76 Second Smackdown: Amir Khan Obliterates Dmitriy Salita

WBA super lightweight/junior welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) demolished Dmitriy Salita (30-1-1, 16 KOs) in the first round on Saturday night at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.

The Brit Khan, age 22,  may well be the top dog at 140, now that Freddie Roach has tightened up his defense and instilled some of that Pacmannish desire for destruction; he smashed Salita immediately, just ten seconds in, with a one-two, and Salita was on his butt. He arose, and was down again off a few combos with 55 seconds elapsed.

The fight was stopped by ref Luis Pabon after the third knockdown, as the shaky legged Salita ate a left hook which sent him back into the ropes, hanging on for dear life.

The fight, such as it was,  lasted just 76 seconds. It was Khan’s first defense of the belt, won from Andriy Kotelnik in July.

The 27-year-old Ukrainian born Salita wasn't given much of a chance from pundits, as most cited his paper-thin resume. But one wondered if perhaps he'd be able to channel some of the same energy that Yuri Foreman, another Jewish icon residing in New York, summoned in his takedown of WBA 154 pound champion Daniel Santos on Nov. 14. It was not to be.