Khan, asked about the constant criticism he has received on internet forums, and about being booed by sections of the crowd in March this year in Manchester when he defeated ageing Mexican ring legend Marco Antonio Barrera, revealed: “I think it’s probably from jealousy, and I can honestly say sometimes skin colour does make a difference.
“I know I maybe was a white fighter, an English fighter, maybe I would have been a superstar in Britain, or even in the world. You don’t really see it a lot, I never get racial remarks but it is always out there. You can’t stop it, it’s one of those things but you live and learn from what people are like. I just choose to ignore them and get on with my career.”
Khan cites that as one of the reasons why he may be more comfortable training from a base in Hollywood, California, under the masterful shadow of trainer Freddie Roach and No 1 pupil Manny Pacquiao, admitting that a culture of celebrating success is much more evident.
“I have Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and others coming into the gym to watch me train. I’m a fan of theirs. I’m just left alone in the United States to get on and do what I do best. I want to go on a be a great champion.”
The slurs on Khan here in Britain were at their height after his only career defeat, when he was flattened in 54 seconds by Prescott, the heavy-handed Colombian, in Manchester last September. “Straight after the Prescott fight, people were saying, ‘he’s finished, he won’t come back from that, he won’t come back the same’, and there were racial remarks made and whatever, but it just made me come back stronger made me a better fighter.”
He added: “I’ve never really experienced the racism first hand, or in my face, but I’ve seen it on websites and chat forums. I’d rather stay away from those arguments. I just love sport and choose to ignore it.”
Khan reminded everyone that he went to the Athens Olympic Games bearing Great Britain on his shorts. “I’m proud to be British, it is a very small minority who say that, it does hurt you, but in a way it has pushed me all the way in my career. I represented GB in the Olympic Games, I won a medal for Britain, and I’d even say I won a world title for Britain. Sometimes you don’t see the appreciation.”
Khan, who is 23 on Tuesday, and who has been in the spotlight since becoming an Olympian aged 17, made his professional debut a week after the London 7/7 bombings, and came out to Land of Hope and Glory, swathed in the Union Flag.
It had been his idea. “I’m doing it just to fix things between the Asian communities and English communities. There will always be racial things there and not getting on with each other, and I’m trying to break that barrier. I believe in peace.
“I’m also British. I went to the Olympics for Britain. I could have chosen to go there for Pakistan. I’m a Muslim, but I respect other religions and other cultures. Like my opponent in this fight. Salita is Jewish, and I respect his beliefs.”
That respect outside the ring will be put on hold at around 10pm on Saturday night, however, when Khan transforms himself into the lightning-fisted fighter controlled by master trainer Roach.
Salita has certainly trained around some formidable champions in the gyms of Brooklyn, New York, but is likely to be overwhelmed by Khan’s speed. Salita has built up a respectable record of 30 wins and one draw, and has worked his way towards the status of mandatory challenger, but may have to rely on Khan making a mistake to create what would be a clear upset.
Unless he gets tagged, Roach will unleash Khan from round six and a stoppage for the young tyro from Bolton between rounds six and nine looks on the cards.
Khan’s fight — and championship belt — to lose.
Tale of the tape
Amir Khan
Age: 22
Record: 21-1 (15 KO)
Weight: 9st 13½lbs
Height: 5ft 10ins
Reach: 71ins
Career rounds: 94
Dmitriy Salita
Age: 27
Record: 30-0 (16 KO, 1 draw)
Weight: 10st
Height: 5ft 9ins
Reach: 69ins
Career rounds: 176
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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