6:00am Monday 16th March 2009
By Chris Flanagan
IT was the first genuinely big victory of Amir Khan’s career, but the nature of Saturday’s triumph over Marco Antonio Barrera inevitably left some questions unanswered.
I was fortunate enough to be at the MEN Arena at the weekend as Khan claimed a technical stoppage against the badly cut Barrera in the fifth round.
Even some distance from the ring, the stream of blood pouring down the left side of the Mexican’s face was clearly visible as early as the first round.
And, although the accidental clash of heads resulted in a comfortable Khan victory, it may have been better if it had never happened.
The lightweight has long faced a battle to win over his critics and it was noticeable that a proportion of the Manchester crowd booed the Bolton boy and put their weight behind Barrera.
Now, unfortunately, the manner of Khan’s victory gives the doubters an excuse to carry on doubting. He only won because of the cut, they will say.
But Khan won every round and the truth is that, even before that cut, he had started with the dominance and maturity to suggest he would probably have won in any case.
Yet that nagging word ‘probably’ remains. Barrera’s cut left him fighting with only one eye and constantly having to wipe blood from his face.
The Mexican seemed in no imminent danger of tiring or hitting the canvas, so we will never know how Khan would have coped in the later rounds.
Earlier in the night, Enzo Maccarinelli had appeared similarly in control before Ola Afolabi produced a ninth-round knock-out that the Welshman may never recover from in career terms.
Victory over Barrera was the result Khan so badly wanted, yet he did not win the way he would have wanted. A knock-out would have put him on the world stage there and then.
Now, that world title fight – potentially against Juan Manuel Marquez – might just have to wait.
It is questionable whether Khan’s performance was enough to tempt the Mexican, who in any case may be moving up to light welterweight.
And it is probably wise that, with some points still to prove, Frank Warren attempts to set up a fight against an opponent with equal ability to the ageing Barrera rather than opting for another jump in class quite so soon.
Some fans have touted a rematch with Breidis Prescott, but that would seem a risk not worth taking just yet.
Juan Diaz - the American who put up a decent display in defeat against Marquez last month - might be a name Khan should aim towards, if not for his next fight but at the end of the year.
Khan showed on Saturday that he is capable of becoming world champion if he continues his development.
Amir himself has learned that he risks disaster by attempting to go for the knock-out too soon.
Now the match-makers must take the same advice.
* Did Khan prove he is world class against Barrera? Have your say by using the comment facility below.
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