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Oliver and Amir Khan proved to be a title-winning combination since the 21-year-old turned professional
Oliver and Amir Khan proved to be a title-winning combination since the 21-year-old turned professional
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Oliver split not Amir-cable

Sam Kirby
1/ 5/2008

AMIR Khan’s former trainer Oliver Harrison says the star sacked him via a letter shoved under his gym’s door.

Boxer Khan has split from the trainer, based in Holland Walk, Pendleton after three years and 17 undefeated fights.

However Harrison says he has had no contact with Amir since his fight at the Bolton Arena on April 5.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Harrison said: "All I can say is I took Amir on for his last amateur fight which he won.

"Since then I have taken him through 17 professional fights and in that time he is undefeated and has won the Commonwealth lightweight title and is now ranked number five in the world and we were only two fights away from a world title fight.

"The last time I saw Amir was in the changing room after his last fight in Bolton, when he said he was having a couple of weeks off and I’d see him soon and I haven’t heard from him since.

"There was a letter shoved under the gym door, signed by his dad, which said my services were no longer required and everything else I know I have read in the papers.

"As far as I’m concerned I had a fantastic and brilliant relationship with Amir and would have taken him to the world title and won it. I can’t say anymore than that."

The 21-year-old Joined forces with Harrison when he turned pro in 2005 after winning an Olympic silver medal, forming a successful partnership which has resulted in Khan winning all 17 of his professional fights.

However, it was revealed on Monday that Khan has now left Oliver’s, after returning from Las Vegas, where he attended the Joe Calzaghe fight. It is believed Khan’s management feel they needed a little more experience in their corner as Khan heads for an inevitable world title shot.

A spokesmen for Khan’s team said: "It is nothing personal with Oliver and we hope to stay friends but Amir needs to go up to the next level."

It is also claimed they tried to contact Oliver personally but were unable to to do so. Khan will need to link up with his new trainer sooner rather than later, with a forthcoming fight at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on June 21.


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   I have seen the change in Amir's personality over the last year. He is a talented individual but at the same time his ego is getting the better of him. It am pleased that he is sucesful in one of the worlds most demanding sports but I find it worrying that he has alredy shown signs of arrogance. Remember what you were and where you have come from and the people that helped you acheive what you have got at this moment. Once you forget that and disrespect people around you that is when you have failed. I hope this is not the case.
Big Brother, North West
9/05/2008 at 18:46
   Bad news for Oliver ,surely it could have been handled much more professionally and sympathetically, which ever way Amir needs to move to next level. Good luck to both of them.
Shamas
7/05/2008 at 15:11
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