hatton who struggles to put words together to form a sentence. Similarly Khan's fights are like watching a thunderstorm with lightning strikes compared with Hatton's paint drying. The most interesting thing I've seen Hatton do in recent years is fall to the canvas.
Khan will always attract criticism because he doesn't fit into the traditional 'British" mould and traditional "British" fans can't immediately relate to him.
Finally,don't forget the art of the provocative interviewer. He's always being asked about race, identity, ethnicity and religion. He always handles these questions well. However, it doesn't take much for an interviewer to propose a question like, " Amir, do you think you would be more popular if you were white" and then quote the answer out of context.
ppPickled Piper said:
Interesting one. There is little doubt that a lot of the press interest in Khan is down to his ethnicity and religion rather than despite of it. However, we in Albion like our starts to be quietly spoken and faux humble. Think Johnny Wilkinson and Joe Calzaghe.
Khan is one of the most energetic, expressive, articulate and interesting current sports personalities on the scene. Contrast his interviews with a dullard like Ricky Hatton who struggles to put words together to form a sentence. Similarly Khan's fights are like watching a thunderstorm with lightning strikes compared with Hatton's paint drying. The most interesting thing I've seen Hatton do in recent years is fall to the canvas.
Khan will always attract criticism because he doesn't fit into the traditional 'British" mould and traditional "British" fans can't immediately relate to him.
Finally,don't forget the art of the provocative interviewer. He's always being asked about race, identity, ethnicity and religion. He always handles these questions well. However, it doesn't take much for an interviewer to propose a question like, " Amir, do you think you would be more popular if you were white" and then quote the answer out of context.
pp
Who are you? His manager? Khan is one of the most energetic, expressive, articulate and interesting current sports personalities on the scene. Contrast his interviews with a dullard like Ricky Hatton who struggles to put words together to form a sentence. Similarly Khan's fights are like watching a thunderstorm with lightning strikes compared with Hatton's paint drying. The most interesting thing I've seen Hatton do in recent years is fall to the canvas.
Khan will always attract criticism because he doesn't fit into the traditional 'British" mould and traditional "British" fans can't immediately relate to him.
Finally,don't forget the art of the provocative interviewer. He's always being asked about race, identity, ethnicity and religion. He always handles these questions well. However, it doesn't take much for an interviewer to propose a question like, " Amir, do you think you would be more popular if you were white" and then quote the answer out of context.
pp
He's done well for himself thanks to some very carefully picked fights and shrewd management, and of course made some serious money. I'd be surprised if he goes out on a high, or with a belt.
The ego is inevitable, I've not seen many boxers that didn't think overly highly of themselves, if they didn't they'd be at a disadvantage. That being said, I still think he's a knob, and a pretty average-at-best boxer, with a very suspect glass jaw that'll stop him getting much further.
The ego is inevitable, I've not seen many boxers that didn't think overly highly of themselves, if they didn't they'd be at a disadvantage. That being said, I still think he's a knob, and a pretty average-at-best boxer, with a very suspect glass jaw that'll stop him getting much further.
Prat and as Martial Arts Man has said anyone with some boxing knowledge can still see many flaws in his technique, he reminds me too much of Kirkland Laing but Kirkland was a lovable guy.
If all us white boxing fans (and that the VAST majority) are so ignorant and racist they why did we travel so many miles to watch Nigel Benn, Chris Eubanks, etc and going further back take John Conteh to our hearts so much(possibly the greatest boxer Britain ever has had)
The main thing the three guy above had (and I could mention many more) was that they had a likeable personality and didn't develop the "do you know who I am" therefore normal laws and behaviour do not apply to me attitude. I had the pleasure to meet Chris Eubanks a couple of times and the attitude in ring was for the ring and he was a decent pleasant chap out of it.
Kahn's attitude is not helped though by being thrust into the limelight and given very easy bouts from day one in his professional career. Most British fighters have to work their way into the limelight and once proved over a long hard career get a couple of decent pay days if they are lucky.
Khan has had more money and fame cast his way than his record or ability justifies and this is down to one thing his race/religion, he and his team have played the media very well and the media where only too happy to jump on board the bandwagon.
Anyway as for the fight, Salita has a good punch and I hope he lands it well and early but I can see Khan picking up a points win. God I wish there where fighters like Roberto Duran (my boxing idol) still about so he could give this boy a real painful hiding.
If all us white boxing fans (and that the VAST majority) are so ignorant and racist they why did we travel so many miles to watch Nigel Benn, Chris Eubanks, etc and going further back take John Conteh to our hearts so much(possibly the greatest boxer Britain ever has had)
The main thing the three guy above had (and I could mention many more) was that they had a likeable personality and didn't develop the "do you know who I am" therefore normal laws and behaviour do not apply to me attitude. I had the pleasure to meet Chris Eubanks a couple of times and the attitude in ring was for the ring and he was a decent pleasant chap out of it.
Kahn's attitude is not helped though by being thrust into the limelight and given very easy bouts from day one in his professional career. Most British fighters have to work their way into the limelight and once proved over a long hard career get a couple of decent pay days if they are lucky.
Khan has had more money and fame cast his way than his record or ability justifies and this is down to one thing his race/religion, he and his team have played the media very well and the media where only too happy to jump on board the bandwagon.
Anyway as for the fight, Salita has a good punch and I hope he lands it well and early but I can see Khan picking up a points win. God I wish there where fighters like Roberto Duran (my boxing idol) still about so he could give this boy a real painful hiding.
Edited by Dr Phibes on Saturday 5th December 11:15
130R said:
Some comedian suggested he could fight Pacman.
I get this feeling (I'll try and check with a few sources on Monday) that Khan is being slowly abandoned by the promoters.
I used to get press releases on an almost daily basis, from top PR firms, regarding Khan. It really has dried up since "that fight" last year.
As stated earlier, he ain't all that bright and I think he is surrounded by morons too. They probably thought that saying something "controversial" might propel him back onto the back page. Sadly, it was a mistaken strategy.
Now is not the time to bring race/religion into this. A more humble approach may just have done the trick.
Sadly, having (like many boxers/mma fighters) been surrounded by YesMen for so long, I don't think Khan or his advisors have a clue.
Makes a bit of a mockery of his Union Jack shorts and Flag-scarf-thing though, thinking about it. Don't go biting the hand and all that, Amir!
I wonder how many of his fights will take place outside of Bolton in the future, irrespective of his future success or otherwise?
We have a number of very talented young, of Asian descent, British boxers knocking around right now. Khan is doing them all a dis-service.
FourWheelDrift said:
Amir Khan: 'I'd be a superstar if I was white'
Like Michael Jackson?
No, Michael Jackson said it didn't matter whether you were black or white. Bleaching himself silly had nothing to do with his actual opinion, obviously.Like Michael Jackson?
As for Amir Kahn, I'd love to see some no-neck bouncer outside a Bolton nightclub give the gobby little sh*t the beating of his life. Not because he is Asian, but because he's a t
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