LAS VEGAS -- Amir Khan, the former junior welterweight world titleholder and welterweight contender, dared to be great by moving up to middleweight to challenge world champion Canelo Alvarez.
Although it certainly did not work out as he had hoped, Khan should be proud of himself -- and be respected by all -- for at least trying.
He fought very well until Alvarez erased him with a mammoth right hand in the sixth round. It’s a leading knockout-of-the-year contender in what was a good fight. This was the way most figured the fight would end, but until that point Khan did a tremendous job of using his speed and skills to give Alvarez problems.
Many of us at ringside at the T-Mobile Arena had Khan leading through five rounds. I had him up 48-47.
“Canelo even mentioned he got frustrated in the first couple of rounds,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya said at the postfight news conference. “We love watching Amir Khan in fights because he’s an exciting fighter. He’s too brave for his own good.”
Khan did not attend the postfight news conference and instead was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure after the knockout, but he is OK. He was released a short time later.
“Amir Khan is one of the bravest fighters on the planet today,” De La Hoya said. “He’s willing to be great. Amir Khan didn’t lose nothing tonight. Amir Khan will come back. I’m telling you one thing -- he can beat anyone at 147 or 154. There’s really no shame in his performance.”
De La Hoya is correct. When other fighters snivel over a couple of pounds difference or seek out soft touches, Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) went for the glory. He accepted Alvarez’s insistence on 155 pounds after a brief effort to get Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) to make the fight at a weight closer to 147. But Khan didn’t let that stand in the way of a chance to fight Alvarez.
Despite the devastating end, Khan figures to do what he has done before – brush himself off and get back to work after a rest.
“Plenty more huge fights for me,” Khan wrote on social media. “I'm sure my stocks have risen. Hope you all enjoyed the fight. I dared to be great and I'm not going to stop.”
Khan was nothing but complimentary of Alvarez, as well. Khan was anything but a sore loser.
“Not many fighters out there like Canelo,” he said. “Thank you for the opportunity, and all the best for the future, champ. No matter how big [and] tough the challenge, go out there [and] give it everything. Aim high. Believe or you will never know.”
After the fight, Khan said he will move back down to welterweight at his more natural 147 pounds, where he is the top-ranked contender for the belt held by Danny Garcia, who won a vacant title by decision against Robert Guerrero on Jan. 23.
In 2012, Khan was handling Garcia (32-0, 18 KOs) in their junior welterweight title unification fight before Garcia rallied and stopped Khan in the fourth round.
A rematch would surely be well-received by the public and press and would likely be another exciting fight. Khan is right -- there will be more big fights in his future and the rematch with Garcia could be one of them.