AMIR KHAN has claimed he would be a worldwide superstar if he was a white fighter.
The WBA light-welterweight champion makes the first defence of his title against Dmitriy Salita at Newcastle's Metro Arena tonight.
And even though Khan chose to represent Great Britain, ahead of Pakistan, at the Athens 2004 Olympics, amazingly he sometimes gets booed.
The reaction from a small minority of fans has clearly annoyed Khan and once more the forthright Bolton star has met the problem head on in his usual no-holds-barred style.
He said: "It's probably jealousy and sometimes skin colour does make a difference. I know if maybe I was a white English fighter, I would be a superstar in Britain and the world.
"I never get racial remarks, but it's always out there, which you can't stop. You just live and learn about what people are like. I just choose to ignore them and carry on with my career."
Khan first felt a backlash after he suffered the only defeat of his 22-fight career - a 54 seconds knockout at the hands of Colombian puncher Breidis Prescott last September.
He added: "Straight after the Prescott fight, when people said 'he's finished' there were racial remarks made. But it made me stronger, it made me comeback stronger and made me a better fighter.
"I'm proud to be British and it's a small minority who says that, but it does hurt you and it pushes you all the way.
"I went to the Olympics for Britain and won a silver medal for this country and then won a world title too."
Khan has always been forthright in his condemnation of any terrorist activity and, after the London bombings, went on record stating that anyone who knew anything should shop them to police.
In fact, he made his pro debut in Bolton just days after the London bombings and showed his solidarity for the capital by walking around in a Union Jack with the word London emblazoned on it.
He has never been afraid to speak his mind and says exactly what he thinks, refusing to be intimidated by events, religion, race or politics.
He said: "I'm trying to fix things between communities because there's always going to be stuff there like racial things and people not getting on with each other.
"I'm trying to break that barrier and prove to people it's nothing like that. They have to look that I'm British, I went to the Olympic Games for Britain, I could have chosen to go for Pakistan if we were all like that.
"I'm a Muslim, but I respect other religions and other cultures. Just like with Salita, I respect the Jewish religion he follows and he respects me.
"With me being a sportsman and being an icon, if I can send a little message across that will maybe help a lot of people, I will do that.
"I'm never going to change as a person. I believe in peace and that religion really shouldn't come in sport.
"I've never experienced it myself, but if you go on the message boards on the web and chat forums there are always people who have to get the religious thing in.
"You get it the other side too and that's why I would rather just have peace. I'm doing what I love doing and it's a sport. Everything around it I choose to ignore."
Khan is considering moving to America and has been overwhelmed by the way his boxing celebrity has been received in the States.
Since Khan's only defeat, he now trains for every fight at Freddie Roach'' Wild Card gym in Los Angeles and top names have been queuing up to shake his hand.
He said: "In America they treat me like a god. Everyone shakes my hand and says 'You have made one of the best comebacks ever in boxing.'
"Oscar De La Hoya came to see me train as well as Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao, they can't believe how I have made the Prescott fight history and they come to the gym to see me train - they want to be part of it.
"I'm a big fan of theirs and when I first met them I was shy. They said great performance against Kotelnik and take this guy Salita out. In this fight, Salita has no chance.
"I've spent a year with Freddie and of that time seven months have been non-stop working with him. He knows me a lot better now and he knows when we spar that I have got something in me.
"Freddie tells me to stick to a game plan and that's exactly what I will do. I will go for it if he says go for it."
Salita has a puncher's chance just like Prescott had and the New Yorker will prove more awkward than expected but Khan will go for it after six rounds and stop him.
Source: thesun.co.uk
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