WITH the future at his dazzling feet Amir Khan must now progress from world champion to peoples’ champion.

The new WBA light-welterweight king forced the boxing world to stand up and take note with his comprehensive destruction of Andreas Kotelnik on Saturday night.

Making the world at large do likewise will be another matter entirely.

Khan’s crowning moment did not go entirely to plan at the MEN Arena.

While the tactics drawn up by trainer Freddie Roach proved that the 22-year-old is a more complete fighter than even his greatest supporters dared imagine – attracting enough of those supporters could prove the biggest obstacle to his designs on world domination.

The splattering of empty seats at the MEN were as glaringly apparent as Khan’s superiority over Kotelnik.

Around 8,000 were on hand to watch what may prove to be one of the most significant nights in British boxing history – something the absentees may live to regret now that he plans to decamp to America on a permanent basis.

Already training at Roach’s Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, Khan has spoken of his desire to set up home states side.

More significantly, he wants to defend his title in the US – with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez in his sights – raising obvious comparisons with Ricky Hatton whose Mancunian charm lost nothing in translation when exported across the Atlantic.

Whether Khan’s mixture of boyishness and supreme confidence can do likewise remains to be seen – but he is already starting at a disadvantage in his bid to emulate the Hitman.

Even in a credit crunch can you imagine Hatton failing to sell out anywhere – let alone the MEN – if challenging for a world title?

The five-time former world champion is virtually recession proof.

Nobody knows that better than Las Vegas, which has shelled out in the millions to convince Hatton to head to Sin City time and again in favour of bigger stadia around the world.

The casino owners know that with Hatton comes a staggering entourage of support, who in their tens of thousands, will always find the money to follow a genuine phenomenon of the sport.

Floyd Mayweather Jr knew all about Hatton’s unique appeal, which is why he jumped at the chance to get a taste of it in 2007 – as did Manny Pacquiao in May of this year.

Roach may believe Khan is Pacquiao’s heir-apparent in the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world stakes. But when it comes to pound-for-pound appeal, Hatton is in a league of his own.

How Frank Warren must wish there was a magic formula – some way to tap into the magic that has allowed Hatton to cast a spell on the boxing world.

But like all genius, it is intangible.

The open training sessions insisted upon by Billy Graham, who shaped his career, certainly helped.

By comparison Khan has taken himself away from the public after heading over to Roach’s gym, which has had a miraculous impact on his ability inside the ring.

The sense of belonging and empathy Hatton has engendered among his fans will not easily be emulated either.

Descending on Vegas for so many of his great achievements, his supporters unite like football fans, inextricably linked by the shared experiences of Hatton’s adventure.

Perhaps most importantly is the way Hatton has been unchanged by his success.

Even in the “build em up, knock em down” obsessed British culture, even the most cynical souls couldn’t decry the achievements of someone who has always remained a man of the people.

It is no criticism of Khan that he has failed to capture the public’s imagination in the manner of Hatton. Few have.

Well mannered, respectful and eloquent, he is a pleasure to interact with.

But given the hype that surround his early career, his stunning defeat to Breidis Prescott last September – following a series of unconvincing victories – played perfectly into the hands of his detractors.

Those same critics were eating their words on Saturday as Khan proved he has the potential to join the legends of British boxing.

Significantly, the exciting style, all speed and movement with Roach’s “old school” moves, could well single him out as a fighter with genuine box office appeal.

Now he will wait to see what big names come knocking at the door to challenge for his WBA title.

Hatton has poured cold water on the prospects of a clash that would compare with Eubank-Benn epics of the 1990s.

Much more than his first world title, victory against the Hitman would be the true rite of passage for Khan.

Victory – which would be far from guaranteed – would see a metaphorical passing of the torch and perhaps a literal passing of support.

Should he go on to defeat the likes of Marquez and fulfil Roach’s predictions that he can become the very best, he would even usurp Hatton’s achievements in the ring.

But even that might not be enough to match the Hitman’s appeal out of it.

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