Boxing: Khan's Brief Blitz of Martynov Leaves Him Wanting More

Amir Khan provided emphatic evidence that he has outgrown novice class in professional boxing, and that he is ready for very much tougher tests than that provided by Vitali Martynov at a packed Nottingham Arena as he blew away the challenge of the Belarussian in only 75 seconds to complete his fifth victory in the paid ranks.

The 19-year-old Bolton prospect performed his role to perfection on Saturday night, showing great balance and hand speed before nailing Martynov with a straight right that sent him to the canvas. But Khan confessed he was disappointed not to have got more rounds under his belt as he continues a boxing education that his promoter, Frank Warren, hopes will take the Olympic silver medalist into world title contention by the time he is 21.

"I’m a bit upset it finished in the first round," Khan said. "I had been working hard in training, putting in harder and longer sessions. And I knew that I could have gone the six rounds if I had needed to. But Joe Calzaghe says you don’t get paid overtime in boxing, and he is right. You get them out of there as quickly as you can.

"I would have loved to have shown more of myself, but that’s the way the fight went. It’s been hard training for this fight, but I feel stronger and fit enough to fight next week." Frustratingly for Khan, he will have to wait until February 25 for his next outing, when he is due to appear on the undercard of the bill at London’s Excel Arena where Danny Williams defends his Commonwealth heavyweight title against the British champion, Matt Skelton. Warren has a problem finding suitable opponents.

On Saturday Khan was shown as the main boxing attraction of the night, even though a stirring British welterweight title fight where West Bromwich puncher Young Muttley controversially outpointed Chorley’s Michael Jennings officially topped the bill. And critics are saying it is time for Khan to be fast-tracked towards championship contention. However, Warren insists he will not be rushed.

"Amir is doing everything right, and his style is exciting the fans," he said. "We had 8,000 there, and he did what he needed to, brilliantly. But it is a problem finding the right people to be in the ring with him because, believe me, Amir has the ability to do what he did to Martynov against an awful lot of fighters.

"He has speed and power. But people have got to remember that he is still only 19. This is a long-term plan. I know what I am doing, and he has to be brought along slowly. Amir has the talent to go all the way in this business, but he must not be moved too quickly too soon. He needs to learn all aspects of the professional sport."

Warren also promised that there would be a rematch for Jennings after the judges scored a split decision in favor of Young Muttley, real name Lee Woodley, as the West Midlander sprang a significant upset to claim Jenning’s British welterweight crown. Muttley had landed the heavier punches, but many fighters and other experts at ringside believed Jennings was unlucky that his superior skills and workrate had not carried the day.

The former British super-featherweight champion Michael Gomez and Peter McDonagh had their purses withheld by the Irish Boxing Union after Gomez turned his back and seemingly quit in the fifth round of their Irish lightweight title fight at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin. There is to be a full investigation into the circumstances of the fight. Earlier on Saturday afternoon the Irish bookmaker Boyle Sports suspended betting on the fight after McDonagh was heavily backed to win by stoppage in rounds five, six and seven. McDonagh, whom many had predicted to be outclassed by Gomez, was backed down from 125-1 to 18-1 to win in round five before the book was closed. Speaking on RTE television, Ireland’s former world super-middleweight champion Steve Collins said: "I smell a rat here."

The former World Boxing Council world light welterweight champion, Arturo Gatti of Canada, scored a hard-fought 11th-round stoppage victory over Denmark’s Thomas Damgaard at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City despite fighting in the second half of the contest with a badly damaged right hand. Gatti is now looking to challenge the World Boxing Council world welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir of Argentina later this year. It is a decision that ends speculation that Gatti has any immediate plans to face Britain’s world light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton.