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The Press Association

Britain's Amir Khan, right, land's a punch to Dmitriy Salita, of the U.S. during their boxing match for the WBA World Light-Welterweight title in Newcastle, England, on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009.
(AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Amir Khan made a hugely successful first defense of his WBA light-welterweight title with a first-round blow-out victory against unbeaten Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle.

Khan Destroys Salita in 76 Seconds

The Press Association

Britain’s Amir Khan, right, land’s a punch to Dmitriy Salita, of the U.S. during their boxing match for the WBA World Light-Welterweight title in Newcastle, England, on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009.
(AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Amir Khan made a hugely successful first defense of his WBA light-welterweight title with a first-round blow-out victory against unbeaten Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle.

The 22-year-old from Bolton won the title with victory over Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik in July less than a year after his shocking first-round defeat by unknown Colombian Breidis Prescott.

And he defended it in style, flooring Ukraine-born New Yorker Salita – who had a record of 30 wins and a draw before tonight – in the first few seconds and battering him to defeat in barely a minute.

After his obliteration by Prescott in September 2008, Khan teamed up with renowned American trainer Freddie Roach and bounced back in style with victories over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera and his title win against Kotelnik in the summer.

Salita came into the ring with an impressive record but with only 16 stoppage wins. He was expected to at least make a fight of it at the Metro Radio Arena and threw the opening few shots, albeit hitting only fresh air.

Khan responded in kind and floored his man barely 10 seconds into the contest, landing a hard left and crushing right to send Salita spiraling to the canvas.

The challenger managed to get to his feet unsteadily and an excited Khan poured forward looking to build on his amazing early success, throwing big but wild shots.

Khan did not need much time to compose himself and another left hurt Salita, sending him into a neutral corner. Khan followed up with a lightning-quick flurry which bludgeoned the New Yorker to one knee.

Salita was up again but the end was in sight and when Khan set up another assault with the right hand and had Salita unsteadily against the ropes, Puerto Rican referee Luis Pavon stepped in and ended it just one minute 16 seconds into the fight.

Salita was dazed and distraught, needing a few minutes to compose himself on a stool before Khan’s arm was raised in victory.

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55 Comments

  • Reuvein Balboa

    It’s not about how hard you can hit, it’s about how many hits you can take and still keep going!

  • Dmitri is Awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    All of you with the negative quotes… dont write anything. His family, friends and Dmitri himself will be reading this. He’s an amazing person. It’s so nice to see him being religious and keeping the jewish life style. Chillul Hashem my $%#%. He is an amazing amqazing boxar with the rite intentions. His fans will support him no matter wat.

  • From farbrengen to the ring - NOT FAIR!

    This arab was training during the whole shabbos,while Dimitry was farbrenging in shul. Dimitry just finnished Havdolo- he was not psychologicaly ready for combat! Lets see Khan fight him during Ramadan, or even on a regular day!
    Dimitry- you’re king anyways!

  • gods right hand man

    the jew lost because most jews dont really like each other
    the arrogance and self righteousness must cease as obviously the jews arent seen that favorably bainei elokim vadom
    and as an individual visiting a forign land the jew got destroyed

  • try speaking the truth

    Gaavtan got defeated… did you hear the interview how cocky and unhumble he was..couldnt have been any worse..i hope he is humbled from this experience, as it is a great embarrasment to his ego. MASHPIL GE’IM ADEI ORETZ!!

    We all need to learn from this.

  • Bais Shmuel

    if he was not readdy to fight he should not have fought
    you need to loose to understand how it feels to take a beating so next time he will work evan harder to win

  • Pentax

    “Dmitri is Awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!! wrote”
    Nobody made a bad comment so relax.

    Khan is just a better fighter, it’s a sport not a
    religious debate. Anyway I don’t think Khan was training
    the whole shabbos since he needs his energy too.

  • shliach in PA

    we shluchim are SO proud of DMITRY – he too is a shliach and presents a kiddush sheim shamayim!

    though ultimately: Hayodayim yidei eisav – this is eisav’s best quality…

    Dmitry, Maladyetz!!

  • Asher

    The light of Chanukah started shining already! B”H another ‘lubavitch’ star was defeated. Maybe now he will come to his senses and realize that boxing should be left to the greeks and start learning Torah

  • Don-t give up!

    Losing is often a temporary condition. It’s giving up that makes it permanant. Don’t give up Dmitriy!

  • yossi z

    Of course this is not fair! Everyone knows that yidden farbreng on yud tes kislev and don’t stand opposite boxing muslims. He should have stayed at the farbrengen where he belonged and leave the goyshkeit for the goyim.

  • spiritual vs. physical

    hakol kol yaakov vhayedayim yedei eisav.
    our stregnth is not in our fists. its the torah and the mitzvos that we are lucky enough to keep.

  • spiritual vs. physical

    hakol kol yaakov vhayedayim yedei eisav.
    our stregnth is not in our fists. its the torah and the mitzvos that we are lucky enough to keep.

  • A fellow fighter

    Several tips for Mr. Salita:

    When holding your hands up in the defensive position, hold your hands higher up to where they are even with your oppononts shoulders. In this case, being that Mr. Khan is taller than you, you needed to have your hands higher up and wider apart to block his punches.

    Your punches were round punches to where you are swinging them at him. His punches are straight and give him the power of his entire body strength which is why they knocked you out. Additionaly, when you swing your arm around like that to punch you expose that entire side and leave it defenseless.

    If you would like me to contact you leave a note on the comments here.

  • I was there

    He lost becase Paul huebener the moiser was ringside and that is all the bad luck in the world

  • go dmitry

    I agree with : “Dmitri is Awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!! ” and “From farbrengen to the ring – NOT FAIR!”

    DMITRY IS KING FOREVER!!

  • chin up!

    youre the man Dimitriy! dont let this get you down…you will come back harder and stronger next time. sometimes you have to lose in order to apprecaite how wonderful it is to win. kol hakavod on all of your efforts!

  • Just asking

    If our lubavitch star dimitri would have to fight our lubavitch star rabbi yuri forman how would it be a kidush hashem? would it be a mitzvah for one to beat up the other?
    just asking…

  • go dimitry.

    khan did not DESTROY OUR dIMITRY. He simply won a small physical debate. The jew can NEVER be destroyed. much luck.

    to all of those preaching- the point of yud tes kislev is ahavas yisroel so please remember why your farbrenging, to uplift one another, not ch”v let them down.
    dimitry, please ignore negative comments, some ppl just have nothing to do…

  • A Big Fan

    Dimitri has ALREADY won the fight of possible over impossible,a massive awareness of what it means to live the life of a jew coming to america rebuilding his life observant and making so many jews all over proud of who he stands for,a fight comes and goes, a kiddush hashem lasts forever!!

  • Londoner

    We were there to support you. You are a great young man. Good luck next time around.

  • InYourFace

    I don’t think this needs to be a religious debate, it has nothing to do with religion and only to do with sport. Salita made the bout a political issue when he came out with the Israeli flag, he’s not Israeli, he’s jewish.

    The effects of his actions can now be attributed in some way to a Butt whipping to Israel and the Jews from a Muslim.

    May be Khan should have come out with a Palestinian flag.

    Before you start shouting in uproar, take a good look in the mirror. I simply think that the better sports person won on the day.

  • Dovber

    The good thing about his defeat is, that our young kids will stop idealizing him so much, even our FLATBUSH shlucim!!! GEVALD what has become of us!!! is this CHABAD??? we shuld tell our kids boxing is not for us!!!
    Our life is about TORAH UMITSVOS!
    Besoros tovos.

  • Greatest

    To any of the obnoxious people who decide who should do what…keep your opinions to yourself and worry about YOUR own learning.When people learn to mind their OWN actions and not judge anyone else, maybe some more good will come to this place. I AM IN TOTAL awe of Dimitry and hope this is only a very temporary setback.I hope to see more ortho.Jews in the ring IYH’ and in any areas not yet walked.STOP JUDGING!!I think Dimitry is the a great Kiddush H.

  • Shocked

    Shock and horror the way these fellow lubavitch LUBA = Love VITCH = City = City of love the Lubavitch Chassidim are seposed to be people of Love reading these comments i dont see that much love! I feel that people who never met Dima are talking as if they are big Godli Hador and I say Godli Hador Because they aint Lubavitchers they are Snags!!! Dimitriy is the most Aidel person who is a real Lubavitcher and is a real Shliach of the Rebbe spreading the Rebbes works! IYH we will see why g-d had him defeated! But right now we know that we have to do another Mitzvah to bring Moshiach now!

  • crown heights dude

    comment about Paul H ringside – is that confirmed correct?

    I highly doubt Salita would side with the wrong crowd. As far as is known he is close to the meschistim only b/c liberow assisted much in his life growing up. I hear he totally is NOT in agreement on his views regarding the moshiach issue!
    If Paul was there someone snuck him into his world ;/

    regardless he’ll come back the best sometimes fall too .

  • natan

    Dear Dimitry;
    This loss is just a game, so don’t worry. The REAL thing you won! You won with keeping Shabbos and the Torah.
    But everything is from above, possibly your spiritual level has been elevated over the years and Shabbos kodesh doesn’t want you to fight on Saturday nights because it might take your mind off more important things you should be concentrating on, in Shabbos. (Even more so, 19 Kislev.)
    So, don’t let this get to you. Part of life is how to swallow a loss. I think that in the future you should not fight on Motzei Shabbos. I think Shabbos loves you and wants you [nothing less than]100% the entire Shabbos.
    Have a good Shabbos and Hatzlacha!
    natan

  • ROCHI MARCIANO

    ITS SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND…..HE HAS BECOME A FRUM JEW SINCE HIS JOURNEY TO THE TITLE. TORAH AND MITZVOIS WEAKENS A PERSONS AGGRESSION. HE WILL NEED TO OVERCOME THAT WEAKNESS BY BETTER PREPARATION,AND WITH A WORLD CLASS TRAINER. HE HAS TO BE ENCOURAGED TO ATTAIN HIS DREAM ONCE MORE AS IF HE DOESN’T HAVE ANOTHER GO HE WILL HAVE NO REST OR PEACE AND HIS MIND WILL ALWAYS CARRY THAT NAGGING DOUBT AS TO WHETHER HE COULD HAVE WON THE TITLE AT THE SECOND ATTEMPT. HIS ZECHUSIM IN BEING MDAKDAIK IN TORAH AND MITZVOIS BEFOR DURING AND AFTER THE FIGHT WILL HELP HIM TO ACHGIEVE HIS LIFE LONG GOAL AND DREAM. YOGATI UMOTZI DIMITRY…MAKE IT HAPPEN

  • Eldad

    Everyone is entitled to a bad fight… it happens, it is what you do afterwards that makes you who you are. Those who don’t fight, don’t know what it takes and what it means to get a hard punch and recover. To all those who have negative comments (ie. Yossi Z),go study a little bit more and understand what Daat/Rachamim means, than make a judgment.
    I am a MMA fan but this fight made me your fan… Keep up the good work Salita.

  • salitas team

    Dmitry Salita is a HERO. He went to muslim England to fight.Him and his team was around 10,000 hungry dogs who want to kill and eat them up. Plus dont forget who is Fredy Roach – one of the best coach in the world and Amir Kahn – very fast boxer. Dont worry: Dnitri will be the world champion.

  • you are all rediculous

    This is a rediculous conversation. I only could bear scanning some of it. It was a boxing match and he lost thats it. Stop wasting analytical powers on this and go analyze gemarah. And it is not a chilul hashem. Judiasm thank god has room for one’s hobbies and the performing arts (in regard to tznius and kol isha and performing on shabbas) So boxing is okay. He lost this game and won others and that is it. Now go off the computer and learn torah or watch other boxing games. I doubt Dmitry will read this.

  • Yechiel

    Dimrity was fighting the same Parsha of Yaakov fighting Eisov’s Malach so it’s pretty cool!

    Keep going! Yasher Koach! Dimrity you are a great fighter.

    Don’t listen to anti-semitic comments. We love you and you are a great fighter. Keep going!

  • Frank Pittal

    Dmitri I am jewish and i am so proud of you,You are a mensch and a gitter neshumah Israel Liebrow is a good man you must now rest yesterday has gone dont worry about tommorrow we havnt arrived there yet just enjoy the present thats why its called the present a gift from Hashem,Dmitri the old song Pick yourself up dust yourself down and start all over again,My good friends Adam Israel Lieberow one day you will return here in the U.K as a world champion let the muslims enjoy their 15 minutes of fame because YOU WILL RETURN a champion Frank Pittal London England

  • Nickp

    Dmitry, remember that Khan was defeated in horrible fasion one year ago, but hooked up with better trainers that prepared him better mentally and physically. You have the desire and guts, but now its time for better management so you can get off to faster starts, and work on defensive and counter speed. This is your career, every great fighter loses one, now its time to rededicate and focus and attain your dreams.

  • to asher

    you have no clue what you are talking about!!!
    dimitri learns evry single day
    he has not gone to sleep in the past 10 years without saying חתת!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    he is more frum then you asher idiot