Amir Khan

[Vermilion]

Interview with sound. http://www1.skysports.com/boxing/new...s-interference

Amir Khan believes a mystery man 'interfered' with the judging of his controversial points defeat to Lamont Peterson.

The American got the nod on the scorecards in his hometown of Washington on December 10 to take the WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles from the Bolton boxer.

Khan, who was deducted two points by referee Joe Cooper during the bout, used Twitter to post a series of messages, as well as pictures, to raise concerns over an individual at ringside sat next to judge

He said: "At the beginning of round 2 he (a guy wearing a grey suit with a blue shirt wearing a hat) manages to squeeze in at the front again sat next to Michael Walsh.

"Now the IBF and the WBA have still not confirmed who this guy is and what he was doing there...Now this guy doesn't do anything apart from watching the fight but that's only until round 6 when he starts to interfere!

"From round 6 all the way through to round 12 this guy starts to interfere with what Michael Walsh is doing and they are both not watching the fight.

"This is what I meant about how he was interfering, as no one is allowed - according to the rules - to touch, hold the scorecards or even talk to the judges during the fight."

And Khan's business manager Asif Vali has backed up his fighter's concerns about the man's ringside actions.

Vali said: "We don't know who the official is. We've asked the question, we've written to Washington DC and we're still waiting for their response, and we've written to the IBF and they've still not responded."

[spud_gun]

It was a very close fight. Khan's people are looking a little foolish with regards to this ongoing claim of injustice. It's not as though it were a Chisora vs Helelnious type decision.

The only thing that i can think of is that Khan's camp have got word from Peterson's people that they want no part of a rematch and Khan's people are involved in this politicking in order to get Khan named as Peterson's mandatory.

[Rich]

The video footage of the bloke in the hat does look very dodgy though.

[Vermilion]

If it's all above board, they can explain it easily, if it's not a ususal event in a fight of this size, then i don't blame them for wanting it looked at, all i think they are saying, is that everyone in that area should be accountable, and usually is in an event of this stature, so account for him, and find out why the chair set aside for this official was taken, and by who.

[RichC]

Khan lost, Peterson wanted it more and Khan had his eyes on fighting Mayweather IMO he needs to get back in the gym, get a rematch with him and go and take the title back.

Obv. it doesn't look good with this chap talking to the supervisor but as Vermillion has said it'll be explained away and nothing will change in terms of the result.

Perhaps Amir isn't quite as good as he believes himself to be and needs to put in a bit more hard work!

[Darth Marty]

Khan lost, Peterson wanted it more and Khan had his eyes on fighting Mayweather IMO he needs to get back in the gym, get a rematch with him and go and take the title back.

Obv. it doesn't look good with this chap talking to the supervisor but as Vermillion has said it'll be explained away and nothing will change in terms of the result.

Perhaps Amir isn't quite as good as he believes himself to be and needs to put in a bit more hard work!

[rodo]

wba and ibf both saying they have no idea who the fella is

[Tee]

Khan lost, Peterson wanted it more and Khan had his eyes on fighting Mayweather IMO he needs to get back in the gym, get a rematch with him and go and take the title back.

Obv. it doesn't look good with this chap talking to the supervisor but as Vermillion has said it'll be explained away and nothing will change in terms of the result.

Perhaps Amir isn't quite as good as he believes himself to be and needs to put in a bit more hard work!

Agreed, but still does not mean he should not know who the mystery man is and what exactly he was up to does it?

[RichC]

Agreed, but still does not mean he should not know who the mystery man is and what exactly he was up to does it?

also true, I do think he should concentrate on getting the re-match and beating Peterson in the ring. It's interesting the comments coming from the IBF & WBA and hopefully they'll push through the re-match as it should happen anyway.

[Molby]

I never laughed as much when Khan lost his belts....the way he treated Paul McCloskey after their fight, (after the ridiculous stoppage) - was nothing short of arrogant.

He ridiculed him for daring to ask for a rematch. The pompous prick.

Karma Mr Khan, Karma.

[Daniel 7]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jan/07/amir-khan-rematch-lamont-peterson?CMP=twt_gu

Amir Khan says his next fight will be a mandated rematch with Lamont Peterson, the American who took his world titles in interesting circumstances in Washington DC a month ago. And for this unexpected generosity by the World Boxing Association, he has to thank someone he suspects, rightly or wrongly, may not have his best interests at heart.

The mysterious "man in the hat" who busied himself around local officials and those appointed by the WBA and the International Boxing Federation to ensure probity was finally outed on Saturday – not by any diligence or enthusiasm for the truth by the governing bodies but after days of speculation and intrigue on Twitter. Step forward Mustafa Ameen, who, like Peterson and the fight referee Joe Cooper, calls Washington home.

An IBF official, he had no official role on the night, though, no allocated seat even. He was there by the good grace of the IBF and the District of Columbia commission, who had jurisdiction over the conduct of the contest.

Still, having blagged his way to the edge of the apron, Ameen indulged in the oddest behaviour for someone with no designated job: he handled slips of paper the Khan camp believed may be scorecards and continually got in the ear of the WBA supervisor, Michael Welsh, during the action – when Welsh should have been monitoring the fight. When it was done, he celebrated in the ring with the winner. But for his light regard for anonymity, we might never have heard of Ameen.

It was his eccentricity that did for him. Khan's American promotional partners, Golden Boy Promotions, trawling tape of the fight in search of freeze-frame evidence to sustain an appeal against the decision, spotted Ameen and alerted the beaten champion's camp to their suspicions. Khan, after all, had been divested of his light-welterweight belts in a close fight marred by the inconsistent refereeing of Cooper, who saw fit to take two points away from him for pushing. Had he not done so – or had he penalised Peterson for boring in with his head – Khan would have kept his titles and there would have been no controversy.

When the Golden Boy detectives spotted Ameen, in bright blue shirt and dark woollen, pork-pie hat, pestering Mr Welsh and annoying everyone around him, they figured they had their man. That is a proposition yet to be proven, but the process is underway.

So, who is this "man in the hat"? Ameen, it transpires, is another face familiar to boxing folk in Washington DC and Seattle, as well an official with the IBF and the manager of the Las Vegan amateur heavyweight prospect Michael Hunter. Such versatility suggests he knows his way around the fight game. He could hardly have picked a more suitable business in which to offer his services.

The US-based Irish fighter Andy Lee recognised Ameen from the images Khan and his friends posted of him and yesterday he tweeted: "I know him. Nice guy, he manages Michael Hunter US amateur fighter... Not sure what influence he has on judges but he's from NJ and is part of the IBF. He's been in the fight game a long time."

Why were the IBF initially not forthcoming about his identity? Why did the WBA not know who he was? Why has Welsh not returned my calls? Who got Ameen to ringside and why? Why did it take a Twitter storm to reveal his identity?

Khan, meanwhile, reckons the WBA's verbal promise of a rematch will be confirmed in writing on Tuesday, and that he may yet be delivered justice. Perhaps. There is a bit of mileage left in this story. If Peterson gives up his WBA title, Khan is out in the cold again.

From the beginning, the IBF, unlike the WBA, have been reluctant to acknowledge Khan's complaints. They declared during the week they could find no grounds for a rematch – even though they are committed to the appeal process in New York on 17 and 18 January, along with the WBA. That should be an interesting couple of days.

To those observers jaundiced by the serial misbehaviour of the fight game's rascals, what happened to the Bolton fighter in the American capital did not come as a shock.

That boxing could not do its own dirty work in identifying the mysterious Ameen was no surprise, either. There is little will for reform or transparency in many corners of the business. They are a secretive lot, protective of their fine lifestyle, the many trips, the conventions, the excellent hospitality of promoters and managers, the sanction fees and the back-slapping, the mixing with the sport's royalty. They are condemned by their silence and their vanity.

Into this vacuum rode Khan, armed with the tools of social networking. On Saturday his supporters ramped up the pressure on Ameen, posting a picture of him with his arm around Zab Judah, whom Khan beat in Las Vegas last year.

Of itself, the photo is innocent enough; coupled with that of Ameen celebrating in the ring with Peterson it gives the impression that the IBF official may not be Khan's biggest fan or at least has close relationships with two of his opponents.

At the ill-defined edges of rectitude that contain the doings of professional boxing, anarchy is never far away. It is a long-held truth that Khan has learned to his cost, perhaps. If he gets justice, it will be by his own efforts.

Peterson is innocent in all this. He never fought better than on that 10 December night. I could not separate them at the end and he is a worthy champion. But Peterson, exposed to the streets of his home town as a child, is a realist. He knows he can earn good money with Khan again. And that, when the dust settles, is what it is all about anyway.

[Gibbo]

Anyone seen this yet?



Take a close look at round 7

[Vermilion]

Anyone seen this yet?



Take a close look at round 7

Wow, they've done it so well you can hardly tell....

[Tee]

Could quite easily just be human error though.

[Vermilion]

Could quite easily just be human error though.

But is'nt this the card they say they saw which had Khan ahead, and then when it came back it had been altered ?