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Khan Seeking Kindelan Showdown.

ByBoxing Press
The last fight of British boxer Amir Khan’s amateur career could be a rematch of the gold-medal bout at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The 18-year-old Khan wants to fight two-time Olympic lightweight gold medalist Mario Kindelan of Cuba on April 18 at Reebok Stadium in Bolton. Kindelan beat Khan 30-22 for the Olympic lightweight gold medal in Athens. The Cuban said in Athens he would retire but has

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© Mike Cleary

reconsidered and will be part of a Cuban team coming to England on April 8. Khan is expected to turn pro with promoter Frank Warren sometime this year. Warren, who is organizing the fight, said he hopes to persuade England’s Amateur Boxing Association to sanction the rematch. “It will be Amir’s swan song as an amateur and he has specifically asked to fight Kindelan again,” Warren said. “There could be no better opponent and I am working hard to lobby the ABA to make the great match happen.”

Khan withdrew from the ABA Championships last month, reportedly because of a ticket dispute. His parents then accused the ABA of retaliating by cheating Khan’s 13-year-old brother, Haroon, out of a points decision after the Golden Gloves Schoolboy Championships in Liverpool on Saturday.

“At the moment I’m still amateur and boxing on April 16 at the Reebok Stadium and I’ll just take it one step at a time,” Khan said. “I think I’ll stay amateur for a bit longer and see what happens.”

Khan said he has not decided if the April 16 fight will be his last, leaving open the possibility of competing at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.