Khan's education rolls on in Brum

Amir Khan's boxing education gathered pace on an electric night in Birmingham – but the Olympic silver medallist's world title dreams remain on hold.

Khan fought back from a second-round knockdown to stop Manchester's Michael Gomez in the fifth round at the NIA, extending his professional winning streak to 18 fights.

The error that left the Commonwealth lightweight champion briefly on the canvas left promoter Frank Warren more determined that ever to pace his climb into the world championship shake-up.

He said: "Like I keep saying to everybody, these are the kind of fights he needs to improve. He will hate me saying it but he is still not ready to fight for a world title.

"There isn't even a timetable on it. I could make the world title fight tomorrow but it wouldn't be the right thing to do.

"He needs a couple more fights and a little bit more experience.

"Even when he dropped his hands and got clipped, he came back and won the round. He is a great fighter with great heart.

"There is no doubt he has got heart but there are times he fights with his heart and not with his head."

Khan's explosive battle with Gomez was the culmination of a fine night's action at a sold-out NIA, where the 2004 Olympian received a rapturous reception.

Gomez typically went forward to ensure a pulsating contest but it was Khan who unloaded with a series of quick combinations in the first round to floor his opponent.

Gomez survived the count and pounced on an error to put Khan down early in the second, only for the champion to respond brilliantly in the second half of the round.

Khan had the better of the third, with his speed and precision winning him the fourth emphatically despite being stung by a fierce Gomez body shot.

Khan, who was trained for the fight by Wolverhampton's Dean Powell, handed some surgical jabs in the fifth before flooring Gomez again with a sickening body shot.

Gomez got up but was forced onto the ropes by the relentless Khan and referee John Keane stepped in with 28 second left in the round.

Khan said: "Dean said not to go on the ropes and I got caught when I was on the ropes.

"I should have kept that gap in between me and Michael and picked him off with long shots.

"After I made a mistake in the second round Dean said to compose myself, box him and not get involved.

"These are the fights I need. Michael Gomez would have given anyone in the world a tough time with the way he trained for this fight.

"It was like a world title fight for him. This is the biggest fight he has ever had.

"I have learned more than I would have done by knocking Michael Gomez out in the first round.

"In boxing you are going to get caught and he caught me with some good shots but I came back stronger."