Amir Khan's next opponent, at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena on 5 December, is the unbeaten American Dmitriy Salita, who boxes out of an orthodox stance in more ways than one.
Salita is an Orthodox Jew who observes the disciplines of his religion so strictly there are 70 religious holidays on which he refuses to box. He also will not fight on the Sabbath which runs from Friday night until darkness on Saturday and said once, "Anyone who wants a good whuppin' from me is going to have to wait until sundown."
There should be no such scheduling problems in Newcastle, although the fight will be a serious test for Khan. "This is a very tough fight for him," Khan's promoter, Frank Warren, said, "and he's taking on a fighter that the American media are actually building up at the moment."
Salita's rise as a professional has revived interest among the Jewish community in his adopted New York, which for so long was a dominant force in the sport.
His clash with Khan, the WBA light welterweight champion and a practising Muslim, brings together not just old and new traditions in boxing but two faiths that have divided peoples and nations. Both boxers are exemplars of tolerance, a theme that no doubt Warren will be keen to stress in the lead up to the fight. Naseem Hamed's reign as world champion inspired Khan to such an extent he won an Olympic silver medal at 17 after losing to the finest amateur of his era, the Cuban Mario Kindelán. This is Khan's first defence of the 10 stone title he won by beating Andreas Kotelnik in July.
Salita was born Dmitriy Lekhtman in Odessa 27 years ago and came to the United States with his parents aged nine to escape growing antisemitism in Ukraine. He was inspired as a boy by videos of Mike Tyson and was simultaneously attracted to boxing and the tough demands of his religion. When he took up the sport in Brooklyn at 13, he used his mother's maiden name, Salita even though she originally objected to his fighting.
Salita, a brilliant amateur, turned pro at 19 and only a draw mars his 31 fight professional record. An aggressive, two-fisted fighter, he has stopped 16 opponents.
However, he was not at his best when he fought on the undercard of Joe Calazaghe's win over Roy Jones Jr at Madison Square Garden in November. Salita's points win over Derrick Campos and a subsequent victory against Raúl Muñoz were enough to make him Khan's mandatory opponent.
Salita is an Orthodox Jew who observes the disciplines of his religion so strictly there are 70 religious holidays on which he refuses to box. He also will not fight on the Sabbath which runs from Friday night until darkness on Saturday and said once, "Anyone who wants a good whuppin' from me is going to have to wait until sundown."
There should be no such scheduling problems in Newcastle, although the fight will be a serious test for Khan. "This is a very tough fight for him," Khan's promoter, Frank Warren, said, "and he's taking on a fighter that the American media are actually building up at the moment."
Salita's rise as a professional has revived interest among the Jewish community in his adopted New York, which for so long was a dominant force in the sport.
His clash with Khan, the WBA light welterweight champion and a practising Muslim, brings together not just old and new traditions in boxing but two faiths that have divided peoples and nations. Both boxers are exemplars of tolerance, a theme that no doubt Warren will be keen to stress in the lead up to the fight. Naseem Hamed's reign as world champion inspired Khan to such an extent he won an Olympic silver medal at 17 after losing to the finest amateur of his era, the Cuban Mario Kindelán. This is Khan's first defence of the 10 stone title he won by beating Andreas Kotelnik in July.
Salita was born Dmitriy Lekhtman in Odessa 27 years ago and came to the United States with his parents aged nine to escape growing antisemitism in Ukraine. He was inspired as a boy by videos of Mike Tyson and was simultaneously attracted to boxing and the tough demands of his religion. When he took up the sport in Brooklyn at 13, he used his mother's maiden name, Salita even though she originally objected to his fighting.
Salita, a brilliant amateur, turned pro at 19 and only a draw mars his 31 fight professional record. An aggressive, two-fisted fighter, he has stopped 16 opponents.
However, he was not at his best when he fought on the undercard of Joe Calazaghe's win over Roy Jones Jr at Madison Square Garden in November. Salita's points win over Derrick Campos and a subsequent victory against Raúl Muñoz were enough to make him Khan's mandatory opponent.
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