Former champion Amir Khan retires from boxing
Former world champion Amir Khan announced on Friday his retirement from boxing following a 17-year professional career.
The 35-year-old British fighter, who became a lightweight Unified World Champion, hangs up his gloves with a record of 34 victories in his 40 matches.
The 2004 Olympic silver medal winner, He also won the first 18 competitions of his professional career, becoming one of the top British boxers of his time.
Khan’s career came to an end in defeat when he was stopped in the sixth round of his rancorous game against his longtime rival and compatriot Kell Brook in Manchester in February.
Brook was retired last week.
“It’s time to put my gloves off,” Khan wrote on Twitter. I feel blessed with such a successful career spanning over 27 years.
“I wish to sincerely thank the incredible teams I have worked with and my family. friends and admirers for their love and support.”
Khan won the world title in 2009, defeating Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik in an ultra-light WBA battle, American opponent Zab Judah detached and added the belt of the IBF two years later.
A controversial loss of points against American Lamont Peterson later in 2011 ended the British fighter’s reign but he was reinstated as a WBA titlist after Peterson tested positive for a banned drug before the rematch.
But it was a short reign because he was wildly stopped by Danny García in 2012, a loss which marked the last time he entered the ring with a major world title.
Khan jumped two divisions to face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2016 for the WBC medium weight title, but the Mexican finished clinically with a devastating sixth-round knock-out punch.
In 2019, WBO HGV champion Terence Crawford also shut down Khan in six rounds before teaming up and training alongside the American in Colorado for his long-awaited battle with Brook at the start of the year.
But there would not be an end to the history book that Khan’s face was left beaten and bruised before he was stopped on his feet.
Photo: Amir Khan Official Twitter