Amir Khan (L) of Britain connects on Luis Collazo of the US during their welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. PHOTO: REUTERS
LAS VEGAS: British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan earned the silver welterweight title after outclassing former titleholder Luis Collazo in an impressive win at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night, ESPN reported.
This was Khan’s first fight for the welterweight title and he won it by unanimous decision on the undercard. Khan, a former unified junior welterweight titlist, had stepped into the arena after a year-long hiatus from boxing.
He won the match scoring three knockdowns and outboxing Collazo with 119-104, 119-104 and 117-106. However, the match wasn’t without some worrisome moments, the ESPN report said.
Khan hoped his victory would be enough of a statement to put himself against undefeated welterweight Flyod Mayweather Jr in the next fight. On Saturday night, Mayweather had bypassed him and had elected to fight Marcos Maidana instead.
Mayweather’s victory against Maidana has set him up for either a possible rematch with Maidana or a showdown against Khan.
“He [Mayweather] is getting older and showing a lot of mistakes that he didn't used to do. It is a great time to catch him,” said Khan.
Speaking to the media earlier during this week, Khan had said that his next fight would be a “nice present” for his daughter who is soon to be born. “It is a present for everybody. We have so much support in Pakistan as well as all the Muslim people all over the world,” he had said.
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if he wins he is British, loss he is pakistani,
@The Khan-Waterloo,Ontario: dont worry, its just another Indian trying to troll ..we can smell them from their words..
if he was caught in some anti state activity he was Pakistani settled in Britain,now he has brought gud name to britain he is british ,simple is that
What has religion got to do with this boxing bout? Please keep religion out of sports.
@Ahmed: The fact that Amir Khan identifies with Pakistan and has set up a boxing academy in Pakistan seems to annoy a lot of Indians here on ET? " True British" is probably neither British nor Pakistani because he would understand that many expatriate Pakistanis in the UK are both loyal British citizens but take pride in their heritage. If " True British" is unable to write in English correctly, it tells us his background is not from that part of the world!
Amir Khan had a lot to prove in this fight. He was under a lot of pressure, but he stuck to the game plan and fought a smart tactical fight. Congratulations to Amir Khan on a great win against the tough veteran Luis Collazo.
Ali Khan Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM
Geez some people are making fuss about him being called Pakistani British! Is this an issue, Really? He loves Pakistan as much as he loves England! Sorry to break this to all the haters but he's a Pakistani too, visits Pakistan on a regular basis. Come on AK! Good luck for the future.
@True Birtish, 1st of all correct the spelling of british, Ok now here is your answer just look at the short of amir kan, can't you see written pakistan in half english and half urdu, and check the colour of his short, the same as the colour of our flag, he just represent you my boy, he is pure pakistani and i proudly told you guys that he is from my village matore, a small village of kahuta, rawalpindi
@True Birtish: Troll detected!
Well done Amir Khan. btw he is'nt actually the welterweight champion - it was his debut in this weight class. Can't wait for his fight with Floyd Mayweather (the current welterweight champion).
Truth be told...He would not have been a champion if he were not a British citizen and it would be the right thing to acknowledge it!
@ True British, what a load of nonsense. Like Khan I AM from Bolton, 3rd Generation, my grandad came here from Pak. And what you wrote couldn't be further from the truth. I literally read this site daily, to keep up to date with events in Pak, our community has a very, very close connection to Pakistan, When you're on the level khans on, you're not just an ambassador for yourself, your family, your religion and Britain, but also the country of your ancestral origin, Pakistan. Why cant you just be happy at the victory rather than bringing all that negativity into it.
btw, ET can quite easily check my IP.
Heartiest congrats to Amir well-deserved victory
@True Birtish: True Brits don't write English like that tbh
What is wrong with Pakistani people, they always take credits of Citizens of other Nations Just becoz he/she has ancestral relations to Pakistan.. Such a shaming Fact.. If Amir Khan would have raised in Pakistan he would never succed.. Dont Take Credits from Other Natinalities rather creat your own.. Pakistan had the chances to Glorify in Sports but unfourtinately Pakistanis misuse there own talent..
@ali: Your comment made my day.
Hilarious cover picture. :P
Patriot like Imran Khan. Brave like Ali.
Tremendous performance from Khan in his first fight moving up to Welterweight, Collazo is no joke, he just KO'd Victor Ortiz, and has fought some of the best. Yet Amir beat him better than any of those guys. Mayweather next year. And based on that performance (and Maidanas performance) Khan really could be the first man to ever beat Floyd. Really a great time for Pak/British boxing fans, that we have one of our own guys at the elite level.
I have met this Gentleman in Lahore. Truly down to earth human and proud Pakistani. ..
ET please don't try to stake unnecessary claims. He is British - Pakistani at best. A British citizen of Pakistani heritage, not the other way round.
Not Pakistani - British. There is a difference and your editorial team should be capable of understanding it. Reflects poorly on your editorial standards.