Amir Khan: Retirement Shouldn't Be on Former World Champion's Mind

Amir Kahn must keep his chin up.

With his eyes on a dream fight with Floyd Mayweather, Kahn was brutally knocked out on Saturday night by Danny Garcia. While Kahn’s critics believe retirement is on his radar, quitting shouldn’t even be in the back of his mind.

Gareth A. Davis of The Telegraph reported that after the TKO, world champion Carl Froch claimed that the former world champion should retire. He said:

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Having watched the fight I would retire if I was Khan. When you get knocked out, get hurt and get damaged it’s painful to watch. Unfortunately you can’t train the chin. He’s got a vulnerability there that’s been exposed more than once.

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What Froch is referring to is the first loss of Kahn’s career after he began 18-0. Breidis Prescott knocked him out 54 seconds into the first round of their match in September 2008. After two straight losses now, Froch isn’t the only one who believes Kahn should hang up the gloves.

Retired former world champion Glenn McCrory sang the same tune after the bout. He said (via The Telegraph):

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Amir is very brave, but you don’t want to see him get hurt. I know he’s only 25, but he’s already been around in the sport a long time. He’s already covered himself in glory, and has earned a lot of money. He needs to think very carefully about his future.

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Now, if Kahn sincerely retired because of health concerns, his exit would be respectable. But if he leaves boxing because of supposed “vulnerability,” his legacy would be stained.

Kahn is 25 years old. He’s in his prime. It would be flat-out cowardly to retire now.

Forget Froch and his “you can’t train the chin” nonsense. Kahn took a beating against Prescott and bounced back to win eight straight fights including a knockout against the legendary Zab Judah.

Quit? Because of a letdown? A little adversity won’t kill Kahn.

Boxers are warriors for crying out loud. Kahn has accomplished so much in his career already—his potential is still through the roof. If he retires now, fans will forever ask, “What could’ve been?”

Muhammad Ali once said: “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”

Kahn must ignore the skeptics, keep training and bounce back stronger than ever exactly like he did after his devastating collapse four years ago.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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