Khan takes shot at 6-month ban for drugs cheat
BOXER SLAMS SUSPENSION OF FORMER RIVAL
AMIR Khan has slammed the six-month suspension given to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – and says he will always remember the Mexican boxer as a cheat.
Canelo failed two drugs tests earlier this year, but stated that eating contaminated meat was the reason why he tested positive for clenbuterol on February 17 and 20.
It forced him out of his planned fight with Gennady Golovkin in May, but his six-month ban was backdated from February, meaning he is able to fight again from August onwards, paving the way for the mega-fight with Golovkin in September.
Khan returns to the ring against Phil Lo Greco tomorrow night having not fought since his defeat to Canelo back in May 2016, and he has hit out at the punishment given to the Mexican.
“The six-month suspension doesn’t mean anything because other fighters will see that and think ‘I can take anything to get jacked up and only have a six-month ban.’ I hoped it would be a more serious ban to make sure that others fighters won’t follow. Life bans or at least a couple of years so that you feel it,” said Khan.
“Six months is not going to do anything, it’s barely one fight, he’ll be straight back into a massive fight again. It is only going to push young fighters toward taking stuff because of the short ban.
“He’s then had a surgery during the ban so he will come back feeling even better. He will come back better with the surgery and whatever was in his system.
“He probably wanted it during his last break but there was too much money on the table but now he has time on his hands to do it.
“When you get caught you will always be known as a cheat and you will never get that same respect. Once you are caught you are a cheat and will never respect any fighter. We don’t know if he has been doing it all his career, you can never respect the same person.
“I have been fighting for more than 10 years and I have never thought about taking anything. Why should we allow others to do it and keep that respect?
“I fought Lamont Peterson in 2011 and then he failed a drugs test and got a two-year ban. When he came back he was never the same because he was off the drugs. Two years was a half-decent ban at that time but Canelo getting six months was nothing.
“I am a clean fighter, I can always have my head up high but others out there will know they have cheated deep down. People will always remember Canelo as a cheat.”