03.12.05 – Boxing wonderboy Amir Khan will take on Sheffield dangerman Daniel Thorpe a week on Saturday at the ExCeL in his London professional debut live on ITV1. Khan, the Olympic Silver Medallist, will have to be on top form as Thorpe is coming off a fantastic win over Haider Ali, the 2002 Commonwealth Games Champion, last week battering the former top prospect inside four rounds..
Thorpe, 28, has the experience of 65-fights in only four years as a professional and is a former Central Area Lightweight champion.
This does not bother Khan though who saw him in action against rival Kevin Mitchell in October.
“Thorpe is good tough kid with plenty of fights and experience and he will be up for fighting me now that he has beaten Ali,” said the 18-year-old Bolton hot-shot.
“He’s beaten the Commonwealth Games champion and he will want to cap that by beating the Olympic Silver Medallist so I will have to be on the ball with him,”
“I’ve seen Thorpe a few times in action the last time was against Kevin Mitchell and he showed plenty of lateral and head movement which made him hard to hit until Mitchell started to get through to him in the fourth round,”
“I can’t see him giving me any major problems though and if everything goes to plan I won’t be in their too long with him and I plan to get the job done quicker than Mitchell.”
A win for Khan will cap off a top year for the young star in which he gained revenge over his Olympic conqueror Mario Kindelan, turning professional and setting an ambitious target of becoming Britain’s youngest ever World champion.
He added, “This year went so fast and so much happened what with the Kindelan win and turning pro but I aim to close the year with another win, hopefully by knockout, and then get stuck into 2006 with plenty more fights,”
“Of course, it’s a big challenge to become the youngest British World champion ever but I’m progressing really well and learning the trade so I believe I can achieve that goal.”
By contrast, Thorpe has learnt his trade in small halls all around the country and believes that it will stand him in good stead against Khan.
“I am in the gym full-time now with Dave Coldwell training me and there’s no reason why I can’t beat Khan,” said Thorpe.
“The Ali victory was a big boost for me and I’m now producing the best boxing of my career so having Khan’s scalp on my record is a massive incentive,”
“I know how to beat Khan and that’s not to be intimidated,”
“His last three opponents looked scared to death before they got in the ring with him but I’ve got more than 20 times more fights than him from boxing up and down the country and it will show on the night,”
He finished by saying, “I am to ruin Khan’s Christmas!”