Khan told defeat to Lo Greco would KO his career
AMIR KHAN has been warned by Eddie Hearn his career will be over if he loses to Phil Lo Greco on Saturday.
Khan faces motormouth Lo Greco at Liverpool’s Echo Arena in his first fight after two years out and Hearn says everything is on the line for the former golden boy of British boxing.
The ex-light-welterweight king was sparked out in his last fight and Hearn says that at the age of 31 he cannot afford a fifth loss as a pro.
“Definitely not,” said Hearn. “He must win.
“The old Amir Khan would be a very, very strong favourite, but now he’s just favourite because we just don’t know how he is. The truth is he may not be the same fighter he was two years ago.
“I think he’s fresh, but Saturday will tell us how fresh. He could be better than anyone or he could be a shot fighter.”
Defeat to Canadian journeyman Lo Greco would end Khan’s hopes of a money-spinning pay-perview fight in December.
That is the carrot Hearn dangled to persuade him to sign a three-fight deal with him and the Matchroom MD says he could deliver bitter rival Kell Brook at Cardiff ’s Principality Stadium. “My dream scenario would be for him to fight Kell Brook in December,” he said. “You could do it in Manchester Arena. You could do it maybe at the Principality in Cardiff. “I don’t mind it in Manchester Arena. It’s a fight that could do 40, 50, 60,000. But also in an arena like Manchester would be fine. It all depends on them. Kell will be there Saturday, it’s a fight he wants and I think it’s a fight Amir wants too.”
Khan will be watched by a sold-out 9,000 crowd and Hearn says he will be on edge about his homecoming fight after a lengthy absence in the US.
“I think Amir will be very nervous, especially because he’s fighting in the UK,” he said. “It’s five years since he last fought here.
“He’s had all the stuff going on in his personal life, hand surgery, his trainer falling ill and having to get a new one in Joe Goossen, so it’s not been ideal. He has a lot of questions to answer.”
Khan threw water over Lo Greco when they last met because of comments about his personal life and Hearn says he will try again to needle him.
“If I was Lo Greco, I’d be trying to wind him up because I know my best chance of beating Khan is for him to lose control of his emotions,” he said.
“The key thing for Khan is to maintain his discipline. Every time he has lost in the past, he hasn’t controlled his emotions. He’s stood and traded and the way Lo Greco has been winding him up, he wants to do a job on him. He needs to be careful of that.”