Khan stops Salita to defend crown

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-07 13:02

NEWCASTLE, England: Amir Khan defeated Dmitriy Salita in just 76 seconds to retain his World Boxing Association (WBA) light-welterweight title at the Metro Radio Arena on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Briton ended the unbeaten record of New Yorker Salita after flooring the challenger twice before finishing the fight with a left hook to the chin to complete a speedy first title defense.

WBA champion Khan (pictured) has declared he wants to fight in America next year and this victory again showed how the 2004 Athens Olympic silver medalist is improving since losing his unbeaten record last year.

Salita, born in Ukraine but who moved to New York in his childhood, claimed he would expose Khan's punch resistance but there was no repeat of the bout in September last year when the Briton was blown away in just 54 seconds by Colombian Breidis Prescott.

"It was very explosive," Khan, a rejuvenated boxer under Roach's guidance, said.

"The fight was just what we asked for, what Freddie asked me to do. We had too much power for this guy.

I'm a growing young man and developing as a man," Khan said. "Freddie said to take it easy, pick the right shots and you'll take this guy out and we did."

AFP