By Isobel Castillion: Why do some boxing fans want to see Paul McCloskey (22-0, 9 KO’s) beat Amir Khan (24-0, 17 KO’s) in their fight due to take place on the 16th April at Manchesters M.E.N. arena? Apart from the fact that he has Irish fans, I want to question why a huge amount of British fight fans won’t get behind Khan and actually want to see McCloskey knock him out. Khan’s fans might tell us its racism but let’s study some of the reasons the hugely popular Amir Khan just cant get rid of his critics no matter how hard he tries.

1. Khan was put into the ring with a lot of opponents who have made him look very good in his early fights, like Daniel Thorpe for example who now has a total of 113 loses and been knocked out 26 times. Was Khan really the future P4P great or was he just fighting tomato cans?

2. Khan has been involved in a few very controversial fights in which people even felt he should have lost. Willie Limmond v Amir Khan was a strange fight because Limmond seemed to have become the victim of a long count. Some people say the referee counted to thirteen while allowing Khan time to recover from his poorly judged decision to take a knee at the count of eight. Khan who was ‘all over the place’ in the words of the commentator had clearly been knocked down but insisted he had been pushed.

3. Some people thought that the living legend Marco Antonio Barrera was treated like a complete chump, in a fight which saw him having to struggle from round one with a cut which later needed 33 stitches to his head, caused by a head butt in the opening round. The fight was eventually stopped in the fifth round just too late for it to have been called a no contest. Having fought throughout with one eye Barrera’s chances of being ahead on the scorecards were slim.

5. Even the Marcos Maidana fight had its controversy as some feel the referee appeared to be making decisions which were bias towards Khan’s survival in the fight.

6. Khan’s reluctance to give rematches. Marco Antonio Barrera, Breidis Prescott and Marcos Rene Maidana all feel they have something to prove and have all asked for rematches but Khan doesn’t seem interested. Boxing trilogies especially are some of the most exciting fights in history but how long will they be waiting for another chance?

7. Claims that Khan could be the next Manny Pacquiao. Even Freddie Roach, Khan’s trainer doesn’t come out and say that. Khan spars and runs with Pacquiao, Manny’s dog also runs with him, doesn’t mean he will beat him one day.

8. The team Khan empire. Khan seems to have a huge on entourage behind him making him seem like a bit of diva. Prescott called Khan spoiled and pampered and when we saw Prescott’s tough life living in a room with newspaper as curtains and a washing line by his bed in a tiny room in Colombia, it seemed he was right.

9. Khan doesn’t seem to be down to earth and real. For example, you could be watching a video of a film crew follow him around and his father’s voice in the background saying ‘he’s just an ordinary lad, he’s just like everyone else’ as the camera pans in on Khan driving a car most of us wouldn’t be able to afford in three life times.

So maybe resentment? or jealousy? Or perhaps a feeling that Khan wants and gets everything easy? Whatever he does next you can be sure, Khan will always have his critics and fans that don’t like him and that will be rooting for the Irish.