Former unified world champion Amir Khan has revealed the one fight he believes took a serious toll on him.
Khan was an electrifying amateur who won a silver medal in Athens aged just 17. He was lightning fast with great footwork and, when he turned over, soon began making his mark on the professional ranks, winning his first world title, the WBA strap, at the age of 22. He was often in high-profile fights and because of his willingness to engage, they were all-action affairs.
‘King’ Khan fought and beat the likes of Carlos Molina, Paulie Malignaggi, Luiz Collazo, Marcos Maidana and Chris Algieri. He also took some serious KO losses along the way against the likes of Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson, though after the fight, Peterson failed a drug test.
The fan-favourite Brit was never afraid to step up to a challenge, which is what he did in 2016 when he moved up two weights to take on the great Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and was brutally stopped inside six rounds by a huge overhand right.
Speaking to Fast Slots, Khan said that one loss took more out of him than any other.
“I was never the same fighter again after facing Canelo. You can get knocked down, fine, you can get back up again, but the knockout Canelo gave me, it probably took five years off my life.”
“I was at the peak of my career and never came back as the same fighter again. I wasn’t gun-shy or scared, but that one shot, it wasn’t good for the body or the mind.
“And it changed my opponent’s strategy for fighting me, they all started to try to land that one big shot.”
The Bolton boxer fought on and beat the likes of Samuel Vargas and Billy Dib, but lost to Terence Crawford and retired after another stoppage defeat to his long-time British rival Kell Brook in 2022.
