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.
Khan wrote how he intends to be back in the ring “around January,” and that he hopes to have three big fights next year, all at 147-pounds. Khan as a welterweight remains an outstanding talent: ultra-fast of hand and feet, fearless and experienced. Providing the nasty KO loss he suffered in May against Canelo Alvarez has done him no long-term (or short-term) harm, Khan should be able to feature in more big fights before he’s done, as per his plan.
Khan against Kell Brook will always be there (regardless of what fate awaits Brook in his September 10 date with GGG; a riskier fight than the one Khan took against Alvarez) and Khan against the likes of Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao and even Errol Spence Junior – yes, Errol Spence junior – would sell. And do not forget how Khan is the mandatory for his old conqueror and current WBC welter champ Danny Garcia.
Of course, the knock on Khan is, he has no chin and cannot hold a shot. Okay, the Bolton warrior has been stopped three times – by Breidis Prescott, by Garcia and by Canelo – but if he really did have a jelly fir a chin, how on earth did he go to war and win against the recently retired Marcos Maidana? Losses to Garcia and the much bigger Canelo do not indicate a chocolate fireguard of a chin, while the Prescott loss was clearly a fluke; a sizzling win scored by a decent if not great fighter who has achieved nothing to compare with the 2008 win since.
This is not to suggest Khan has a good chin, or even an average chin; but he is no patsy, in ANY fight. A number of good judges feel Khan would box, under the orders of Virgil Hunter, the trainer he never had at the time of his first fight with “Swift,” and score a revenge points win if he got that return with Garcia, while a fight between Khan and Brook is widely seen as a 50-50 fight (hence the ongoing demand for the fight in Britain).
Quite obviously, we are not talking about a dud of a fighter or a finished fighter when we speak of “King” Khan. I for one look forward to seeing his amazing skills back in the ring soon. Bet against Khan winning another big fight/title if you wish, but please, put yer money where yer mouth is.
