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- Earl v Khan press conference from London Time 2008-05-29 18:42
- Graham Earl has been invited to Amir Khan's 21st birthday bash. But he'll be aiming to blow his lights out, not his candlesEarl will challenge British boxing's hottest property for his Commonwealth Lightweight title at Khan's home-town when they meet at the Bolton Arena on Saturday, December 8.Luton's Earl, 29, said of the Olympic silver medallist prodigy: "He's a great talent. But he'll have nothing to celebrate once I give him his surprise 21st birthday presents -- one left, one right."Re-united with trainer Jim Turner, they are going to a secret training camp for five weeks.Earl, who has never been away longer for pre-fight conditioning, said: "This'll be my motivation during the fight. I hate being away from my wife Lesley and kids. Khan's the reason I'll be kept away from them."Undefeated Khan said: "I'm inviting Earl to my party in the ring and after the fight, but he won't want to come."The Lutonian countered: "Tell Khan I'll come to his post-fight party -- if he's well enough. I'll even buy him a drink to help drown his sorrows."Earl hasn't been in the ring since February's brutal five-round defeat against Aussie Michael Katsidis -- a brawl shortlisted for World Fight of the Year.Khan added: "It was very exciting. But I'm much quicker than Katsidis. I'd be throwing three shots where Katsidis threw one."Earl said: "You'll see a new Graham Earl in that ring. I'll be looking to get hit less. I've got my hunger back. I'd fallen out of love with this business for the past five or six years. Now my hunger's returned. Amir's young, so when I've beaten him he can always come back."This sparked a heated exchange between the pair at Monday's fight press conference at London's prestigious Landmark hotel in Marylebone.Promoter Frank Warren intervened, saying: "Even I'm going to buy a ticket for this. I've never heard Amir get so heated, so he's obviously got the bit between his teeth."Graham's a great ticket-seller. He's already ordered 1,000 tickets for himself. I saw him against Katsidis and he proved you've got to nail him to the ground to beat him." Earl still maintains that he would have won that fight had he been allowed to go on another two or three rounds by his then trainer Johnny Eames, while Khan said he wanted to punch Earl into retirement.And a week before Bonfire Night, Warren promised: "You are going to see fireworks."Words by Mark Stillman.Video report by Natalee Hazelwood.Last Updated: 31 October 2007 7:30 AM
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