Khan can't help himself

Amir Khan faces Pauli Malignaggi this weekend in New York and is a clear favourite to dispatch of the American in similar fashion to which fellow countryman Ricky Hatton did 18 months ago.

However, while the Hitman was, and still is, a fans’ favourite in the UK, Khan has yet to win a large fan base in this country.

Some put this down to racial prejudice with the Bolton fighter being a strict Muslim from a family which descends from Pakistan but while some bigots may think like that, it is not the reason most boxing fans dislike him.

Prince Naseem Hamed had no problem earning the respect of fight fans this side of the Atlantic despite his arrogance as he brought glamour to the sport in Britain.

But while the British nation cheered a 17-year-old Khan to an Olympic silver medal in the 2004 Athens Games, many were soon turned off the Bolton boy wonder when he turned professional.

Many, including myself, were enraged by his arrogance and the way he put himself about at such a young age. He spoke as if he deserved to be a champion already, when he was just simply a boy in a man’s game.

And when Breidis Prescott knocked him flat on his back within a round in September 2008, fight fans cheered and a fair few smiles were raised.

However, Khan changed, or at least I thought he did, when he started working with coach Freddie Roach. He seemed to focus on his boxing again, just like the 17-year-old amateur that the nation went wild for. I began warming to him and by following him on the social networking site, Twitter, it was clear to see he was focused on training hard and being a top professional.

However, when Carl Froch, who did publically criticise Khan in the past, lost out to Mikkel Kessler last month, Khan made a massive error and showed yet again his immaturity which must have had his promoters cringing.

Khan used both his social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, to lambast Froch and publically mock his fellow countryman in the wake of the defeat.

Now while Froch is also another fighter who is not liked by many, and had harshly criticised Khan, the Bolton fighter should have had the sense to get past this and not ruin the rebuilding of his reputation.

Boxing is a gentleman’s game and all pre-fight tension between fighters is usually put behind them when the final bell rings (see Mayweather v Mosley) but Khan has no respect for his fellow professionals and there lies the reason why many dislike him.

This was soon followed by a ridiculous claim by Khan that in 12 months time he will be ready to face Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. Yet again he embarrassed himself.

Khan needs at least three years to get anywhere near the level of those two greats and must yet get past the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez before he could even consider stepping through the ropes to face Mayweather or his gym partner Pacquiao.

It was another case of disrespect from Khan and he wonders why many within the sport don’t respect him or take him seriously. He needs to be told to focus on his boxing and turn the fantastic skill he has into the finished article or he will soon be ditched by promoters, coaches and even those fans that stand by him.

French flop Benzema pays for costly error

As Karim Benzema sits down today to book his summer holiday, fresh in the knowledge that he won’t be at this year’s World Cup with France, I wonder will it play on his mind the decision he made last summer to join his apparently ‘beloved’ Real Madrid instead of Manchester United.

The Reds had coveted the talented finisher for a number of years as he led the line for Lyon, who dominated the French League in the noughties.

However, last summer when the United transfer kitty was apparently bulging after the exit of Ronaldo to Madrid, the English club were outbid by the Spanish giants for the French striker.

Benzema had his heart set on Madrid, despite being keen on a move to United the previous year, but I’m sure the extra zeros on the contract at the Bernabeu helped him change his mind.

A lot was expected of Benzema, he cost €35million and it was presumed he would lead the line for the Galacticos with the experienced Raul coming to the end of his illustrious career.

However, he has only featured mainly as a substitute this season with his cameo appearances only bringing 8 goals in a La Liga campaign which Madrid have scored goals for fun at stages.

It came as no surprise to me then yesterday when Raymond Domenech left Benzema out of France’s World Cup squad for South Africa.

Domenech has made some crazy decisions during his tenure as boss of France but, while some may be disappointed by his decision to leave the striker out, the majority will understand why.

Strikers need to have confidence and going into the World Cup they need to be in form, Benzema is not, but it could have been so different.

Last summer he took a professional risk. He saw the money at Madrid. He saw the revolution that was taking place and he wanted in but it proved to be a costly error for his career, if not his pocket.

United had lost a 35 goals-a-season midfielder and were in desperate need of added firepower, Benzema was their target and was seen as an excellent strike partner for Wayne Rooney.

The Frenchman was sure to be a regular starter at Old Trafford, obviously as long as he settled in well, and he could now be heading to meet up with his international team-mates to prepare for the biggest stage in world football.

But yet again we have another footballer who would rather risk sitting on the bench with a fat pay cheque than the guarantee of first team football elsewhere.

It’s not like United are a small club, and maybe with Benzema they would now be celebrating winning the title but, with Sir Alex Ferguson apparently thinking of another attempt to lure him to Old Trafford this summer, maybe he should think twice about trying to sign the French flop, using last year as an eye-opener to Benzema’s real hunger for money rather than football.