Tag Archives: Amir Khan

Posted on 02/20/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Not even in Amir Khan’s wildest dreams could he have envisioned his showdown against Kell Brook playing out the way it did.

Following years of verbal jabs, homophobic slurs, and every curse word imaginable, the British stars finally stepped into the ring against one another in an attempt to prove who was the better fighter.

A confident Khan sauntered his way through Manchester Arena late last night with pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford standing firmly in his corner. Khan started off well. He danced and moved across the ring while landing a few heavy jabs. Yet, his entire demeanor changed the moment Brook began finding him with huge shots of his own.

There was a pep in Khan’s step soon after, as he did his best to stay away from Brook’s power. With his legs wobbling from each blow and with the former Olympic silver medalist running out of room to move, referee Victor Loughlin mercifully shook his head and stepped in to save Khan from further punishment.

While he was all smiles shortly after, embracing Brook in the center of the ring and officially putting their rivalry to bed, on the inside, Khan was apoplectic.

“I’m very upset,” said Khan to Sky Sports Boxing following his defeat. “I just couldn’t get it going you know, falling a little bit short, was missing quite a lot.”

The loss for the 35-year-old Khan places him in a difficult spot. At one point, he was one of boxing’s biggest stars. While his name still remains amongst the most notable in the sport, his overall game has eroded.

Admittedly, the hand speed is still eye-catching, the footwork is still there, and the punching power is still respectable. However, the desire to bite down on his mouthpiece and fight through the fire that boxing presents isn’t.

As Khan looks back on his career, he smiles proudly. His waist has been laced with world title gold on multiple occasions and his neck still bears his 2004 Olympic silver medal.

But, despite all that he’s accomplished, Khan feels a sense of apathy when discussing the sport of boxing. Considering everything he’s accomplished, he now realizes that Brook may have just pushed him over the retirement finish line.

“40 fights, a lot of fights. Winning two world titles, fighting up and down in America and around the world. I need to sit down with my family. But I think it is more towards the end of my career. Obviously, that love of the sport is not there anymore. I used to have that excitement and that push but I just didn’t have it in me. I felt quite flat. I think that’s maybe a sign for me to know that maybe I should be calling it a day maybe but let’s see.”

Posted on 02/19/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Throughout the course of their as pros, both Amir Khan and Kell Brook carved out championship-level careers in the sport of boxing. With both men proudly placing the British world on their backs, a showdown between them began brewing nearly a decade ago.

Yet, despite spending years near the top of the boxing mountain, a showdown between them never materialized. That is, until now.

At the age of 35 and no longer in their respective primes, Khan and Brook filled the Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom for their headlining event.

To kick things off, Khan bounced up and down on his toes and waited patiently for the opening bell to ring. Once it did, he immediately took the center of the ring and found Brook’s chin with a well-timed jab. Unaffected by the shot, Brook placed his hands up high and began walking his man down.

Khan boxed and moved on the outside and avoided the looping right hands that perpetually came in his direction. With Khan seemingly on his way to banking the round, Brook landed an eye-catching left hand, leaving Khan on wobbly legs. While Khan would survive the round, Brook would go on to punish him for the duration of their contest.

In the second round, Brook came out strong. He pressured Khan to no end. Though he appeared uncomfortable at times, Khan steadied himself in the second half of that second period. The former Olympic silver medalist found moments of success during the back half of the round but it quickly fizzled out in the third.

A strong double jab to start the round pushed Khan into the ropes. A smiling Khan shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he continued to fight on the back foot. As Brook kept up his relentless pace, he smirked as he watched Khan wilt under his nonstop pressure.

With Khan coming out to begin the fifth round, he appeared fatigued but more than willing to keep fighting. In an effort to keep Brook off him, he decided against boxing and moving. Instead, he bit down on his mouthpiece and brazenly fought fire with fire.

Bemused by Khan’s new game plan, Brook welcomed his longtime domestic rival to a back and forth fight. On several occasions throughout the round, Khan’s near lifeless body bounced against the ropes. Following the end of the round, Brook muscled Khan into the ropes and nearly pushed him over the top in a bullying tactic.

Moments later, Brook’s aggressive nature and pernicious power shots forced referee Victor Loughlin to mercifully step in and put an end to the one-sided massacre.

With their rivalry officially behind them, both Khan and Brook embraced in the center of the ring with the UK crowd in Manchester Arena roaring in approval.

Posted on 02/19/2022

By: Hans Themistode

It’s a fight that fans have been calling to see for nearly a decade now.

Both Amir Khan and Kell Brook, while bitter rivals, have a ton in common. Both, of course, hail from England, are at the exact same age at 35 and held world titles at one point during their respective careers. Most importantly, both guys are well past their primes.

Following years of nonstop trash talk and the acceptance that they’ll never tango in the ring, the pair will finally get it on in Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom later on tonight.

Like most of us, oddsmakers are having a hard time seeing how this one plays out. Neither man will be fighting for a world title anytime soon and both have spent most of their recent time sequestered on the sidelines.

In the case of Khan, he suffered a one-sided knockout loss at the hands of Terence Crawford, now his biggest supporter, in April of 2019. The Olympic silver medalist picked himself up by his bootstraps, dusted himself, and sought a much easier opponent, ultimately selecting former super featherweight contender, Billy Dib. Khan would go on to easily stop his man in the fourth round of their showdown in July of 2019.

As for Brook, his most recent form hasn’t been impressive either. With his body still appearing to be made from granite, his chin is a bit more on the delicate side nowadays. In his most recent ring appearance, Brook, ironically enough, was also stopped at the hands of Crawford. The two squared off in November of 2020, with Brook faltering midway through the fourth round.

Khan, overall, has had the better career. He dominated during his time as an amateur, wrapping his time in the unpaid ranks with a record of 101-9, an Olympic silver medal, and a unified title reign at 140 pounds. Yet, despite what he’s accomplished, Khan’s past achievements are viewed as a thing of the past. Most oddsmakers have tabbed him as a slight underdog at +135 with Brook checking in at -165.

In our view, the betting market got this one wrong. The punch resistance of both Khan and Brook have seen better days. But unlike Brook, Khan still has the speed and overall skills advantage going for him in this one. If this contest took place when they were in their primes, we’d side with Brook but with both men having little to nothing left, their showdown should be viewed as a pick em.

Overall, Khan has just a little bit more in the tank and should be able to pull off the victory. We’ll take the speedy Khan in the upset of a contest that’s way past its expiration date.

Posted on 02/18/2022

By: Hans Themistode

There’s a never-ending debate surrounding the names occupying the top of most pound-for-pound lists. In most instances, both Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford continue to jockey for position as the world’s best fighter.

While the discussion is an ongoing one, Amir Khan believes that his conjecture on the subject isn’t up for debate.

“I really think that Crawford is the better fighter,” said Khan during a recent interview with FightHype.com.

With both Crawford and Alvarez competing approximately three to four weight classes apart, seldom has anyone faced both fighters. Yet, in the case of Khan, he achieved that rarity.

In May of 2015, after reeling off three consecutive wins in the welterweight division, Khan audaciously moved up to challenge Alvarez for the WBC middleweight crown at a catchweight of 155 pounds. Though he was successful early on, Alvarez connected on an overhand right midway through the sixth round, leaving Khan motionless on the canvas soon after.

Four years later, Khan would find himself standing across the ring from Crawford as he challenged the welterweight star for his WBO title. Before being brutally stopped in the sixth round, Khan was also thoroughly outboxed.

As Khan continues to think back on the time he’s shared in the ring with both men, it’s ostensible to the former 140 pound titlist that Crawford is simply the better and more well-rounded fighter.

“I think Crawford, in my opinion, is the better fighter, the better boxer. Also, he’s one that can make you miss and it can throw you off your game plan. When I fought Crawford, I couldn’t settle because he had some great movement. When I fought against Canelo, I had some good combinations that I was hitting him with. With Crawford, I couldn’t really let my hands go. Canelo obviously, is a very powerful, strong fighter. But when it comes to what wins you fights, is timing and technique. I think Crawford has those things, with power as well but not as much power as Canelo.”

Crawford, 34, has continued to run through his competition. In his most recent trip to the ring, the three-division titlist picked up the most significant win of his career, a tenth-round stoppage victory over two-time welterweight champion, Shawn Porter.

Alvarez, in the meanwhile, hasn’t sat idly by. The Mexican star has only reinforced his pound-for-pound status since facing Khan, winning world titles at both 168 and 175 pounds. Most recently, Alvarez etched his name into the boxing annals. The 31-year-old registered an explosive 11th round knockout win over Caleb Plant in November of 2021. In the process, Alvarez snagged Plant’s IBF super middleweight crown, making him the first fighter in history to hold all four 168 pound world titles simultaneously .

With neither Crawford nor Alvarez slowing down, Khan tips his cap in the direction of both men. While juxtaposing them is difficult, the former Olympic silver medalist is simply of the belief that Crawford has the slight edge.

“Overall, both fighters are amazing and done great in the sport of boxing but I just feel like Crawford is the one.”

Posted on 02/15/2022

By: Hans Themistode

The thought of training Amir Khan had never crossed Brian “Bomac” McIntyre’s mind. The renowned trainer has a long list of championship-level fighters already under his care and tutelage, including former WBO super featherweight champion Jamel Herring, 168 pound contender Steven Nelson, and of course, pound-for-pound star, Terence Crawford.

With Crawford and Khan facing off against one another in April of 2019, Bomac watched from the sidelines as he successfully guided Crawford to a one-sided sixth-round stoppage win. Despite the back and forth war of words between both camps, Bomac now finds himself cheering Khan on.

The longtime trainer has carefully worked with Khan for several months as the former 140 pound titlist is preparing to take on fellow Brit, Kell Brook. Although he was initially shocked by team Khan reaching out, Bomac reveals that their relationship has been smooth sailing.

“I believe his wife, Faryal, got in contact with one of the trainers,” said Bomac to Boxing Social. “Another guy had hit me up on Instagram so we kind of came together and talked a little bit. He came out to Omaha for like a week to have a good conversation and sort out the business and try to train with us for a little bit. That went really well. Couple weeks later, we headed out to Colorado Springs and he came out there.”

What ensued soon after, was a tight-knit relationship between not only Bomac and Khan but also Crawford and Khan as well. In addition to allowing Bomac to mold him as he sees fit, Khan also views their partnership as one that makes sense.

One year following Crawford’s explosive win over Khan, the multiple division titlist and current WBO welterweight champion, scored a fourth-round stoppage win over Khan’s upcoming opponent, Kell Brook. Crawford navigated through several early difficult rounds before landing a crisp jab in the fourth. A stunned Brook stumbled across the ring and wilted under a nonstop barrage of hard shots.

Considering his familiarity with Brook as a fighter, Bomac believes since he was able to topple him once, doing it once more shouldn’t be an issue.

“I figure if I can beat Kell Brook one time, I can beat him a second time. It was a pretty easy decision.”

But, regardless of Bomac’s confidence, he realizes that he won’t be stepping into battle with a pound-for-pound star this time around. The longtime trainer acknowledges that his initial game plan used to defeat Brook is extraneous at this point. In spite of that, Bomac believes that he’s built enough rapport with his new fighter to lead him to victory.

“It’s gotta be a different game plan because Amir is a whole total different fighter. You have to know what your fighter is capable of. The game plan will be different because of what he brings to the table as a fighter.”

Posted on 02/11/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Amir Khan simply despises Kell Brook. He has for years. With the pair officially set to square off on February 19th, in Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom, Khan is anxiously checking the hourglass as their showdown gets closer and closer.

While Khan has openly admitted to loathing his rival, he does acknowledge his overall skills. In fact, with their contest roughly one week away, Khan believes that his showdown against Brook is almost like fighting a slightly lesser version of himself.

“We have very similar styles,” said Khan to a group of reporters. “He’s very explosive at times but I don’t think he has the same work rate as me or has the same speed as me.”

Brook, 35, used his previously mentioned speed and power, as well as his overall skills and durability, to snag the IBF welterweight crown against Shawn Porter in 2014. During his near three-year championship reign, Brook would go on to defend his title a total of three times. However, since then, Brook has suffered brutal stoppage defeats at the hands of Errol Spence Jr., Gennadiy Golovkin, and most recently, Terence Crawford.

In bouts against Golovkin and Spence Jr., Brook showed tremendous heart and an iron chin before succumbing to their nonstop offensive onslaught. However, during Brook’s showdown against Crawford, the pound-for-pound star stunned the British product with a jab in the fourth round. From there, Crawford landed several unanswered blows before referee Tony Weeks was forced to call a halt to their contest.

Khan, of course, watched closely as he witnessed Brook meet his untimely demise. At one point, Khan viewed Brook as having a high threshold for pain. At this point in his career, nonetheless, Khan suspects that the damage Brook has endured throughout his career has caught up with him.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t think Kell has a good chin or can take a good shot. I think his punch resistance is gone, literally gone.”

Posted on 01/19/2022

By: Hans Themistode

For years on end, Kell Brook and Amir Khan appeared to be on a collision course. With the two stars hailing from the United Kingdom, having enormous fanbases, and winning world titles at one point in their respective primes, the boxing world urged them to face each other in the ring.

Yet, despite the constant pleas, neither side was successful in its efforts to make their contest a reality. Although both fighters will finally step through the ropes against one another on February 19th, in Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom, neither fighter is considered to be at their physical best any longer.

All along, Brook pointed a blaming finger in the direction of Khan. He verbally chastised Khan while making claims that the former Olympic silver medalist wanted no parts of fighting him. As their showdown inches closer and closer, Khan admits that it was in his personal best interest to face a much more diminished version of Brook, rather than the one who was once considered one of the best welterweights in the world.

“100% it’s a business, it is what it is,” said Khan recently during a virtual presser. “Why not? He’s still Kell Brook, he still talks the same, he still feels the same way about fighting me and he still feels that he can beat me. I just don’t think he has it in him. He’s not the same Kell Brook he was before. A couple years ago, he would’ve given me a harder fight for sure. But now, he doesn’t have a chance. It’s probably better fighting him now because he’s already half-broken.”

At one point, Brook had effectively worked his way up from relative obscurity to an elite-level fighter. In 2014, after spending the vast majority of his career in England, Brook traveled halfway across the world to America to challenge then IBF welterweight belt holder Shawn Porter. Though he was pegged as a sizable underdog, Brook boxed well on the night, producing his best results, a 12 round majority decision win.

Brook would then go on to defend his newly won trinket three times before ultimately suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Gennadiy Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr., the latter resulted in the loss of his welterweight title.

Since those aforementioned defeats, Brook has grown inactive and no longer appears to be in his fighting prime. The 35-year-old was last seen in the ring against Terence Crawford in November of 2020, losing via fourth-round stoppage.

While Khan, 35, is no longer considered to be at his physical best as well, the former unified 140 pound titlist believes he has much more left in the tank.

Although their long-awaited showdown is now just a few weeks away, Khan simply can’t wrap his head around the thought of defeat to his rival. Considering the wear and tear that Brook has endured, including suffering two broken orbital bones, Khan readily admits that before the injuries and age caught up to him, Brook was a much more difficult opponent to deal with.

However, should Khan pick up the victory against a more diminished version of Brook, he believes history won’t frown upon when they fought. Instead, it’ll only add to his legacy.

“Beating a Kell Brook now or beating him five years ago, I don’t think it makes a difference. When people read on my resume that I fought Kell Brook, they aren’t going to look what year that was so I don’t think that matters now.”

Posted on 12/23/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Through clenched teeth, Kell Brook could barely hold his excitement for his upcoming showdown against Amir Khan. For nearly a decade, the boxing world has wanted to see both Khan and Brook square off in the ring. However, due to a long list of issues, neither side had been able to come to an agreement on a deal, until now.

The two will officially look to put their rivalry to bed on February 19th, at Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. Although neither man is considered to be in their prime, the boxing public is still heavily interested in their contest. Once tickets became available, they were sold out in ten minutes, the fastest-selling fight in British boxing history.

At the age of 35, Brook has produced several lackluster performances over the past few years. Still, despite his recent form and regardless of his age, Brook reveals that his rivalry with Khan has reinvigorated him.

“Me mojo has come back,” said Brook during an interview with TalkSportBoxing. “I’m putting the work in. I can’t wait to show the boxing world that I’m coming to take his head off.”

With Brook expecting a jam-packed crowd at the Manchester Arena, the former IBF welterweight belt holder will be oblivious to most of the crowd. But while Brook is fully focused on proving that he’s always been the superior fighter to Khan, he does admit that Conor Benn will have at least some of his attention on the night as he’s expected to be sitting ringside.

The 25-year-old has steamrolled his competition of late, something that Brook has taken notice of. Ultimately, the young up-and-comer is hoping to face the winner of Khan vs. Brook in his next ring appearance. Despite sharing a close and personal friendship, Brook appears to be more than willing to put that aside.

“I know that Conor Benn is banging the drum for some big fights. I love a challenge. He looked fantastic, sensational in his last fight against [Chris] Algieri. We’ve sparred together and we’re very, very good friends. I think it would be a fantastic matchup – me and Benn.”

Most recently, Brook came up woefully short in his bid to win a world title against WBO belt holder Terence Crawford. Brook made the long trek from the United Kingdom to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 14th, in 2020 to face the pound for pound star.

Early on, Brook’s jab bothered Crawford. However, his success proved to be transient as the multiple division titlist violently and suddenly stopped his man in the fourth. While it wasn’t the result Brook was ultimately hoping for, he appears upbeat about his boxing future.

If the former titleholder wins his upcoming showdown against Khan, he would be more than willing to show Benn a thing or two in the ring.

“I can show the young pup that I’m still here.”

Posted on 08/18/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Amir Khan is looking squarely at his boxing mortality.

After capturing silver in the 2004 Olympics, Khan went on to accomplish a multitude of things. In 2009, Khan tasted his first world title when he defeated Andriy Kotelnik for the WBA super lightweight title. He would then become a unified champion two years later, as he stopped Zab Judah to lift his IBF world title.

Despite the long list of great fighters Khan has faced, including Judah, Marcos Maidana, Lamont Peterson, Canelo Alvarez, and Terence Crawford, Khan has continued to hear nonstop questions surrounding a showdown between himself and fellow British countrymen, Kell Brook.

Although the two have failed to negotiate contract terms for the better part of five years, Khan revealed that they are finally making progress in that regard. Considering everything he’s already accomplished, Khan believes that a matchup against Brook would be the cherry on top of his boxing sundae.

“We are in talks,” said Khan during a self-recorded video. “I want to put that guy in his place. Beat him and call it a day from the professional ranks.”

At one point, when both Khan and Brook were at the top of their respective games, a showdown between the pair appeared mouth-watering. Now, with both fighters in their mid-30s and having suffered numerous knockout losses over the years, their high-profile matchup has lost a bit of its sizzle.

Those sentiments, however, are not shared by Khan. Even now, with both fighters clearly past their prime, Khan believes that a showdown between them is as good as it gets.

“The biggest fight out there in the UK is myself vs. Kell Brook.”

On numerous occasions, it appeared as though Khan and Brook were on the verge of signing a deal to face one another. Yet, once fans began expecting a fight announcement, they were left apoplectic as negotiations would seemingly always fall through.

Most recently, Khan appeared on the brink of inking a contract to take on his long-time rival in 2019. Instead, the now 34-year-old opted to take on pound for pound star Terence Crawford, where he was brutally stopped in the sixth round.

Since then, Khan has bounced back, stopping Billy Dib in the fourth round who attempted to move up three weight classes. As for Brook, much like Khan, he was also stopped in devastating fashion by Crawford in November of 2020. Brook has remained on the sidelines since the defeat.

Posted on 04/04/2021

By: Hans Themistode

It’s been a long time since Amir Khan has been seen inside a boxing ring, two years come July to be exact. Although his most recent appearance came in a winning effort against Billy Dib, the brutal sixth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Terence Crawford three months prior still reverberates in the mind of most boxing fans.

Khan, 34, was dropped and dominated before an apparent low blow brought an end to their showdown prematurely. Following the loss, Khan pondered retirement. But, after having plenty of time to think, the former 140-pound champion doesn’t believe he’s ready to hang up his gloves just yet. In fact, if the British native has it his way, he’ll be facing off with the one name most of the boxing world has wanted to fight for years now.

“I want one more dance,” said Khan during an interview with IFL TV. “Kell Brook is the one that was calling me out all this time and now, we’re coming to a stage where I’ve said, let’s make it happen. It’s funny because Kell Brook isn’t really responding.”

At one point in time, a Kell Brook vs Amir Khan showdown was considered one of the preeminent bouts that could be made. With Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) holding the IBF title from 2014-2017 and Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) amongst the divisions best during that time span, neither side appeared in a rush to make their showdown a reality.

However, with Khan staring his boxing mortality directly in the face and with Brook coming off a fourth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Terence Crawford, Khan believes the time is finally right. The former Olympic Silver medalist does admit that their best days are long behind them, but still, he firmly believes that it’s a blockbuster-level fight.

“It’s still a big British fight. People will still want to tune in. I know we’re past the prime of our careers but it’s still a fight people would like to see.”

In the mind of Khan, it doesn’t matter if the pair fought in their primes, at the backend of their careers, or at the senior center, the result was always going to be the same.

“He’s very confident and I’m very confident but I don’t see it going past six rounds. I think under six rounds I’ll get a stoppage.”

Posted on 12/29/2020

By: Hans Themistode

Better late than never.

For years now, both Amir Khan and Kell Brook (39-3, 27 KOs) have bashed one another whenever a microphone was present. Throughout most of their careers, the British natives were considered amongst the very best in their respective weight classes. But while they campaigned at 147 pounds for nearly a decade, a matchup between the two never came close to materializing.

Even with Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) signing a promotional agreement with Brooks than promoter in Eddie Hearn in 2018, bringing them to the negotiating table proved impossible. Despite their refusal to face off, both men continued to throw verbal jabs at one another. Now, several years later, Khan believes it’s time to make the bout happen.

“He’s always been running his mouth,” said Khan to the Khaleej Times. “I think it’s about time to put him in his place and shut him up for good.”

It’s been an inactive year for the 34-year-old Khan. His last ring appearance came in July of 2019 against Billy Dib. While Khan managed to score a quick fourth-round stoppage on the night, his win was highly criticized as Dib routinely campaigned three divisions lighter.

Regardless of the win, Khan opted against stepping inside of the ring at all this calendar year. His time away from the ring provided the narrative that after spending a decade and a half as a professional, that the time to hang up the gloves would be right around the corner.

With that being said, the retirement light at the end of his boxing tunnel is still a ways away.

“No, the gloves are still on. I’m thinking of fighting probably next year. It’s just this year was a bad year for everyone. I didn’t really want to fight behind closed doors, I just didn’t really feel like I could motivate myself. Hopefully, if it opens up next year we can make something happen. I want to fight again in March or April time.”

Posted on 04/09/2020

By: Hans Themistode

As the saying goes, somebody’s 0 has got to go. But for former two division world champion Danny Garcia, he wasn’t expecting those words to have any effect on him. 

For ten years, Garcia beat the odds on multiple occasions. The first time the doubt in his skill surfaced, came against former champion Amir Khan in 2012. Garcia made his doubters look silly as he won via fourth round stoppage. Garcia found himself on the wrong end of the odds once again soon after. This time against Lucas Matthysse one year later. Once again, the betting public looked foolish when Garcia won a close unanimous decision. 

Garcia looked like one of the best fighters in the world. That is until he took on Keith Thurman in 2017. The oddsmakers got things right this time around as Thurman took home a close split decision win. 

The taste of the first loss in his career never sat well with Garcia. And since then, he’s picked up a few quality victories against Adrian Granados and Brandon Rios. Sandwiched between those wins was the second loss of his career, to Shawn Porter. But still, Garcia has screamed at the top of his lungs for a rematch with Thurman. 

Fresh off a loss to Manny Pacquiao in mid July of 2019, Thurman seemingly has nothing on the immediate table. With that being the case, he now seems willing to entertain a rematch. 

“I heard Danny and his father are always interested in the rematch,” said Thurman. “To them, it’s a grudge match. They believe that they can get me, and they would like to redeem themselves. So, that’s always a fun fight, going back in the ring with Danny Garcia.”

“I believe that I can do more damage to Danny Garcia,” Thurman said in reference to a second fight. “I think I can out-box him nicely. And I just don’t think that he’s ever really changed. I don’t think he’s gonna utilize his jab any more than he has done in the past. I see him being a little predictable. He’s just gonna want what he’s gonna want, which is the big punch. I loved watching him miss all day the first time.”

Sure Thurman may have won his contest with Garcia, but in reality that win looks much more like a loss. Thurman suffered numerous injuries, which kept him out of the ring for close to two years. When he did comeback, he barely scraped by fringe contender Josesito Lopez before losing a split decision contest to Manny Pacquiao. 

Calling Thurman a shell of his former self seems like a bit of a stretch, but no one views him as the best in the division anymore. 

Still, even with that being the case, Thurman just might be able to use a rematch with Garcia to vault himself back to the top of the division.

“Prior to Thurman-Pacquiao, Thurman-Garcia was the biggest fight of my career,” Thurman said. “It was the highlight of my career, still one of the highlights of my career, because that’s when I became the unified champion of the welterweight division. So, it was just a great fight, a great show out at the Barclays [Center]. We just get so much love out there in New York. I think the rematch could possibly be back in New York. It possibly could be a Vegas fight. But I like the fight.”

“I think it’s a great next fight. I’d be really cool with that. Of course, we’d have to see what else is on the table. I think it’d be worthy of a title eliminator, thus the winner gets a champion next. With all that said, I’m gung-ho about signing on the dotted line. Believe that.”

Posted on 04/03/2020

By: Hans Themistode

While the rest of the boxing world is wondering when they’ll fight, former two division world champion Amir Khan is reflecting on whether or not he will ever enter the ring again. 

It’s been a number of years since Khan has been considered a title contender. And it’s been even longer since he wore gold around his waist. The one time silver medalist may have a number of credible names that he’s defeated in the ring on his resume, but he hasn’t beaten a top name opponent since his points win over Devon Alexander in 2014. 

Since then, Khan scraped by Chris Algieri but was brutally stopped by Canelo Alvarez shortly after. His win over Billy Dib in his last ring appearance was far from impressive as Dib moved up several weight classes to take the fight. 

The win for Khan was more of a deodorant to cover up his disappointing loss against Terence Crawford. During the contest, Khan was beaten down and presumably quit in the sixth round. With the losses piling up over the years, Khan seems to be unnerved about his future.

“Am I going to fight again?” Said Khan. “I don’t know, I’m in two minds. Should I fight? Financially, I’ve done very well for myself. Do I need to do one more fight which could ruin my whole legacy? I don’t know the answer. I’m up against myself. I’m debating with myself should I carry on or call it a day?”

At the age of 33, it’s still a bit early in the career of Khan to hang up the gloves completely. But with the wars and brutal knockout losses he has suffered over the years, retirement could be just around the corner. 

Regardless of his decision, the career that Khan has carved out is something that most fighters only dream of. But both he and his fans could grow to regret the decision. 

For the better part of 15 years, Khan spent his career facing some of the best names in the sport of boxing. Along the way, he’s picked up some huge wins, but he’s also suffered some devastating losses. Still, regardless of the outcome, Khan never ducked a soul. 

But in the case of his biggest rival Kell Brook, Khan has still chosen not to jump into the ring against him. Any chances of the two facing one another are bleak at best. Fans of his can still hold onto hope, seeing how Khan hasn’t officially retired yet. But, time is certainly running out. 

“I’m just going to wait and see how I feel after a full training camp. Even if I feel I cannot do it anymore, I can walk away knowing I have done everything. My love for boxing is still there and I love boxing to bits. But until I see how I feel after a long, hard, grueling camp, then I won’t know for sure.”

Posted on 04/15/2015

By Tyson Bruce

Much to the dismay of boxing fans, especially those from Great Britain, Bolton Welterweight Amir “King” Khan rejected a potential mega-fight with domestic rival Kell Brook in favour of a match-up with former junior welterweight titlist Chris Algieri. The bout will take place May 30th and will be televised by Spike TV as part of Al Haymon’s new PBC boxing series.

Khan justified his decision to fight Algieri by stating that he is a “class A fighter” with “decent power” and that a win over an “A-class opponent” would pave the way to a bout with Mayweather or Pacquaio. That assessment comes across as somewhat questionable, given that Algieri is coming off an absolute thrashing at the hands of Pacquiao, where he probably didn’t win a single round, and has just eight career knockouts.

Khan has become almost singularly obsessed with getting into the ring with one of the two pound for pound stars in the last several years, even while coming off a pair of devastating defeats in 2011 and 2012.

Khan must be given credit in his career for being able to overcome devastating losses and never losing to the self-belief that is required to be a world-class fighter. Very few fighters recover from a knockout loss like Khan suffered to Danny Garcia and continue to function on a world-class level. After a dismal stretch of losses and poor performances from 2011-2013, Khan rebounded with one of best years of his boxing career in 2014, including a dominant performance over top-ten rated Devon Alexander.

Amir Khan: taking the easy route? (Photo: Hoganphotos)

That being said, boxing is meritocracy and Khan simply has not earned the right to publically call out for a Mayweather fight and then whine about it on Twitter when it doesn’t happen. Khan has just two meaningful wins in almost four years—a seventh round stoppage of Zab Judah in 2014 and the points win over Alexander last year—yet seems puzzled that his crusade for ‘pound for glory’ is often met with ridicule and scorn.

Khan is certainly one of the best welterweights in the world and may possess the fastest hands in the entire sport, one of the most crucial assets for dominance at the world level, but he still hasn’t convinced people he has overcame his most dramatic flaw: his chin.

In a recent work-out presser interview, when former opponent Danny Garcia was asked about the possibility of Khan fighting Miguel Cotto at a catch weight, he responded simply by commenting, “Khan doesn’t do well when he fights punchers”.

While Khan won over many skeptics just in the sheer dominance of his victory over Alexander, the fight fit into a pattern of how Khan’s career has always gone.

If you put a boxer or a speedster in the ring with Khan he will win big nearly every time because his hand and foot speed is that superior. His best victories, aside from his brush with death against Marcos Maidana, have come over pure boxers like Paul Malignaggi, Andriy Kotelnik, and Zab Judah. Khan has problems when things get physical, because his lack of punch resistance causes him to get frantic and desperate. Even Lamont Peterson, who is nobody’s idea of Ernie Shavers, was able to rattle Khan just by being physically assertive.

Khan’s most recent comeback, the post-Garcia period if you will, has been a carefully managed strategy of selecting opponents that play to Khan’s strengths without exposing him to real danger. Luis Callazo was considered a worthy opponent because he had recently KO’d Victor Ortiz, which belied the fact that Callazo hasn’t been a world-class fighter for years. As good as Devon Alexander has proven himself to be, his styl–a pure boxer with limited punching power–was tailor-made for Khan.

In order to justify a match against Pacquiao or Mayweather, Khan needs to beat a welterweight with a big punch to prove that he has found a way to adapt.

A fight against Brook would certainly achieve that, and would also earn the Briton many more millions and be a much higher profile event than the half sold out arena in America that will meet him for Algieri.

However, Khan has always seemed offended and annoyed that he is being pressured to fight another British fighter. His territory is being threatened and he’s defending it not by fighting, but by degrading Brook’s accomplishments and merit, a PR tactic in boxing that has killed or delayed more big fights that most of us would like to admit.

Brook derided Khan on a recent BBC 5 interview, stating, “If someone said to me you can get five million quid, a world title, fight at Wembley with a fight that every fan wants to see, it’s a no-brainer for me.

“I’m world champion, I’m calling him out, we want the fight, there’s a world title and a bagful of money and it doesn’t make sense that he’s fighting this guy [Algieri] who’s bringing nothing to the table.”

A fight against the likes of a Tim Bradley, another proposed bout recently turned down by Khan, would be ideal, because Bradley is a modest puncher and it would allow the public to directly compare his performance to that of Pacquiao’s. If he won the bout more convincingly, it would be a legitimate bargaining token for Khan, something he doesn’t have now.

In contrast, it’s basically impossible for Khan to do better than the 120-102 routing Pacquiao gave Algieri, who proved, if anything, that Algieri is not on the elite level.

Khan’s refusal to stop insulting Brook, who hasn’t really slung any mud other than demanding a fight, is quickly turning him from hero to heel.

Nothing ticks off fans more than guys not taking fights that make all the sense in the world. Brook is a title-holder, a more accomplished welterweight than Khan, with an almost equal fan base, and would likely accept less money to make the fight a reality.

It’s hard to imagine better terms for Khan. But then again, if fighting Algieri instead of a killer like Brook got you to the exact same spot, as it almost surely will for Khan, wouldn’t you take it?