The rise and fall of Amir Khan, showman of the rings and late blot due to doping

An impromptu sanction, imposed 14 months after his last fight and 11 months after his retirement, has put the former super lightweight world champion back in the spotlight Amir Khan. The Briton was one of the first talents, a man who drew crowds to his country and who was involved in an unforgettable battle with Marcos Maidana in 2010but who also paid dearly for the weakness of his defense and the fragility of his jaw.

khan was suspended for two years following a positive result in a check carried out by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) following his defeat to his compatriot kel stream on February 19, 2022. The substance detected in the study was ostarine (also known as MK-2866), which helps to increase muscle mass.

His defense had argued that the consumption of ostarine had not been voluntary and had argued that the substance had probably reached the fighter’s body through “contamination of a supplement or accidental contact with another person”. Although UKAD believed it proved that the ingestion had not been intentional, they complied with their regulations and punished the fighter.

The sentence is retroactive (the two-year period began to run from 6 April 2022, the date on which the positive outcome was initially communicated) and, at the same time, of abstract compliance, as it isThe boxer announced his retirement in May last yearthree months after being knocked out by Brook in Manchester, and has never shown any willingness to come out of retirement since.

“I have never cheated in my life. I don’t want to be remembered for something like that. It would hurt me a lot. If people only remembered me for this incident, it would upset me because I know I’ve never done anything like this on purpose. I hope people believe me.”asked the former world champion on Tuesday, who has so many reasons for boxing lovers to keep in their memory the most virtuosic fragments of his career.

Son of Pakistani parents and born on 8 December 1986 in Bolton, It didn’t take long for Khan to excel at a sport he’d started playing at the age of eight.. “He was very hyperactive and mischievous at school and at home. I hit the gym and started expending energy in a good way. Which completely changed my life”, he said a few years ago in an interview published in the specialized magazine The Ring.

His rapid rise took him, at just 17, to an Olympic final: the light division at the Athens 2004 Games. Even if he lost against the Cuban Mario Kindelan, the silver medal made him the youngest British boxer to reach an Olympic podium. Nine months later, he took his revenge on Kindelán in Bolton. That was his last amateur fight before his professional debut with a first-round TKO win against David Bailey on July 16, 2005.

Thanks to his reflexes and the speed of his hands, Khan built an 18 match winning streak (14 on the fast track) and became a hugely popular figure in his country. On September 6, 2008, however, his jaw gave the first alarm signal in Manchester: Colombian Breidis Prescott knocked him out in just 54 seconds of action in a fight in which the Intercontinental lightweight title of the world boxing organization. After that defeat, he chose to move his camp to the United States to work with the prestigious coach freddy cockroach.

Ten months later and after two quick victories (one against the Mexican veteran multiple champion Marco Antonio Barrara), He had his first chance at the World Cup and he didn’t miss it: in Manchester and only 22 years old, he beat the Ukrainian by unanimous decision on points Andriy Kotelnikwhom five months earlier he had defeated Marco Maidanand captured the world boxing association.

Just the man from Santa Fe, who had won the interim WBA title against Víctor Ortiz, crossed his path in December 2010 to consecrate a single monarch. That night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas marked one of the high points of the British career, emerging victorious after showing off and suffering.

A stab to the liver sent the Chinese to the canvas in the first round and threatened to finish the job quickly. The Argentine rallied, but for the first nine rounds he was dominated by his opponent’s speed and accuracy. However, In the 10th round, everything changed – a right from Margarita’s knockout set Khan on fire with two minutes of work remaining..

Rushing around the ring, blocking, covering as best he could and calling upon every resource at hand, Khan managed to complete the chapter on his feet, even if he reached his corner with a bloodied face, blank stare, and gelatinous legs.. At the corner, cockroach he was about to take his man out of the fight. “I asked him some questions because I wanted to make sure he had clear ideas. He understood them and answered clearly, that’s why I didn’t stop the fight.the coach recounted that night.

although the Chinese He was also superior in the last two episodes, the disadvantage he dragged on the cards prevented him from closing the day with his arm raised: The English prevailed by unanimous decision (Two cards favored him 114-111 and the rest, 113-112). “My chin was tested today. Maidana’s record proves that he is a great boxer and I took everything he gave me. I proved everyone who said I couldn’t take a blow wrong.”boasted the victor.

The brightest part of the Bolton man’s career lasted until July of the following year when he was dropped Zab Judas, with a shot to the body that the American and his team protested as low, to add the International Boxing Federation (IBF) crown to his crop. But five months later he relinquished the belts after losing to Lamont Peterson in a very close sentence, much discussed and in which the referee Joseph Cooper ended up being decisive.

Kahn knocked down his rival twice in the first episode (although the referee only recorded once as valid) and was superior in 12 chapters in which there was no shortage of violations, rigorously punished only when committed by the champion: Cooper he took away two points (one in the 7th round and one in the 12th round) for shoving, but only warned Peterson for his constant headbutts and low blows.

Against all odds and against what was observed by almost all experts, Peterson prevailed by split decision: two judges saw him win 113-112 and the other awarded the victory to Khan 115-110. The discounts decided by the referee are decisive. If I hadn’t taken those two units away, the British would have won. If he took just one (or if he counted the second knockdown of the first round), the fight would be a draw and the champion would retain the titles.

Golden Boypromoter of the event and representative of Khan’s interests, demanded an immediate rematch and the WBA granted the request in January 2012. positive in a doping control (traces of synthetic testosterone were found in his urine sample).

Two months later, The WBA stripped Peterson and handed the title back to Khan (The IBF, however, continued to recognize the American as champion). However, that reign was one of the most ephemeral in boxing history, as when the organization returned the belt, the Briton was finalizing details for a confrontation he would have 72 hours later with World Boxing Council champion Danny García. of the 140 lbs.

Against undefeated Philadelphia, Khan’s chin failed again. After dominating the first two rounds, the Englishman took a left hook and fell. Although he managed to regain the vertical, he did it only to survive a few more minutes before referee Kenny Bayless called off the fight after two more visits to the mats at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in the fourth round. That was the last night he stepped into a ring with a world belt in his possession.

After that defeat, she parted ways with Roach and began working with him Virgil Hunter with the aim of improving his shaky defense. He moved up to the welterweight division and had five wins against former champions or former challengers in his division, but he didn’t stand a chance against any of the men who at 147 pounds could guarantee him a big purse: Floyd Mayweather AND Manny Pacquiao.

Then he made a decision as advantageous as it was dangerous: he challenged Saul Cinnamon Álvarez, then WBC middleweight champion. Although the fight was agreed at a weight below the division limit (155 pounds, against 160 which marks the category limit), the physical difference ended up being decisive. In a very even contest (two judges had the Mexican leading by one and three points, and the other the Englishman by one), a chilling right hand from the champion put the challenger on his back and made it unnecessary even for Kenny Bayless to start the cheque.

“I want to be the best and fight against the best, that’s why I accepted this challenge. I showed my balls getting in the ring with such a big guy. I wanted to do it. I didn’t go through with it, but I did my best. This is boxing.”analyzed Khan, who pocketed six million dollars for that fight. Subsequently, he returned to 147 lbs.

Since that setback, the former Olympic medalist’s career has recorded a few victories against lesser rivals and one last failed attempt at the World Cup: In April 2019, the spotless Terence Crawford knocked him out in New York’s Madison Square Garden York, with the WBO welterweight title at stake.

Khan’s last performance was last year against Kell Brook, the former IBF Welterweight Champion of the World, in a bout that had been simmering for years and which drew a crowd to the Manchester Arena, despite no title at stake. In six rounds, the much more powerful Brook felled his opponent, who found himself soundly defeated, although this time he withstood the storm of blows at his feet until the referee Victor Loughlin felt the beating had been enough.

That fight marked the end of two careers. Brook announced his retirement on May 7. Six days later Khan did so. “My family had been telling me to retire for a long time, but I said, ‘No, I want to do something else.’ Now I think it’s the right time.”, the Bolton boxer justified. And I add: “I’m one of those fighters who can walk away happily ever after. I can only thank boxing for what it has done for my life – it has kept me on the right track and made me a better person.”. Almost a year later, a fine painted a small stain on his successful career.