Khan ends storied career

AMIR KHAN, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist who became a unified world champion at lightwelterweight, has announced the end of his in-ring career.

Khan retires with a professional record of 34 wins from his 40 fights, his legacy as one of the most entertaining and finest British boxers of his era secured a long time ago.

The 35-year-old wrote in a short statement on Twitter: “It’s time to hang up my gloves. I feel blessed to have had such an amazing career that has spanned over 27 years.

“I want to say a heartfelt thanks and to the incredible teams I have worked with and to my family, friends and fans.”

Khan ends a storied career, in which he also challenged for world titles at welterweight and middleweight, on a losing note after being stopped in the sixth round of a one-sided grudge fight by long-time rival Kell Brook in Manchester in February.

Khan became world champion, aged 22, after outpointing WBA titlist Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester, a few miles away from where he was born and raised.

He surrendered his belts after a contentious points defeat to Lamont Peterson, whose positive test for a banned substance in the lead-up to the rematch meant Khan was reinstated as WBA titlist. It was a short reign as he was stopped by Danny Garcia in July 2012, knocked down three times inside four rounds.

Khan leapt two divisions to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in May 2016 for the WBC middleweight title but the Mexican ended matters clinically with a devastating one-punch sixth-round knockout.

Khan was also stopped inside six rounds by WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford in 2019 and there would be no storybook ending as Khan’s face was left battered and bruised before he was stopped on his feet against Brook.