Lose and my career is over, admits Khan

FOR Amir Khan it is either the opening page of another glorious chapter or the first sentence of a melancholy postscript to his career.

Two years after being knocked out by Canelo Alvarez and five years since he last appeared in a British ring, King Khan is coming back.

En route to reclaiming his world championship throne, he firmly believes. Or the beginning of the end should he lose, as he is man enough to admit.

Khan’s Canadian opponent in Liverpool tonight, Phil Lo Greco, has been selected to pose only a modest threat but also provide a test of how much of Khan’s former Olympic and world-title juice he has left in the tank.

Khan insists: ‘I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t convinced I can win another world title. I know there are people hoping this fight will be the end for me. But at 31 I’m feeling 25 again. It will be back to the big time after I beat Lo Greco.

‘For the next two years I am going to devote myself to becoming a world champion for the third time. Only then will I call it a day.’

To relaunch that process Khan (below) accepts that this is what he must do in the Echo Arena tonight: ‘I need to win. Look good. No excuses.’

But no ring-rust after two years recovering from the Canelo KO in Las Vegas, which is now tainted by the Mexican’s drugs controversy? ‘No,’ he argues. ‘I feel sharper than ever. I can’t wait. These two years will disappear the moment the first bell rings.’

The journeyman in the opposite corner doubts that. Lo Greco says: ‘There’s always rust in the ring after a lay-off.’

Of Khan’s allegedly suspect chin, Lo Greco adds: ‘He is chinny but that’s not the root of the problem. He has no legs. Never has had legs and in his 30s it can only get worse.’ Meanwhile, Carl Frampton is on his guard ahead of tonight’s fight against former four-division world champion Nonito Donaire, saying: ‘Nonito has achieved more than anyone I’ve ever fought and I go into this regarding him as my toughest- ever opponent. It could require the best performance of my life to win this.’ Khan v Lo Greco on Sky Sports live from 7pm; Frampton v Donaire on BoxNation live from 7.30pm.