Khan on the road to breaking Naz record

After blitzing the shockingly outclassed Graham Earl in just 72 seconds on his 21st birthday, the Commonwealth lightweight champion from Bolton said: "I'd fight for the world title tomorrow — and prove everyone wrong."

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Admirable bravado and his promoter Frank Warren used words like 'phenomenal' and 'a new era' about Khan's destruction of Luton's damaged goods Earl.

But Warren is too shrewd an operator to throw him in too early against the two men who currently dominate the world lightweight title scene and hold all the relevant belts.

Most prominent is unbeaten Juan 'Baby Bull' Diaz, 24, from Houston, Texas.

He won the WBA title first and since has hoovered up the WBO version, stopping Brazil's big-punching Acelino Freitas, and then the IBF belt by halting namesake and rugged Mexican holder Julio Diaz.

That Diaz name is evident at the top of the world lightweight ratings because the other main crown, the WBC bauble, is held by Florida's David Diaz who was lucky to gain a decision last time out over one of the modern greats of boxing, Erik Morales.

Nevertheless, he still hurt Morales enough for the exhausted Mexican to retire from boxing.

Warren, whose clever matchmaking did so much for Ricky Hatton in his ascent to world class, will pick and choose carefully for Khan's next fight — only his 16th — on February 9.

He will perhaps face international opposition although British title holder Jon Thaxton wants a shot.

Anyone called Diaz , however, should be avoided.

Meanwhile, the British Boxing Board of Control should look closely at the smashed-up Earl.

To claim his fight with Khan should not have been stopped after a dozen unanswered punches and having being floored by a devastating left hook, illustrates that he seems to be completely unaware of the dangers he faces by stepping into a ring again.