Amir Khan's toughest test yet by David Statham May 19th 2008

When news filtered through of Amir Khan's split with Salford-based trainer Oliver Harrison, some of us were shocked, others were confused but many didn't take any notice. It has of course, been happening for years. Fighters bring in various people to find the right balance in their camp. It's not unusual. What is unusual is that Oliver Harrison has guided Amir from his last amateur victory over Mario Kindelan to the brink of a world title challenge. A challenge about to take place after two or three more fights. Why the pair separated remains unclear. And the ‘breakdown in communications' statement seems rather trivial. Whatever happened, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist now faces one of the toughest tests of his relatively short professional career. Finding the right trainer. To the casual boxing fan it may seem an easy decision but whilst there are a number of excellent trainers to choose from, the trickiest part is finding the one who is most suitable. Because the coach has a number of responsibilities. They act as a conditioner, motivator, confidant, psychologist, and strategist. However, their most important role is building a relationship with their boxer. Something  Khan acknowledges in his autobiography, A Boy From Bolton. He said: ‘‘There isn't a coaching manual that tells you about these things (respect). Any experienced coach can tell you how to throw a left hook, how to step to the left, to jab and stuff. Coaching at elite level is more about relationships than anything else.'' It seems slightly coincidental a boxing trainer should hit the headlines just a few weeks before Ricky Hatton's ‘Homecoming' bout against Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium (May 24th). The ‘Hitman's' own relationship with long-term trainer Billy Graham has been of much speculation since the December defeat to Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas. And there's been constant rumours the two would be parting ways after 44 professional fights together. But they're rumours Ricky Hatton denies, as he has done ever since he climbed off the canvas in the MGM Grand Arena. Talking to BBC Sport, the Englishman commented he doesn't know where the rumours have come from but they hold no truth whatsoever. He said: ‘‘He's been with me for eleven years now and I don't think I would be confident stepping into the ring without Billy Graham.'' The light-welterweight has been with ‘The Preacher' since his final years as an amateur. And there is evidence that continuity in a boxer-trainer relationship can prove to be beneficial. World champions Joe Calzaghe, David Haye and Clinton Woods have been with the same coach throughout their careers.   Khan will be trained by Dean Powell for his match-up against Michael Gomez in Birmingham on June 21st. Then who knows where his future lies? There's speculation the lightweight contender could be travelling towards the stars and stripes of America to join forces with a high-profile trainer. Buddy McGirt, Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Snr have all been mentioned. But nothing has been confirmed. As his eighteenth professional fight approaches, anticipation is increasing and the unbeaten twenty-one year old from Bolton will soon have to make one of the toughest decisions of his career so far. And it's a decision two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton believes is paramount. He said: ‘‘I think it's crucial you get the right man. It's like a team effort. One thing is, to get to the very top of your profession, you've got to have the right trainer.''

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