The show, to be screened live by ITV1, is approaching a sell-out. The fact that Amir has invited his fellow 18-year-old Andy Murray to be his special ringside guest is certain to meet with throaty approval from the locals when the Khan clan descend on Glasgow. The pair have formed a recent friend-ship, comparing notes as Britain's two outstanding teenaged sporting prodigies."We are both having to cope with a lot of pressure and competing against opponents who are older and may be physically and mentally stronger," says Amir. An all-round sports fan, he likes to watch tennis, while Murray, it transpires, is an avid fight fan who has told Amir he wants to take up boxing training as part of plans to increase his stamina.He could do worse than spend a few hours learning the ropes from Amir and the Olympic lightweight silver medallist's new professional coach, Oliver Harrison. Amir talks enthus-iastically about technical adjustments made to his style by the unassuming Harrison, who was hand-picked for the job because of his reputation as a tutor as well as a top-class trainer.
Harrison's gymnasium in Salford is as much a classroom as an emporium of hard labour. Like his Range Rover Vogue parked outside, Amir still has the L plates on."I realise that when I did all that dancing around the ring as an amateur, I was just wasting energy. I am learning to balance myself better and plant my feet so I get better leverage to punch harder, using the flow to get that greater power."Harrison has only been too well aware of the changes he needs to make with his young charge. He says: "As an amateur Amir used to rush in with his chin in the air. He has incredible hand-speed and this will get even better now he has learned to get his elbows tucked into his chest a little more. People have compared him to Naseem Hamed, but to me he is more like Sugar Ray Leonard.
That's high praise, but he really is special, and the great thing is that he is really so keen to learn."Mention of Sugar Ray is ironic. After the recent Boxing Writers' dinner in London, an excited Amir, his father, Shah, business manager Asif and uncle Taz drove back to Bolton through the night to be at the gym for a promised early-morning date with the legendary former world and Olympic champion, who was visiting Manchester for a speaking engagement.But Sugar Ray didn't show. Leonard, who later visited Ricky Hatton's gym, claimed he knew nothing about the Amir date, but the word around the Frank Warren camp is that it was blocked by Hatton's people because of the ongoing feud with his former promoter, who now has a seven-figure, three-year deal with Amir.If that is so then Amir is learning, among other aspects of his professional education, that boxing "politrics", as Lennox Lewis famously termed it, can be as hurtful as the punches.Inevitably, Amir has been offered record deals, roles in films and has received hundreds of proposals of marriage Several publishers also want his autobiography. So far the one major deal he has accepted has been a music video, due to be released shortly. "I don't like singing and I don't dance, so this is just about training. There's a girl singer, Jessica Moon, who's also from Bolton, and I'm working out in the background. The song's called 'Eyes On You'."Amir won his debut pro fight in July in 107 seconds but was taken the distance in his second.