Boxing Result: Khan Crushes Salita In One Round

ByRicky Jones

At the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England last night, WBA light welter titlist Amir Khan made short work of mandatory challenger Dmitriy Salita.

Making the first defense of his world title belt, Khan was facing an undefeated yet untested challenger in the form of Salita and that gulf in experience proved to be the decisive factor in the bout.

Once the bell rang, the sheer quickness of Khan was a problem for Salita and a combination sent the New Yorker to the canvas almost immediately.

Salita beat the count but was downed again during Khan’s follow up assault. Once again, Salita rose to continue but was in no condition to defend against Khan, who launched a full-blooded left hook that dropped Salita for the third time and forced a referee stoppage at 1:16 of the first round.

Khan sees his record to 22-1 (16), retaining the WBA title for the first time, while Salita tastes defeat for the first time, dropping to 30-1-1 (16).

On the undercard, former British and Commonwealth super feather champ Kevin Mitchell, 30-0 (22), won the vacant WBO Intercontinental lightweight crown by defeating the only man to defeat Amir Khan, Colombian puncher Breidis Prescott, 21-2 (18).

Mitchell wisely avoided the towering Prescott’s well-telegraphed bombs for 12 rounds and put on the best performance of his career, sticking and moving in a display of his sharp boxing skills to deliver a 119-110, 118-111 and 117-111 unanimous decision victory.

The Commonwealth featherweight title was at stake in a bout between reigning titlist John Simpson, 21-6 (9), and Steven Bell, 18-2-2(5), in a cracking fight that saw Bell stopped in the seventh session.

Ex-Interim WBO, European, British and Commonwealth super feather champion Alex Arthur, 27-3 (20), came up short at light welter, losing 78-76 after eight rounds against former English belt holder Nigel Wright, 21-6-1 (9).

Also winning on the bill were former WBO cruiserweight titlist Enzo Maccarinelli and prospects Tony Bellew, Stephen Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, James DeGale and Frankie Gavin.