Thaxton gets his last chance to pursue Khan bout

Boxing is about fame, glory, money, the challenge, the action, the hype - depending on who you are, depends in which order. When you are 33, in most cases, the priorities are getting limited. For Jon Thaxton, the chance of real fame has probably passed him by, the chances of glory and money realistically depend on securing one bout - against Amir Khan. A bout with Khan would pay Thaxton considerably more than he has ever earned before and a win would not only give him the recognition his career has so far lacked, but also propel him into a likely world title fight.

In many ways, Thaxton has become to Khan, a version of what Junior Witter has become to Ricky Hatton. In both cases it was seen that the star would have to prove himself against the other, but somehow kept avoiding him. Except that most rational observers find it outrageous that Hatton continues to slip Witter, while Thaxton, the British lightweight champion, still has to prove he is worth facing.

A few months ago, after a purse bid for a bout between the pair had been scrapped, I spoke to an exasperated Mick Hennessy, Thaxton's promoter, who was of the belief that Khan or Frank Warren, his promoter, didn't want the fight. My view was that both would be happy to take the bout but it would have to be on a Warren show. Also, that if Thaxton really wanted it too, it was up to him to face a world-ranked opponent to show that there was value in the match.

Well, fair play to Hennessy, because on Friday night, at York Hall, Bethnal Green, Thaxton challenges Yuri Romanov, of Belarus, for the European lightweight title. The date is no accident - the night before Khan faces Martin Kristjansen, of Denmark, at Bolton Arena - and there is little doubt that Khan would rather be facing Romanov than the Dane. Still there is little doubt that Thaxton would rather be facing Khan rather than the Belarussian.

Thaxton, though, believes that Khan is only after easy fights. "Khan has looked at Romanov and me and thought he doesn’t need either of us," Thaxton said. "I want to be tested and I've asked my promoter Mick Hennessy to get me the toughest fights out there. He has delivered in getting me the fight I wanted and now I will deliver. He lines them up and I knock them down.

"Amir is a good kid and is very talented, but what has Kristjansen done? He is nowhere near on the same level as Romanov, who is a much tougher opponent. They are choosing the path they take, rather than taking the toughest fights out there like I am."

Romanov is ranked No 2 by the WBA (Kristjansen is ranked No 2 by the WBO) and looked particularly fearsome in two early career wins in Britain over Steve Murray and Bobby Vanzie. In his last UK appearance, however, lost on points to Graham Earl, although he since won the European title by knocking out Juan Carlos Diaz Melero in three rounds in Spain and successfully defended it twice, the last time with a points win over former world champion Stefano Zoff in October.

Philippe Fondu, Romanov's manager, says that Romanov will do better than against Earl. "Yuri had been out of the ring for more than a year before fighting Earl so was ring rusty," he said. "He was a bit concerned about going the distance but the fight took a lot out of Earl and he hasn't been the same since.

"Yuri will be a lot better than he was against Earl. He knocked out Juan Carlos Diaz Melero who was unbeaten and fighting in front of his home fans. The Spanish fans were very shocked by that and then Yuri stopped Tontcho Tontchev and beat Stefano Zoff on points in his last fight, and he is a former world champion. So we expect Yuri to win this fight.

"These are the two best lightweights in Europe and Romanov is well known in Britain so it promises to be a good fight."