Khan Benefits From Tough Love As New Trainer's Lessons Hit Home

Changing trainers has provided Amir Khan with a reality check and convinced him he still has much to learn before he fulfills his potential, the undefeated Commonwealth lightweight champion admitted yesterday as he prepares to face the undefeated Colombian Breidis Prescott at Manchester's MEN Arena tomorrow night.

For the last two months the 21-year-old Khan has been working with the Cuban Jorge Rubio after first dispensing with the services of the Salford trainer Oliver Harrison - with whom he had a three-year association - and then stand-in trainer Dean Powell, who oversaw Khan's preparations for his last victory over Michael Gomez in June.

"It has been back to basics. I have been cleaning up my mistakes," Khan said. "I feel like I am a new fighter. I know now that I am not the complete article. I knew I was making mistakes, but Oliver [Harrison] would let it ride. Oliver and Dean Powell didn't tell me what I was doing wrong."

Clearly, Khan has quickly established a rapport with Rubio, once a top trainer of the formidable Cuban amateur team and now affectionately referred to by Khan and his camp as "George". After just two sessions working with Rubio at his gym in Miami, Khan had taken the decision that he wanted him as his trainer.

"Straight away, he told me the mistakes I was making. He made me keep my hands up, and keep my head moving. We have been working on body shots, on different combinations and everything started flowing. And he's hit me, hard, when we have been working on the pads," said Khan.

"I've had knocks and grazes because I kept dropping my hand low after I threw the jab. Every time I did it, he'd give me a whack. He's quick. And he kept hitting me, repeatedly, every time I did it, showing me what I was doing wrong until I didn't do it any more and kept my gloves up."

Rubio said he will need time to transform Khan into the rounded fighter who will be ready to fight for a world title, but he has already seen enough to convince him of Khan's potential and that, once the rough edges are smoothed off, he has a fighter to rank with the best.

"I have been working him very hard, but he is a talent. I want him to keep his speed, but also put in more power, to work the body and not be so ready to back off. At the moment he's maybe 90% of the fighter he can be. In the future he can be world No1 and win a world title," said Rubio.