British star Amir Khan once said he would retire at age 30. The former 140-pound king hits 30 this December, yet Khan has plenty of big plans for next year. Speaking with ESPN.com, Khan said he feels he has “about five fights left,” and that he will look to return to action next summer. Khan will have been out of action for over a year by next May – last fighting on May 7 of this year when he was brutally KO’d by the much bigger Canelo Alvarez – but he says he wants a big showdown with either Danny Garcia or Kell Brook next summer. And Khan wants his return to take place in the UK.
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Danny Garcia says Amir Khan is a better fighter than Keith Thurman
With welterweights Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman, arguably the two best 147-pound fighters operating today, set to meet next year (likely in March) there have been verbal barbs exchanged bwteeen the two. Thurman, unbeaten and the reigning WBA champion, laid into Garcia for choosing the unheralded Samuel Vargas, tweeting how Garcia should “enjoy your last cherry of the year…..I’ll be waiting to take that green belt in 2017!”
Hearn on Kell Brook’s future: We want to go straight into a big one – Canelo, Khan, Cotto the targets
Promoter Eddie Hearn still has high hopes for Kell Brook. In fact, far from being at all diluted by Brook’s ultra-brave loss to middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, Hearn says the future is bright, very bright for the Sheffield fighter. The step up to middleweight was an audacious gamble which never paid off, with a win, anyway – but the sizzling action got Brook noticed by HBO in a big way and there are more massive fights out there for the 30-year-old; winnable fights.
Hearn, in writing for The Daily Mail, said how the plan for after Brook’s smashed eye socket has healed, is to “go straight into a big one.” The promoter listed three names that are very much in the cross-hares: Canelo Alvarez, Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto. Either fight would be big, the Khan fight more so in the UK, and what’s more, you would have to be a fool to give Brook anything less than a decent chance at worst of winning either match-up.
Khan: I’ll get the January tune-up out of the way, then I want Garcia rematch in May
Amir Khan has already laid out his plans for 2017: fight three times, beginning in January, and hopefully win two big, big fights after the tune-up. Now, in speaking with UK tabloid The Sun, Khan has targeted his number-one rival: WBC welterweight king Danny Garcia. Fans are aware of two things – Garcia KO’d Khan in an exciting fight back in July of 2012, Khan is the current WBC mandatory contender for “Swift’s” green belt.
Khan now says he wants the rematch and he wants it next May. Before that, though, the British superstar aims to re-sharpen his considerable tools with a fight at home.
Amir Khan: Is he still relevant? Will you pay to see his future fights?
Amir Khan in 2017 – Retired? Forgotten? Still relevant? Still exciting?
Khan, the former 140-pound king who was last seen paying the price for taking a quite audacious, but also brave, challenge up at 155-pounds, insists he if far from finished. The 29-year-old who stated a few years back how he planned to retire from boxing by the age of 30 (a milestone the Olympic silver medallist will reach this coming December) has taken to social media to outline his plans for 2017 – and retirement is the least of it.
Amir Khan explains why he took so long to get his damaged hand fixed
British star and former 140-pound champ Amir Khan revealed a few weeks ago how he has been carrying a hand injury, one which has seriously affected his ability to punch with full power with his right hand, for a number of years – 11 years in fact. Speaking with The Sun, Khan said the injury, picked up in his second year as a pro, allowed him to punch with just 30 or 40 percent power. As to why he has waited until this year to get the necessary surgery, Khan said he could not afford to take off as long as six months for the op.
Amir Khan says he’ll be back in January
Amir Khan, last seen being KO’d by Canelo Alvarez in his brave 155-pound challenge of a fight back in May, says he hopes to be back in action in a big fight in January. Speaking with Sport360, the former 140-pound champion says he has “two options,” in a fight with either Danny Garcia or Manny Pacquiao. Khan also revealed how he has undergone hand surgery so as to fix an old problem with his right hand.
“I’ve had this hand problem since my second (pro) fight when I broke my hand,” Khan told Sport360’s Alex Rea in Dubai. “Since then it has never been the same. The doctor told me that the ligaments were destroyed so, after seven years, I finally got it operated on. I was told I have only been fighting with 30 percent power so I’m glad that it is fixed as I need to be able to throw my right hand with full power. I will be ready to fight in January. I’m mandatory for [Danny] Garcia’s belt so that is a big fight for me right there.”
Amir Khan says he would fight Conor McGregor
While talk has apparently quieted over the possibility of a super fight between boxing master Floyd Mayweather Junior and MMA star Conor McGregor, another high profile boxer has thrown his hat into the ring and said he would take a fight with McGregor: Amir Khan. Speaking with Flocombat.com, the former 140-pound world champion said that he has serious doubts Mayweather – the man he chased for months whilst in search of a massive fight, all to no avail – would ever agree to fight McGregor in an MMA fight, but he himself would do so.
“McGregor is a massive name in MMA and I’m a big name in boxing, so, globally, I think it would be a massive fight,” Khan said. “I don’t think [Floyd] Mayweather would want to fight under MMA rules. I’ve been fighting all my life, so for me, I don’t think it’d be a problem for me to learn and switch over to the sport.”
Amir Khan: British fighters [are] running the sport of boxing right now
The similarity between Amir Khan’s brave but ultimately unsuccessful step up to fight Saul Canelo Alvarez, and Kell Brook’s decision to do likewise against Gennady Golovkin has not been lost on fight fans. Some fans have applauded Brook, as they applauded Khan, but others have criticised Golovkin the way they criticised Alvarez, for picking on a naturally smaller man. But whether you liked Khan’s challenge of Canelo or not and whether you like Brook’s challenge of GGG or not, one thing is clear: both fights are recognised as huge fights for British boxing.
Amir Khan “chasing” return fight with Danny Garcia, still no interest in Kell Brook
Amir Khan, last seen losing his big and brave gamble of a 155-pound fight with Mexican star Saul Canelo Alvarez, is not sounding at all like a fighter who is thinking about retirement. Far from it, Khan is searching – or, to use his exact words, chasing – another big fight; a return meeting with WBC welterweight ruler Danny Garcia. Khan is currently the WBC number-one contender and he wants the fight.
Khan was of course stopped by Garcia back in 2012, inside four-rounds. Can Khan do any better in a rematch? If Khan gets his way, we will find out.