Lose and comeback will be over before it really began

I AGREE with Amir Khan, there would be no way back were he to taste defeat to a modest Phil Lo Greco in Liverpool tonight.

That gives his comeback fight after almost two years out the necessary edge. I like Khan as a fighter and as a person. He’s been a pro 13 years, that’s five years longer than I was at it. Though his circumstances have changed dramatically, he is essentially still the same person he was when he turned over at 18.

He’s genuine and affable. You could see in his appearance in the celebrity jungle that people were drawn to him.

I’m pleased he’s worked things out with his family. It was important they healed their divisions. This game is hard enough as it is. It is absolutely vital to have your family close. His father Shah went everywhere with him as an amateur and was instrumental in guiding his career as a pro. I know how much Amir means to him. And what a career he has had, precocious in his youth, becoming world youth champion, Olympic silver medallist at 17, a world champion as a pro, fought in Madison Square Garden and Las Vegas and earned a fortune.

He was never going to be infallible as a pro, and that is why he is so exciting. He is invariably in great fights. His fast hands and great pace has had the best in trouble. The fight with Marcos Maidana on his Vegas debut eight years ago was arguably his finest.

The body shot that dropped Maidana in the first round would have finished most opponents but Maidana is one tough hombre, and came back to expose Khan’s flaws. When he gets tired he gets hit. He has always found it hard to resist a tear-up and has paid the price.

The split-decision loss to Lamont Peterson was a classic. Khan was unlucky, the more so when it turned out Peterson was chemically enhanced. Breidis Prescott caught him cold. He took Danny Garcia too lightly. He was ahead after six rounds against Saul Alvarez, tired and got cleaned out.

That was 23 months ago. He’s had his knock and come back before. He will do so again, though how far he can take it in a welterweight division packed with talent remains to be seen.

It wouldn’t do him any harm to go the distance against Lo Greco, but if he were to take him out it would light the touch paper and bring the big fights he wants into sharper view.