Thaxton faces ‘tougher test’ than Amir

9:48pm Wednesday 2nd April 2008

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BRITISH lightweight champion Jon Thaxton believes he is facing a bigger challenge than compatriot Amir Khan this weekend.

Thaxton faces Yuri Romanov for the European title tomorrow night before Commonwealth champ Khan meets Martin Kristjansen 24 hours later.

However, Thaxton has no doubt who faces the tougher fight.

He said: "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."

He added: "Khan has looked at Romanov and me and thought he doesn't need either of us.

"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."

Romanov, ranked second by the WBA, fought one of Khan's victims, Graham Earl, two years ago but lost on points.

However, his manager Philip Fondu expects him to deliver a better performance of this occasion.

Fondu said: "Yuri had been out of the ring for more than a year before fighting Earl so was ring rusty.

"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."