Acrimony and controversy, the loss of £1 million and a broken relationship with boxing’s principal television broadcaster marred Amir Khan’s ‘homecoming’ to Manchester to defend the World Boxing Association light-welterweight title after 17 months in the United States.
In short, it was a public relations disaster for Khan Promotions. The 24 year-old might wonder if the MEN Arena has become a haunting ground, rather than a hunting ground, Khan confirming on Sunday that he may not come back to fight in Britain ‘for a very long time’. He will now fight in America, under the banner of Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions.
Nor was this an impressive outing. Khan looked flat-footed and raw in his fourth defence of the World Boxing Association 10-stone title against Paul McCloskey, an unbeaten European champion. Khan was subjected to a chaotic denouement in the fight, as he had been in the fraught fortnight before the fight, when his purse was reportedly reduced by £1 million.
The championship contest was stopped in the sixth round by Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon, and thereafter on the advice of the ringside physician, based on a vertical cut above the Irishman’s left eye. It looked, and felt, premature. McCloskey later showed seven temporary stitches in an upward line above his left eye.Thus, a contest which was intriguing, if one-sided, was over before it got started. McCloskey had moved well from the waist, swaying and ducking, causing many of Khan’s flying fists to whizz by him. But, by the sixth round, the champion was beginning to land more hurtful blows, and had drawn the challenger into standing with him.
Closure left an electrically-charged atmosphere of 16,000 baying spectators wanting more. Under WBA rules, the result went to the judges’ cards. Khan won every round on all three: 60-54. No issue there. But it felt premature.
Promoter Eddie Barry Hearn, head of Matchroom Sports, branded the officiating as ‘ineptitude of the highest order’. Hearn added: "This was Paul McCloskey’s world title dream, and it has been ripped away from him by the worst piece of officiating I have seen in 20 years involved in the sport. The referee, who is the sole arbiter, should be struck off and never allowed to step inside a ring again."
Khan added to the tension by wrongly stating that McCloskey no longer wanted to continue and at the post-fight press conference was less than generous in insisting that he would have knocked out his rival within two rounds.
Khan’s management team were also accused on Sunday of mishandling the entire event. Eddie Hearn, McCloskey’s negotiator, labelled the event ‘a shambles from start to finish, a fiasco'. "Boxing has never seen such a shambles. The sport needs to be run by people who know what they are doing.”
That was a reference to Khan’s management team, who have been accused by Matchroom of trying to pull together an event ‘on the cheap’.
Khan is believed to have earned around £1 million less than he would have done had Sky executives not taken it off Sky Box Office. Khan Promotions were offered a reduced purse for a switch to Sky Sports, but split from Sky to sign with the relatively obscure pay-per-view channel Primetime. It could have lasting repercussions.
Oscar De La Hoya, Khan’s American promoter, was accused of ducking a rematch with McCloskey by the fighter’s team and the Irish media in a post-fight news conference.
De La Hoya confirmed, however, that he was 'taking Amir to the United States, where we are making a unification fight with Timothy Bradley [holder of the WBO and World Boxing Council belts] this summer'. De La Hoya announced publicly that Golden Boy Promotions intended to secure relations with Primetime, the pay-per-view channel on the Sky platform which shows sporting events.
"We are the biggest promoters in the world and will do a deal with Primetime," he said. “Khan-Bradley is a fight we are going to make sure takes place.”
It was as good as a two-fingered salute to Sky, boxing’s main broadcaster in the UK.
Carl Froch, the WBC super-middleweight champion, who has been frozen out of a UK television deal, may be the beneficiary in the wake of Khan’s split with Sky.
Khan now follows a well-worn route grooved by former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. He fought only one of his last 16 fights in the UK. Khan’s destiny could now mirror that path, winning titles, and winning over the British public.
Khan’s management team were also accused on Sunday of mishandling the entire event. Eddie Hearn, McCloskey’s negotiator, labelled the event ‘a shambles from start to finish, a fiasco'. "Boxing has never seen such a shambles. The sport needs to be run by people who know what they are doing.”
That was a reference to Khan’s management team, who have been accused by Matchroom of trying to pull together an event ‘on the cheap’.
Khan is believed to have earned around £1 million less than he would have done had Sky executives not taken it off Sky Box Office. Khan Promotions were offered a reduced purse for a switch to Sky Sports, but split from Sky to sign with the relatively obscure pay-per-view channel Primetime. It could have lasting repercussions.
Oscar De La Hoya, Khan’s American promoter, was accused of ducking a rematch with McCloskey by the fighter’s team and the Irish media in a post-fight news conference.
De La Hoya confirmed, however, that he was 'taking Amir to the United States, where we are making a unification fight with Timothy Bradley [holder of the WBO and World Boxing Council belts] this summer'. De La Hoya announced publicly that Golden Boy Promotions intended to secure relations with Primetime, the pay-per-view channel on the Sky platform which shows sporting events.
"We are the biggest promoters in the world and will do a deal with Primetime," he said. “Khan-Bradley is a fight we are going to make sure takes place.”
It was as good as a two-fingered salute to Sky, boxing’s main broadcaster in the UK.
Carl Froch, the WBC super-middleweight champion, who has been frozen out of a UK television deal, may be the beneficiary in the wake of Khan’s split with Sky.
Khan now follows a well-worn route grooved by former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. He fought only one of his last 16 fights in the UK. Khan’s destiny could now mirror that path, winning titles, and winning over the British public.
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