Stretch fights Khan's corner - from afar
"That's the position as of now, but with boxing, you never know." So said when I asked him less than a fortnight ago if he'd be in corner at London's ExCeL Arena on Saturday. When I spoke to him again last Friday, he confirmed he wouldn't be.
Just when you think boxing can't possibly get any more hatstand, something always pops up to prove you wrong.
The last many British fight fans would have seen of Stretch he was being smashed through the ropes by a booming overhand right from at the Earls Court Exhibition Hall in 1991. 'Beauty v The Best' they called that fight. Unfortunately for Stretch, it lived up to the billing.
Stretch, a former British light-middleweight champion who was challenging for Eubank's WBO middleweight crown that night, had one more bout before moving to the States to pursue a career as an actor.
British boxing's glamour boy in the 1990s - he has in the past been linked with , and a couple of - Stretch has tasted real success in the movies, with his starring role in Shane Meadows' seriously dark, multi-award winning 2004 flick the undoubted highlight.
As far as most people were concerned, Stretch, who also appears in Vinnie Jones' latest vehicle , which premiered in London on Wednesday, had buried boxing for good. Then all of a sudden he's training Khan. And it seems not everyone was happy about it.
Stretch is unclear on the details, other than to say "boxing politics" prevented him from taking up the post as Khan's chief second. , who has been training Khan at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles for the past five weeks, broke the news to Stretch on the day he was due to fly.
"I'm gutted," Stretch, who finished his career with 23 wins from 25 fights, told ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport. "I really like the kid and he's very, very gifted - more than I thought."
Roach trained Stretch in his last few fights as a pro, and it was the St Helens native who took Roach to LA in the mid-1990s to coach the actor , who was in the process of doing a Reverse Stretch - namely swapping his Hollywood career for a stint between the ropes.
"Freddie's been trying to get me involved with his camp for a long time," says Stretch. "But I'd not really had a lot of interest training people unless Freddie brought down someone really special.
"When I'm not working or I'm getting in shape for a film I go down the Wild Card Gym, but I hadn't been down in a while when he called me to go to dinner with him and Amir.
"I'd just finished a movie in London, The Heavy with Vinnie Jones and Christopher Lee, and I was looking to relax before Christmas.
"But I love the fight game. It's like the acting game - you've got to love something to do it well. And as I say, I liked the kid.
"Freddie knew he couldn't be with him on the night because he's in corner for his fight against Oscar de la Hoya the same night. So Freddie asked if I'd do it and I've spent the last month working with Amir.
"Amir loves it in LA. At the Wild Card Gym there are a lot of other young fighters who are equally as good but don't have his career.
"So he's a bit of a target, with people wanting to show they're better than him. He's got to be on his toes, and he raises his game every day. In this gym he's just a regular guy and if you're going to grow as a fighter you've got to keep your feet on the ground and keep learning from better fighters."
Stretch is clearly fond of Khan and has formed a strong bond in the short time they have been together. Just as important, Stretch clearly has the trust of Roach.
Stretch is therefore frustrated and upset he won't be in Khan's corner for Saturday's match against tough Oklahoma-based Dubliner .
"The thing about Amir is, he's a great learner and a great listener, but you have to stay on top of him," said Stretch.
"I've heard from a couple of people who've sparred with Fagan that he's a tough kid and if the fight goes long and Amir isn't disciplined, he could get into trouble. I'm just worried Amir can remember everything he's been working on."
Cuban trainer Jorge Rubio picked the wild and dangerous for Khan's last fight in September and was dismissed shortly after. Hot on the heels of that defeat, Khan could do with some clarity in his corner.
Hello. I have been working for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for more than a decade now and cover almost all sports. It would be good to hear from you - just don't be nasty or my mum might get upset.
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Comment number 1.
At 5th Dec 2008, coxy0001 wrote:I'm surprised that they've gone for Fagan, he's pretty tough and durable and has more than enough power to trouble Khan. He's been in the ring with ex IBF champ Spadafora and so on paper this actually looks like a pretty decent test for Khan, so all the Warren-haters can shut up about being matched up with "soft" oppo.
There's been alot made of tucking his chin away, being more cautious so he won't get tagged etc. Problem is if he ever gets to the level where he's up against a Diaz Marquez et all (world class and there is an abundance around the lightweight div at present) they're going to catch him and catch him hard. People make alot of the fact that Manny P got KO'd twice but this is a bit of an illusion as when he first started boxing he wasn't training and got absolutely smashed (one fight is on youtube). It's all well and good learning to roll with the punches, but the one you don't see coming is usually the one that results with you ending up horizontal.
I'd like to see him win and win well, but i hope he doesn't start mentioning world titles like before.
I do have this horrible feeling that something is going to go Pete Tong again though...
A quick note on DLH v MP, place everything you have on DLH to win.
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Comment number 2.
At 5th Dec 2008, Andyj247 wrote:It seems a shame yet again politics has got in the way. As for the fight im pretty certain this will end in a early KO win for Khan, lets not kid ourselves this is a confidence builder for him, Frank Warren and Sky are not going risk him again. I would imagine their PPV buys are down for this one and the big one on sunday morning.
Khan i still believe can be a world champion, but i think he will be carefully matched up from now on, and needs to develop a defense or another big puncher will knock him out again. Training with Pacciqho is great for his experience, and if he doesnt learn from that he never will learn.
Im not gonna jump on the bash khan bandwagon, as he is young and was stupidly over matched in his last fight. He isnt the first and wont be the last eithier.
It will be interesting if 'Team Khan' will try to distance themselves from Warren in the next 12-18 mths and go solo. I think Warren has a battle on his hands with keeping Khan at sports network.
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Comment number 3.
At 5th Dec 2008, princethechihuahua wrote:Khan is a good fighter, he is quick and exciting however two aspects worry me about his long term prospects.
Firstly is his chin, which is obvious following his various knockdowns in his proffesional career most notably against Prescott. Roach has taken a logical approach in working on Khan's legs, a strong a durable base should aid Khan in the future against the real big hitters. Prescott hit Khan with haymakers that in all fairness he had no right to catch Khan with, any fighter in the world at Khan's weight would have been knocked out by these. However it is the short flash punches which catch fighters that are the worry with Khan's record, so working on Khan's legs may prevent such a problem in the future.
Secondly Khan lacks any genuine power, again leg work will help more than upper body stregnth, but he is not a natural puncher, when he faces more durabke fighters he doesn't really trouble them as much as he should.
However if Khan works hard and irons out his early deficiencies which have never really been addressed until it jas been too late then he can become a world champion and make his name in this sport.
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