I weep for the waste of talent so far. I weep for the tragedy which may well lie ahead. Am I over-reacting? Judge for yourselves…..

Here is a young warrior. He has courage, he has skill. More to the point, he is taller and stronger and has a longer reach than almost anybody in his weight range, and he moves like lightning.

Consequently, he was designed by his Creator to flourish in the fight game by exploiting his physical and mental and spiritual advantages. Thinking on his feet, he is ideally equipped to soften up any opponent at long range, without allowing any opponent, however good, to lay a glove on him. Once the softening up process has been completed, he can finish the job any way he chooses.

That is how the job has been done for decades by boxers (particularly Welsh boxers) with his advantages. It is just a matter of simple common sense.

So I ask (as I wipe the tears from my cheek): why does this young man go to work as though he is nothing better than a common or garden battering ram? He and his entourage must surely by now have noticed what happens to their boy when he comes up against top class opposition and simply hurls himself blindly into the fray. Have they learned nothing from the career of Ricky Hatton?

Amir Khan, if you will only manage your assets in a more intelligent way, you can be a champion for years without suffering longterm health consequences, and you will gain a following from among those who look upon Boxing as “the Noble Art of Self-Defence,” which is what it is.

Andrew Simpson

15th July 2012