Khan interview about the racism comments he made..

[skel1983]

Amir Khan has backtracked on comments he made before his blow out of Dimitriy Salita in which he argued he was underappreciated because he wasn't white.

Khan, Bolton born and bred but of Pakistani heritage, originally told Gareth A Davies that a combination of jealousy and racism has helped convince him that the States is a better place for him to prosper.

“I think it’s probably from jealousy, and I can honestly say sometimes skin colour does make a difference.
“I know I maybe was a white fighter, an English fighter, maybe I would have been a superstar in Britain, or even in the world. You don’t really see it a lot, I never get racial remarks but it is always out there. You can’t stop it, it’s one of those things but you live and learn from what people are like. I just choose to ignore them and get on with my career.”

“I’ve never really experienced the racism first hand, or in my face, but I’ve seen it on websites and chat forums. I’d rather stay away from those arguments. I just love sport and choose to ignore it.”

His argument seemed rather confused and, if I may say so, inaccurate. Here is a man admitting he hasn’t experienced racism in person yet it’s so bad he's upping sticks?

Khan now seems to acknowledge that he was wrong. In an interview published today in the West Midlands' paper The Express and Star, Khan says, “Those comments were taken out of context, my point was that you got a lot of haters in this sport. My criticism was more of these guys that keep taking a pop at me whatever I do, I suppose it was getting close to a fight and I was a bit agitated. “I didn’t mean it the way it has been reported, because the support I have got is tremendous. But there are a lot of haters in this game and they can get you down, from now on they will only motivate to do better as a boxer.
“I don’t mind if they hate me now, my actions will prove them wrong. It will only make me a better fighter.”




'Hate me now," says Khan as he backtracks on race comments | news.boxrec.com


People wonder why not many people like this guy?? His comments were taken out of context?? hahaha!!!

So he has never experienced racism in his whole life but thinks that if he was white he would be in a better posistion fanwise the guy is an idiot a young one i give him that but needs to keep his mouth shut, I dont think many boxing pro's have a 90k car in the garage before they have even laced em up for there first fight.

[ninjaspy3]

Amir Khan has backtracked on comments he made before his blow out of Dimitriy Salita in which he argued he was underappreciated because he wasn't white.

Khan, Bolton born and bred but of Pakistani heritage, originally told Gareth A Davies that a combination of jealousy and racism has helped convince him that the States is a better place for him to prosper.

“I think it’s probably from jealousy, and I can honestly say sometimes skin colour does make a difference.
“I know I maybe was a white fighter, an English fighter, maybe I would have been a superstar in Britain, or even in the world. You don’t really see it a lot, I never get racial remarks but it is always out there. You can’t stop it, it’s one of those things but you live and learn from what people are like. I just choose to ignore them and get on with my career.”

“I’ve never really experienced the racism first hand, or in my face, but I’ve seen it on websites and chat forums. I’d rather stay away from those arguments. I just love sport and choose to ignore it.”

His argument seemed rather confused and, if I may say so, inaccurate. Here is a man admitting he hasn’t experienced racism in person yet it’s so bad he's upping sticks?

Khan now seems to acknowledge that he was wrong. In an interview published today in the West Midlands' paper The Express and Star, Khan says, “Those comments were taken out of context, my point was that you got a lot of haters in this sport. My criticism was more of these guys that keep taking a pop at me whatever I do, I suppose it was getting close to a fight and I was a bit agitated. “I didn’t mean it the way it has been reported, because the support I have got is tremendous. But there are a lot of haters in this game and they can get you down, from now on they will only motivate to do better as a boxer.
“I don’t mind if they hate me now, my actions will prove them wrong. It will only make me a better fighter.”




'Hate me now," says Khan as he backtracks on race comments | news.boxrec.com


People wonder why not many people like this guy?? His comments were taken out of context?? hahaha!!!

So he has never experienced racism in his whole life but thinks that if he was white he would be in a better posistion fanwise the guy is an idiot a young one i give him that but needs to keep his mouth shut, I dont think many boxing pro's have a 90k car in the garage before they have even laced em up for there first fight.

The thing that gets me when people say "He needs to keep his mouth shut" is that it seems to me you are taking an overly aggressive stance to what Khan said. Why are so many people offended? Why are you so angry?

How come many people know someone who is racist (sometimes its a family member) but when it comes time to ask "does racism play a part" everyone immediately says it's impossible.

People have pointed out many reasons why someone might hate on him and not be racist. However, I don't think these facts regarding Khan rule out or totally make what he said invalid. Do people mean to say that if you are successful, have lots of money, then all of a sudden you are immune to racism? Or, is it simply possible to acheive despite racism?

Khan said “I’ve never really experienced the racism first hand, or in my face, but I’ve seen it on websites and chat forums. I’d rather stay away from those arguments. I just love sport and choose to ignore it.”

Is this an invalid statement. How is this false? Ever been on the internet before? I have. You can find many interesting racist comments.

On the other hand, do you know how rare it is to experience racism first hand? Racists don't generally advertise this day and age in public -as much-, but on the internet people can say what they want with no fear of being identified.

So in summary, you can say what you want about Khan and some of it may even be true but it does not totally render his point invalid. Money and Success does not equate to the non-existance of racism, nor does it mean that Racism has no part to play.

[Kev]

What he basically said is whilst nobody is racist to his face he does see what people say about him on chatrooms, and he's aware there's a lot of public dislike for him.

You'd have to be deaf and blind not to know that that is the case.

I was out the weekend he got KO'd by Prescott and coming out of the club around 1 am and finding out the result virtually everybody I spoke to about it was laughing and calling him a Paki cunt or a sand nigger.

It's most definitely out there, he's just a disliked fighter by a lot of fans and as a young kid it obviously hurts him and he thinks it racial related.

He was just talking from the heart and speaking what he felt.

It's easy to pick fault with him, but you don't have your every word reported to the press and picked apart.

He's just reacting how most confident young lads would when they feel they being targeted.

[piye]

Khan's original statement was probably true. Fact is that racism exsist we cannot just ignore it.

[Kel]

Again, if he wants to be a 'superstar' he needs to get a personality transplant, he is never funny or interesting in interviews so talkshows are a bad idea for exposure. He in on PPV every fight so my mates never watch him anymore, same goes for my family, they all used to when he fought on ITV so I would imagine it's the same all over the country.

Fighters like Benn, Eubank, Hatton, Naz all fought on TV and all had a personality and exciting fights so they were all way more popular obviously.

Khan is fucking loaded already, if it's superstardom he is after and not money get the fuck back on ITV where people can see you fight, get some character and stop playing the race card because you are using it as an excuse.

[dee_z_r]

honestly if he was white he would be soo bigger thats very true

[ninjaspy3]

Again, if he wants to be a 'superstar' he needs to get a personality transplant, he is never funny or interesting in interviews so talkshows are a bad idea for exposure. He in on PPV every fight so my mates never watch him anymore, same goes for my family, they all used to when he fought on ITV so I would imagine it's the same all over the country.

Fighters like Benn, Eubank, Hatton, Naz all fought on TV and all had a personality and exciting fights so they were all way more popular obviously.

Khan is fucking loaded already, if it's superstardom he is after and not money get the fuck back on ITV where people can see you fight, get some character and stop playing the race card because you are using it as an excuse.

Thank you Kel for totally derailing the point about racism and changing it to one about Khan's search for superstardom.

[Kel]

Again, if he wants to be a 'superstar' he needs to get a personality transplant, he is never funny or interesting in interviews so talkshows are a bad idea for exposure. He in on PPV every fight so my mates never watch him anymore, same goes for my family, they all used to when he fought on ITV so I would imagine it's the same all over the country.

Fighters like Benn, Eubank, Hatton, Naz all fought on TV and all had a personality and exciting fights so they were all way more popular obviously.

Khan is fucking loaded already, if it's superstardom he is after and not money get the fuck back on ITV where people can see you fight, get some character and stop playing the race card because you are using it as an excuse.

Thank you Kel for totally derailing the point about racism and changing it to one about Khan's search for superstardom.

Well he is claiming that if he was white he would be a superstar in Britain and maybe the world and it's stupid. If he had superstar qualities he would already be one.

[Master]

He admitted he was wrong, leave it at that.

[ninjaspy3]

Just to be clear on my view of the situation, I don't neccessarily agree with Khans comments regarding him being a super star if he was white. I am only trying to point out that there are likely people who don't like Khan due to racism. I believe that percentage of people who are racist and are actually in a position to have some kind of influence are very small. But I'm sure there is nehativity out there stemming from Racism. Granted other people have other reasons for the negativity, and others still like to believe they have other reasons.

I think the only step anyone can really take to prove or disprove Khan's main point is to compare his popularity to a white boxer who is/was about eqivalent in career and ability. Unfortunately I don't have the boxing background knowledge for it but maybe someone else here does.

[Kel]

Just to be clear on my view of the situation, I don't neccessarily agree with Khans comments regarding him being a super star if he was white. I am only trying to point out that there are likely people who don't like Khan due to racism. I believe that percentage of people who are racist and are actually in a position to have some kind of influence are very small. But I'm sure there is nehativity out there stemming from Racism. Granted other people have other reasons for the negativity, and others still like to believe they have other reasons.

I think the only step anyone can really take to prove or disprove Khan's main point is to compare his popularity to a white boxer who is/was about eqivalent in career and ability. Unfortunately I don't have the boxing background knowledge for it but maybe someone else here does.

Why are you on a boxing forum if you ain't a fan of the sport?

[ninjaspy3]

Just to be clear on my view of the situation, I don't neccessarily agree with Khans comments regarding him being a super star if he was white. I am only trying to point out that there are likely people who don't like Khan due to racism. I believe that percentage of people who are racist and are actually in a position to have some kind of influence are very small. But I'm sure there is nehativity out there stemming from Racism. Granted other people have other reasons for the negativity, and others still like to believe they have other reasons.

I think the only step anyone can really take to prove or disprove Khan's main point is to compare his popularity to a white boxer who is/was about eqivalent in career and ability. Unfortunately I don't have the boxing background knowledge for it but maybe someone else here does.

Why are you on a boxing forum if you ain't a fan of the sport?

I am still a relatively new fan, but a fan none the less. Anyway, I figured I could learn something following this forum.

[Kev]

Again, if he wants to be a 'superstar' he needs to get a personality transplant, he is never funny or interesting in interviews so talkshows are a bad idea for exposure. He in on PPV every fight so my mates never watch him anymore, same goes for my family, they all used to when he fought on ITV so I would imagine it's the same all over the country.

Fighters like Benn, Eubank, Hatton, Naz all fought on TV and all had a personality and exciting fights so they were all way more popular obviously.

Khan is fucking loaded already, if it's superstardom he is after and not money get the fuck back on ITV where people can see you fight, get some character and stop playing the race card because you are using it as an excuse.

Thank you Kel for totally derailing the point about racism and changing it to one about Khan's search for superstardom.

Well he is claiming that if he was white he would be a superstar in Britain and maybe the world and it's stupid. If he had superstar qualities he would already be one.

haha that made me laugh, Khan is probably the hottest prospect in the world, he's been a household name since he was 17, he has electrifying handspeed, is now displaying one punch ko power and was already a big enough draw to bring a Hall of Fame legend over to the UK to fight him in his own backyard.

He is the very definition of someone having superstar qualities.

[Kel]

Just to be clear on my view of the situation, I don't neccessarily agree with Khans comments regarding him being a super star if he was white. I am only trying to point out that there are likely people who don't like Khan due to racism. I believe that percentage of people who are racist and are actually in a position to have some kind of influence are very small. But I'm sure there is nehativity out there stemming from Racism. Granted other people have other reasons for the negativity, and others still like to believe they have other reasons.

I think the only step anyone can really take to prove or disprove Khan's main point is to compare his popularity to a white boxer who is/was about eqivalent in career and ability. Unfortunately I don't have the boxing background knowledge for it but maybe someone else here does.

Why are you on a boxing forum if you ain't a fan of the sport?

I am still a relatively new fan, but a fan none the less. Anyway, I figured I could learn something following this forum.

Oh I seeYou will learn loads here, no doubt about it.

[Kel]

Thank you Kel for totally derailing the point about racism and changing it to one about Khan's search for superstardom.

Well he is claiming that if he was white he would be a superstar in Britain and maybe the world and it's stupid. If he had superstar qualities he would already be one.

haha that made me laugh, Khan is probably the hottest prospect in the world, he's been a household name since he was 17, he has electrifying handspeed, is now displaying one punch ko power and was already a big enough draw to bring a Hall of Fame legend over to the UK to fight him in his own backyard.

He is the very definition of someone having superstar qualities.

Give him a ring and tell him then Bilbo

Hand speed and a win over old fighter by horrible cut = Superstar qualities.