Lightweight boxer Jon Thaxton has described Amir Khan’s upcoming bout against seven time world champion Marco Antonio Barrera as “a fantastic bit of match making”. Khan takes on Barrera at Manchester’s MEN Arena on Saturday 14th March. But Thaxton questioned what Khan had done to get such a high profile opponent. Speaking to Steve Bunce on Setanta Sports News Thaxton said: “He didn’t fight John Murray for the British title; he hasn’t fought me for the European title. He’s leapfrogged us and he’s fighting Marco..
“It’s not who you fight that gets you to the top, sometimes it’s who you avoid.
“Well done to Frank Warren, he got him a great match.”
Thaxton backed Khan to defeat Barrera claiming the 34-year-old Mexican was “not the same fighter he used to be”. He added:
“I think Amir Khan should win on points and he will be all the better for taking the fight.”
Tony Dodson set for home debut
Liverpool’s Tony Dodson today revealed he will face Brian Magee for the British super middleweight title at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Saturday 28th March.
Speaking to Steve Bunce on Setanta Sports News Dodson said he was proud to be fighting in his home town. He continued
“It’s the first boxing show there and I’m proud to say I’m going to be its first title fight.
“It’s a great opportunity for me. It’s a fight I think should have happened five years ago.
“It’s the number two contender against the number three contender. It’s the best of the rest in division.”
Dodson claims to have learnt a lot since his defeat at the hands of Carl Froch three years ago. He added:
“I think that [fight] came too soon. All the build up to the fight, the bad mouthing – it did get to me.
“When I got in the ring all I wanted to do was to take his head off.”