The talk in boxing
Much has been made of the acceptance by Amir Khan of Frank Warren's timely invitation to watch from ringside when Ricky Hatton defends the WBU light-welterweight title against Mike Stewart on Friday.
With Khan set to reveal next week whether he will stay amateur until the 2008 Olympics or turn professional, the presence of the Athens silver medallist sitting next to Britain's leading promoter has led to the obvious conclusion being drawn. But Talk can reveal the 17-year-old sensation has been back to his roots and his mind may already be set on remaining unpaid as a fighter.
Khan was in the crowd when an ABA Young England team beat Young Ireland in Liverpool where he said: "It's been great to get back and see all my fellow team-mates boxing so well on a good show."
Much to Warren's frustration, Talk expects Khan to announce he will challenge for the lightweight title at next year's Senior ABA Championships in London.
Audley on the back foot
Nothing riles Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison more than having his progress as a professional being unfavourably compared to the more fast lane careers of other boxers who fought at the Sydney Games, as Talk once discovered at the cost of a verbal ear-bashing.
Undaunted, this column draws the attention of its readers to the challenge by Jeff Lacy for the vacant IBF world supermiddleweight championship against Syd Vanderpool in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Lacy fought for the US at the Millennium Olympics and has got his world title chance off the back of 16 successive victories.
Harrison? He has won all 17 of his pro fights, but he remains many, many rounds from a tilt at a genuine world title.
Another Ali will rumble
Thirty years after the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle", an Ali is to fight once again in Kinshasa.
No, not Muhammad Ali, who rope-a-doped George Foreman to that famous knock-out defeat in 1974, but The Greatest's daughter Laila, who will fight Jacqui Frazier, daughter of Smokin' Joe, on 30 October at the Martyres Stadium in the Congo capital.
Contact us at: talk@standard.co.uk
