Tony Bellew interview on Khans split with ******

[BoroBoxing1]

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[carrotcruncher]

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Tony is a great lad, speaks loads of sense, and will make himself a lot of money on Merseyside if he keeps winning.
Great to see a fighter speaking out for ****** and what he has done for so many.

[Strike]

I like Bellew and think he comes across as a top lad on here, but frankly he is obviously going to be biased. I'm sure he believes everything he says but so what?
****** did not scrape Khan up out of loyalty, he scraped him up because Khan makes him a fucking fortune. Calzaghe did so for years and years and then when he wanted one last pay day where he took all the pot, ****** spent column after column slagging him off. Calzaghe didn't backstab ****** or betray him, he wanted a big last pay day where he got the lions share of the money for getting in the ring and risking his health.

Yes ****** did a great job with Khan post Prescott. Because Khan sells out arenas and sells PPV. If Khan had lost to MAB to a half empty arena and then shifted only half the tickets for a come back fight in which he struggled do you think ****** would be spending all his efforts to salvage the mans career?

It's a business. I don't blame ****** for wanting to make money off the fighters, that's his job. But let's not pretend he takes boxers on out of some love of the sport, wanting to put on the best fights for the fans or because he wants to give a young lad a start in life. He is a businessman investing in a commodity.

If that commodity can earn more money for risking themselves in a tough sport then so what?

****** wanted Haye. Haye said no thanks, so ****** spends the last few years smearing his name and using a national paper to try and persuade the public he is not very good and basically that they shouldn't pay to watch him. That's why people don't like him. Because if you don't want to make your money by also making Frank even richer then he resents you for it.

If Bellew lost his next 3 fights, I don't think he would find Frank checking up on him quite so much.

Why was Kevin Mitchell never given the chances Khan got? I mean Kevin has been with Frank longer, been proven to be loyal, fought for far less money. Why didn't Frank pull the strings to help him out as much? Oh yeah because Kevin didn't sell as well as a lad who went to the Olympics and has a dedicated following from all young Muslims.

Funny how Mitchell got his shot at Prescott and a chance to make a name with the casual boxing fan when ****** obviously knew Khan was leaving. He can say it came as a shock to him, but the moment Mitchell-Prescott was announced I said on these boards that Khan was definitely leaving ******.

So now within a few weeks the column in the paper can start to say that Mitchell was always the star of the stable and that his defeat of the man who smashed Khan proves it.
And if Mitchell stays with ******, wins a world title and then defends it for the next decade making Frank millions, and one day as he is about to retire he decides for one big last cheque away from SN, Frank can pretend the previous 15 years don't count and talk about how hurt and betrayed he feels by Kevin.

[toffeejack]

Good interview that. I like Bellew a lot (plus he's an Evertonian which helps :D).

Would be interesting if Cleverley posted on here as well, I'd also like to hear his thoughts on a potential match up between the two.

[LP_1985]

I like Bellew and think he comes across as a top lad on here, but frankly he is obviously going to be biased. I'm sure he believes everything he says but so what?
****** did not scrape Khan up out of loyalty, he scraped him up because Khan makes him a fucking fortune. Calzaghe did so for years and years and then when he wanted one last pay day where he took all the pot, ****** spent column after column slagging him off. Calzaghe didn't backstab ****** or betray him, he wanted a big last pay day where he got the lions share of the money for getting in the ring and risking his health.

Yes ****** did a great job with Khan post Prescott. Because Khan sells out arenas and sells PPV. If Khan had lost to MAB to a half empty arena and then shifted only half the tickets for a come back fight in which he struggled do you think ****** would be spending all his efforts to salvage the mans career?

It's a business. I don't blame ****** for wanting to make money off the fighters, that's his job. But let's not pretend he takes boxers on out of some love of the sport, wanting to put on the best fights for the fans or because he wants to give a young lad a start in life. He is a businessman investing in a commodity.

If that commodity can earn more money for risking themselves in a tough sport then so what?

****** wanted Haye. Haye said no thanks, so ****** spends the last few years smearing his name and using a national paper to try and persuade the public he is not very good and basically that they shouldn't pay to watch him. That's why people don't like him. Because if you don't want to make your money by also making Frank even richer then he resents you for it.

If Bellew lost his next 3 fights, I don't think he would find Frank checking up on him quite so much.

Why was Kevin Mitchell never given the chances Khan got? I mean Kevin has been with Frank longer, been proven to be loyal, fought for far less money. Why didn't Frank pull the strings to help him out as much? Oh yeah because Kevin didn't sell as well as a lad who went to the Olympics and has a dedicated following from all young Muslims.

Funny how Mitchell got his shot at Prescott and a chance to make a name with the casual boxing fan when ****** obviously knew Khan was leaving. He can say it came as a shock to him, but the moment Mitchell-Prescott was announced I said on these boards that Khan was definitely leaving ******.

So now within a few weeks the column in the paper can start to say that Mitchell was always the star of the stable and that his defeat of the man who smashed Khan proves it.
And if Mitchell stays with ******, wins a world title and then defends it for the next decade making Frank millions, and one day as he is about to retire he decides for one big last cheque away from SN, Frank can pretend the previous 15 years don't count and talk about how hurt and betrayed he feels by Kevin.

some good points.do u think always checks up on his prospects so they feel they owe him a sense of loyalty

[carrotcruncher]

I like Bellew and think he comes across as a top lad on here, but frankly he is obviously going to be biased. I'm sure he believes everything he says but so what?
****** did not scrape Khan up out of loyalty, he scraped him up because Khan makes him a fucking fortune. Calzaghe did so for years and years and then when he wanted one last pay day where he took all the pot, ****** spent column after column slagging him off. Calzaghe didn't backstab ****** or betray him, he wanted a big last pay day where he got the lions share of the money for getting in the ring and risking his health.

Yes ****** did a great job with Khan post Prescott. Because Khan sells out arenas and sells PPV. If Khan had lost to MAB to a half empty arena and then shifted only half the tickets for a come back fight in which he struggled do you think ****** would be spending all his efforts to salvage the mans career?

It's a business. I don't blame ****** for wanting to make money off the fighters, that's his job. But let's not pretend he takes boxers on out of some love of the sport, wanting to put on the best fights for the fans or because he wants to give a young lad a start in life. He is a businessman investing in a commodity.

If that commodity can earn more money for risking themselves in a tough sport then so what?

****** wanted Haye. Haye said no thanks, so ****** spends the last few years smearing his name and using a national paper to try and persuade the public he is not very good and basically that they shouldn't pay to watch him. That's why people don't like him. Because if you don't want to make your money by also making Frank even richer then he resents you for it.

If Bellew lost his next 3 fights, I don't think he would find Frank checking up on him quite so much.

Why was Kevin Mitchell never given the chances Khan got? I mean Kevin has been with Frank longer, been proven to be loyal, fought for far less money. Why didn't Frank pull the strings to help him out as much? Oh yeah because Kevin didn't sell as well as a lad who went to the Olympics and has a dedicated following from all young Muslims.

Funny how Mitchell got his shot at Prescott and a chance to make a name with the casual boxing fan when ****** obviously knew Khan was leaving. He can say it came as a shock to him, but the moment Mitchell-Prescott was announced I said on these boards that Khan was definitely leaving ******.

So now within a few weeks the column in the paper can start to say that Mitchell was always the star of the stable and that his defeat of the man who smashed Khan proves it.
And if Mitchell stays with ******, wins a world title and then defends it for the next decade making Frank millions, and one day as he is about to retire he decides for one big last cheque away from SN, Frank can pretend the previous 15 years don't count and talk about how hurt and betrayed he feels by Kevin.

****** "scraped" Khan up brilliantly. Let's see how Golden Boy manage if the chin lets him down again. And obviously frank's's a businessman. When Benn went on the slide, he had Collins, and Naz, and he managed to find a champion Bruno could beat, then there was Hatton. And Calzaghe was not a true headline act until Hatton cleared off. Frank needed big fights as well as the novice Khan show, and Calzaghe delivered. But he got the profile, and the money on Franks ability as well as his own. Hell, Frank got 8.2 million on ITV for fraudley and Williams.

****** had intended bringing Calzaghe into his promotional team post career. So that is hardly somebody who was just ripping him off. And would not have allowed a level purse split with Jones, who was shot to pieces and couldn't believe his luck when gullible Joe surrendered to his demands.
So, post Calzaghe it was Khan. And now it will be one of Mitchell, Brook, DeGale, Gavin, Bellew etc .... some moron on here suggested ****** is on the way out. Utter rubbish. He has been doing this for 30 years and has another 20 in him if he wants it.

You sound a world weary cynic trying to hand out lessons in the blindingly obvious. Perhaps you should speak to Naz, who now says he was a fool to ever leave ******.
Time will tell with Khan. But it speaks volumes that he couldn't pick the phone up an talk to ****** himself.

[China_hand_Joe]

I like Bellew and think he comes across as a top lad on here, but frankly he is obviously going to be biased. I'm sure he believes everything he says but so what?
****** did not scrape Khan up out of loyalty, he scraped him up because Khan makes him a fucking fortune. Calzaghe did so for years and years and then when he wanted one last pay day where he took all the pot, ****** spent column after column slagging him off. Calzaghe didn't backstab ****** or betray him, he wanted a big last pay day where he got the lions share of the money for getting in the ring and risking his health.

Yes ****** did a great job with Khan post Prescott. Because Khan sells out arenas and sells PPV. If Khan had lost to MAB to a half empty arena and then shifted only half the tickets for a come back fight in which he struggled do you think ****** would be spending all his efforts to salvage the mans career?

It's a business. I don't blame ****** for wanting to make money off the fighters, that's his job. But let's not pretend he takes boxers on out of some love of the sport, wanting to put on the best fights for the fans or because he wants to give a young lad a start in life. He is a businessman investing in a commodity.

If that commodity can earn more money for risking themselves in a tough sport then so what?

****** wanted Haye. Haye said no thanks, so ****** spends the last few years smearing his name and using a national paper to try and persuade the public he is not very good and basically that they shouldn't pay to watch him. That's why people don't like him. Because if you don't want to make your money by also making Frank even richer then he resents you for it.

If Bellew lost his next 3 fights, I don't think he would find Frank checking up on him quite so much.

Why was Kevin Mitchell never given the chances Khan got? I mean Kevin has been with Frank longer, been proven to be loyal, fought for far less money. Why didn't Frank pull the strings to help him out as much? Oh yeah because Kevin didn't sell as well as a lad who went to the Olympics and has a dedicated following from all young Muslims.

Funny how Mitchell got his shot at Prescott and a chance to make a name with the casual boxing fan when ****** obviously knew Khan was leaving. He can say it came as a shock to him, but the moment Mitchell-Prescott was announced I said on these boards that Khan was definitely leaving ******.

So now within a few weeks the column in the paper can start to say that Mitchell was always the star of the stable and that his defeat of the man who smashed Khan proves it.
And if Mitchell stays with ******, wins a world title and then defends it for the next decade making Frank millions, and one day as he is about to retire he decides for one big last cheque away from SN, Frank can pretend the previous 15 years don't count and talk about how hurt and betrayed he feels by Kevin.

Frank ****** gave Audley Harrison nine lives. He would do the same or Khan.

It was an established fact Khan was leaving ****** as soon as he hooked up with Roach. But the selfless ****** did not stand in his way of finding this top American trainer.

[brown bomber]

Khan will just go back to ****** if the Golden Boy plan fails.

[NO MAS]

Well put by Tony Bellew...:yep

I dont think that GBP will give Khan the opportunity that FW did if it goes horribly wrong...:yep

I think that Khan will get there, but not before another fright...:yep

[Strike]

****** "scraped" Khan up brilliantly. Let's see how Golden Boy manage if the chin lets him down again. And obviously frank's's a businessman. When Benn went on the slide, he had Collins, and Naz, and he managed to find a champion Bruno could beat, then there was Hatton. And Calzaghe was not a true headline act until Hatton cleared off. Frank needed big fights as well as the novice Khan show, and Calzaghe delivered. But he got the profile, and the money on Franks ability as well as his own. Hell, Frank got 8.2 million on ITV for fraudley and Williams.

****** had intended bringing Calzaghe into his promotional team post career. So that is hardly somebody who was just ripping him off. And would not have allowed a level purse split with Jones, who was shot to pieces and couldn't believe his luck when gullible Joe surrendered to his demands.
So, post Calzaghe it was Khan. And now it will be one of Mitchell, Brook, DeGale, Gavin, Bellew etc .... some moron on here suggested ****** is on the way out. Utter rubbish. He has been doing this for 30 years and has another 20 in him if he wants it.

None of that disproves anything I said. I never said he tried to "rip" people off did I? I said he was a bitter man who used his column to slate people the moment they dared do something without him.
And I said he is quite fairly in it for the money as that is his job. But it means that when someone like Hatton has made you a fortune and you have helped make him one, don't be so bitter when he goes on to make more money without you. He still used his talent and fanbase to earn you a mint.

You sound a world weary cynic trying to hand out lessons in the blindingly obvious. Perhaps you should speak to Naz, who now says he was a fool to ever leave ******.
Time will tell with Khan. But it speaks volumes that he couldn't pick the phone up an talk to ****** himself.

I'm not trying to hand out lessons in anything. People have posted threads and articles saying ****** is hard done to and that he is right to be angry. I am explaining why I think it is rich coming from him and why any fighter who has a contract expire after earning their promoter a fortune has every right to do their own thing. We're not talking about fucking off a trainer who took you from childhood to world champion like Naz did with Ingle.

The bit I agree on is Khan not picking up the phone. If that is true then it is bang out of order and reflects badly on him, although why people are acting like the audience on an episode of Jeremey Kyle and assuming that ******s side of this story is true because it's the first one they've heard, is quite beyond me.

[slip&counter]

I like Tony but his opinion is jaded on this issue.

[ero-sennin]

Very balanced post by strike. ****** has done an amazing job with Khan but it is a business. If Khan had a couple more losses what would ****** have done. Plus it works both ways, Khan made ****** a shitload of money too. The contract expired, meaning he was free to choose what to do next. That was the agreement. It's not as if he said "yeah let's sign a ten year deal" then chose to say "actually mate, I reckon Oscar will do a better job so I'm off". He honoured the contract.

Funny how so Anti ****** this forum is but all of a sudden everyone feels sorry for him. Before it was more like "die Frank you fucking cunt". What was wrong was him not speaking to Frank directly though. He should've talked man to man instead of getting someone else to do it.

[JIM KELLY]

Khan will just go back to ****** if the Golden Boy plan fails.

Didn't Team Khan originally state that they will still work along side ******'s promotion?

[Will]

I don't see what the big fuss is.

Amir signed with ******

****** Promoted Amir Brilliantly

****** got paid brilliantly on his investment.

Amir signs with Oscar.

Time will show if it was a wize move or not.

It's not like a contract was broken so what is the big deal.

[Primadonna Kool]

Frank ****** is britain's best promoter hands down............

[Bodysnatcher]

It's obvious Amir is extremely keen to fight in America and make a name for himself there.

I thought it was interesting that Frank was saying `how can Amir leave me, I was going to get him a fight with Bradley or Maidana...but in the UK where he'd make more money.`

It was like Amir's desire to fight in the States hadn't registered with him.

****** does a good job building fighters, but it seems obvious to me that he doesn't want them running off to America if he can help it. The UK is his domain, he's the big fish in the small pond, and he wants to exercise power and control on his own turf.

Some people might question why Amir wants to go to America in the first place, but how many of us criticise Calzaghe for not doing something similar until the end of his career?

Amir doesn't owe ****** anything. They were business partners who both profited from their arrangement, and now Amir wants to expand into a market where a new partnership will serve him better. Simple as that.

[Max Molyneux]

Didn't they leave Harrison in a bady way too? Not that they have to stay with them but give them proper notice! Sounds like Khan's management are arseholes and are lucky Khan's stupid enough to be manipulated by them.

[Max Molyneux]

Bellew hasa good point about fighting as an undercard fighter on the Hopkins/Jones rematch though hahaha and yet some fans think joke fights don't get made in America!

Didn't Roach want to match Khan up with Morales at one time too? Sure i remember reading that!

[Beeston Brawler]

I think there are a few party lines in there from Bellew, in fairness.

Khan wants to fight in the States. If that isn't how ****** sees his career going, then a parting of ways is inevitable. It's not as if Khan has gone out of his way to fuck ****** over.

Sometimes in business you win, sometimes you lose, other times you end up pretty much even. I'd say ****** has ended up about even with Khan.... made a few quid of course, but not as many as intended.

I guess until you have been placed in that position you aren't sure how you'd respond (i.e. potentially fighting in the US for big money) - maybe ****** isn't averse to his men going overseas regularly, but his actions recently suggest otherwise.

Bellew might be placed in that position himself one day......

[Dan684]

I dont see why Khan just didn't sit down with ****** and express his desire to fight in the states and do some joint promotional work with GBP

[carrotcruncher]

Didn't they leave Harrison in a bady way too? Not that they have to stay with them but give them proper notice! Sounds like Khan's management are arseholes and are lucky Khan's stupid enough to be manipulated by them.

in one

[BIG WORM]

Bellew does seem like hes licking ******s ass a bit !!!

[billy nelson]

big tony's just calling it the way it is,theres nothing frank cant do that GBP can,loyalty is a big thing imo,time will tell but my feeling is amir may come back with his tail between his legs.i hope amir not getting carried away with those shit head americans who think nobody can do anything better than them?

[brown bomber]

Personally I don't see how Khan is going to become big in the states. Before I get critisised I like the lad, he's a fabulous fighter but he lacks any punch resistance. He is not that exciting to watch and he's hardly likely to be a long reigning champion. He's yet to fight anyone genuinely world class and in form.

I have a felling Khan might just be part of some deal- he lacks the charisma, durability or technique to be a big star. I don't think anyone in america would pay to watch him sprint round the ring doing a Vlad impression- albeit with faster hands.

Hope i'm wrong, would be glad to see him do well but there is something amiss.