By Charles Brun: Former IBF/WBA 140-pound champion Amir ‘King’ Khan (34-5, 21 K.O.s) has no interest in fighting behind closed doors for when he returns to the ring, and he says he’s willing to wait until crowds are allowed to attend fights.
Khan can still make good money fighting in front of crowds against these fighters:
- Kell Brook
- Errol Spence Jr
- Manny Pacquiao
- Danny Garcia
- Shawn Porter
- Keith Thurman
Khan would like to fight the 41-year-old Pacquiao, but the chances of that happening in 2020 are small because of the pandemic. It’s hard to plan a fight against the superstar Pacquiao when you have no idea when crowds will be allowed to return to watch boxing events.
In the meantime, Khan, 33, wants to attempt to find a new trainer. He says he’ll train himself if need be.
Khan needs to make the most of his time
He’s down to his last couple of fights before he retires from the sport, and it’s not as big of a deal if he fails to get a coach.
At this point, Khan doesn’t see a trainer as being able to add much to his game. Aside from the motivational aspect that a coach can bring, there’s not a whole lot that they can teach the soon to be 34-year-old Khan.
Khan has been a professional for 15 years since 2005, and it would take an exceptional trainer to teach him something that he doesn’t already know. Coaches can be valuable for some fighters who possess a good chin and can follow a game plan to the letter.
Khan doesn’t have either of those things going for him. He tends to throw the game plan out the window and getting caught in a tear up. Additionally, Khan’s chin isn’t what it needs to be for him to fight in the style that he’s chosen during his career.
A trainer not important for Amir
“At this stage of my career, it’s about having a coach just to set a game plan. I can even train myself for a fight,” Khan said to the Mirror Fighting. “An empty arena is not going to lift me up to fight; I will have to wait until they’re full again,” he said.
“It’s good to have a coach there but how much of a job could he do now because I’ve been in the game for so long,” Khan said.
It probably won’t change much for Khan if he trains himself. He can have the best trainer in the world, and they’re not going to be able to help withstand the hard shots to the head.
That’s been Khan’s problem his entire career. He’s got excellent boxing skills, but his punch resistance hasn’t been good enough for him to beat the bangers that he’s faced.
Khan hasn’t helped himself by his tendency to slug with his opponents, which has led to him getting hit a lot more than he otherwise would if he fought more defensively.
It would make sense for Khan to get a good trainer if he could follow their instructions, and play it safe when he steps it up against good opposition. He hasn’t proven that he avoid going to war with his opponents, and that’s not something that will change.
Khan can’t sit out of the ring for too long before he returns to the ring, and that’s the problem. He hasn’t fought since his fourth-round knockout win over lightweight Billy Dib last July in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Freddie Roach interests Khan
“Do I really need one of the top trainers? Maybe for motivation, someone like a Freddie Roach who I used to be with; he would see where I was and where I am now and compare,” said Khan.
Having Freddie Roach as a trainer would at least give Khan the chance to have someone that would come up with an outstanding game plan that would give him his best chance of winning. If Khan is going to fight another Billy Dib level fighter, then he probably doesn’t need a great game plan.
Roach is an excellent trainer, and he could, in theory, help Khan, as long as he’s willing to follow his instructions. However, if Khan fights someone talented like Spence, Pacquiao, Brook, or Danny Garcia, he’s going to have problems.
Khan has more than enough talent to stomp the smaller guys from the 135-pound division without any trouble, but it’s a different story if he’s planning on fighting quality fighter from the 147-pound weight class. Brook (39-2, 27 KOs) is the guy that Khan needs to fight if he wants to get a big payday.
Brook is the fighter that will sell as an opponent for Khan in the U.K. British boxing fans have been calling for the Khan vs. Brook fight for over a decade now. It just hasn’t happened.
It’s not for want of trying on Brook’s part. Khan just didn’t want the fight, and he’s wasted a lot of time. At this point, the Khan-Brook isn’t nearly the fight that it once was because both guys are over-the-hill at this stage in their careers, and no longer considered top fighters at 147.
Training in America a possibility
“Going to America was probably the best move I made and I would love to go back there again because I love the quality of training, the sparring, and living out there,” said Khan.
Training in the United States would give Khan the option to work with a lot of quality fighters in Los Angeles if he chooses to train with Roach in Los Angeles. Khan would be more or less anonymous in the U.S. society, as boxing isn’t as popular as some of the other sports in the country.
As such, Khan would be able to walk around freely in Los Angeles or wherever he trains in the States without being annoyed by fawning autograph seekers or the many fans looking to put together short interview clips to upload to Youtube quickly.
Khan has massive experience against good opposition like Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana, Danny Garcia, and Terence Crawford. If he can use that experience in last two or three fights in his career, he could finish on a strong note.
