By Matthew Hurley: After securing a dominant points victory over former IBF super featherweight champion Gary St Clair at London’s ExCel Arena Amir Khan acknowledged that he would now be seeking a world title shot in 2008. The final tallies were 120-108 three times. After a series of victories over marginal opposition the Olympic silver medallist showed poise and impressive technique in defending his Commonwealth lightweight title over the slippery St Clair..
“I’ve beaten a world class opponent and I want to become world champion this year,” Khan told Sky Sports. “I’ve always wanted to do twelve rounds and now I have. Every shot I hit him with he kept coming back. He was so strong.”
Indeed, the granite chinned St Clair provided a significant test for Khan who had never gone twelve rounds before. St Clair, who boasts of having never been stopped or knocked down in a forty-seven bout career, kept a steady pressure on Khan, particularly with left hooks and an awkward defense that saw him dip low with hands held high. Khan countered St Clair’s style with speed and volume punching.
St Clair stepped up his attack in the later rounds, as it appeared that Khan may have been tiring but the late round rally proved to be to little to late for the wily veteran.
“A few times I caught him with good shots and thought he might go,” he said in the ring after the fight. “But he was coming and coming and I had to pace myself. I’d done the training and knew I had the fitness in the tank to go the twelve rounds.”
As Khan looks forward to a title shot against the lightweight triumvirate of Juan Diaz, David Diaz or Michael Katsidis his oft-criticized promoter Frank Warren was beaming with pride over his fighters decision victory win.
“That was an excellent performance,” he said. “To win every one of the twelve rounds was just outstanding. I don’t think anyone can complain about that one or about the opponent.”
According to reporter Iain Axon, Warren is looking ahead to a fight with European champion Yuri Romanov for Khan’s next bout or the twenty-one year old will make his American debut. Should he opt for a fight in the United States it would most probably be on the April 19th undercard of the Bernard Hopkins – Joe Calzaghe fight in Las Vegas.