Canvey boxing club's Johnny Martin today offered Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan his 10 free tickets in order to make sure their fight in Yarmouth goes ahead this weekend.
The duo had been expected to do battle in the quarter final of the Amateur Boxing Association championships on Saturday.
But Khan - who stepped into the limelight in Athens last summer - has pulled out because he wants more tickets than his allocation of 10.
Yet Martin, from Grays, is convinced the teenager is just running scared.
"I presume I'm entitled to 10 free tickets as well so he can have them," said the 27-year-old.
"If his only concern is just over the number of tickets he's going to get then my offer should mean the fight goes ahead and I'm really hopeful it will.
"But maybe he's just worried about getting hit."
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