“King Kahn” has never really become boxing royalty.
Oh, Amir Khan has unusual ability. His quickness and all-around skill set has allowed him to win a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, defeat a string of top-notch opponents over a decade-plus as a pro and become a two-time 140-pound champion.
The 35-year-old Briton has one glaring weakness, though: a weak chin, which, combined with his fighting spirit, has resulted in some cringe-worthy knockout losses that have held him back in his pursuit of greatness.
Of course, Khan (34-5, 21 KOs) isn’t quite finished: He finally will take on countryman Kell Brook on Saturday in Manchester (ESPN+).
Will he give Brook a boxing lesson, as he has done to many of his opponents? Or will Brook follow the lead of those who have turned out Khan’s lights?
That’s the story of Khan’s career: We never know which way it’s going to go.
Here are three of his best and three of his worst performances.
BEST
Marcos Maidana
Date / location: Dec. 11, 2010 / Las Vegas
Result: UD 12
Khan was near the peak of his abilities when he agreed to face knockout artist Marcos Maidana in the third defense of his junior welterweight title. The champion put the Argentine down with a left hook to the body in the final seconds of Round 1 and boxed beautifully to build a lead on the cards against his hard-charging, but largely ineffective opponent. However, Maidana rallied late in the fight to give himself a chance to win. That included a wild Round 10, in which he hurt Khan badly with an overhand right that turned his legs into overcooked spaghetti. It seemed the end was near. But, in this fight, Khan, demonstrating tremendous heart, survived the round and the rest of the fight to win a unanimous decision.
Zab Judah
Date / location: July 23, 2011 / Las Vegas
Result: KO 5
Judah, 33, wasn’t the same fighter who dazzled fans with his athleticism and ability seven or eight years earlier but he was still formidable. He was on a five-fight winning streak, including a seventh-round knockout of Kaizer Mabuza four months earlier to win his last major title. Just as important, his name carried weight. A victory over Judah would be perhaps his biggest step toward becoming a star. And Khan was never more dominating. He frustrated the veteran with his boxing ability and then ended the fight with a vicious right to the gut in the last 30 seconds of Round 5. Khan was now a unified champion and on a roll.
Devon Alexander
Date / location: Dec. 13, 2014 / Las Vegas
Result: UD 12
People might forget that Alexander was one of the best in the business at one time. The quick, slick southpaw had only two losses, close decisions against Timothy Bradley and Shawn Porter. And he rebounded from the Porter setback by easily outpointing Jesus Soto Karass leading into the showdown with Khan. Alexander was a genuine threat. However, once the opening bell rang, he was overwhelmed. Khan, fighting brilliantly behind his jab, gave his capable opponent a boxing lesson to win a one-sided decision that bolstered his reputation as a rising force in boxing. He was never better than he was that night. Two fights later, though, his momentum came to an abrupt end when he moved up in weight to face a high-profile Mexican.
WORST
Breidis Prescott
Date / location: Sept. 6, 2008 / Manchester, England
Result: KO 1
Khan was still considered a can’t-miss prospect when he ran into a relative unknown named Breidis Prescott at M.E.N. Arena. Those watching received a tremendous surprise. The Colombian laid bare something for which Khan would become known: a weak chin. Prescott landed a monstrous left hook that hurt Khan 22 seconds into the fight and then put him down with the same punch. He was able to get to his feet but was stopped by one more left moments later. The official end came 54 seconds into the fight. To his credit, Khan bounced back from the setback to build a successful career. It was that fighting spirit. At the same time, his inability to take a big punch would haunt him three more times.
Danny Garcia
Date / location: July 14, 2012 / Las Vegas
Result: TKO 4
Khan embarked on a strong run after the Breidis setback, winning eight consecutive fights and a major 140-pound title. And although Lamont Peterson upset him by a split decision, the result was controversial and Peterson later admitted he had ingested testosterone pellets. That allowed Khan to be reinstated as champion. Next up for him? Hard-punching Danny Garcia in a title-unification bout. Khan acquitted himself well for two-plus rounds and then it happened again, a left hook in third round. that put him down in a moment eerily reminiscent of the Breidis fight. Khan continued to fight bravely but suffered two more knockdowns and couldn’t get out of Round 4. He would never hold a major title again.
Canelo Alvarez
Date / location: May 7, 2016 / Las Vegas
Result: KO 6
Khan took a big swing in this fight, moving up to 154 pounds to take on the dangerous titleholder from Mexico. And, again, he paid a price. He boxed well for five-plus rounds, using his speed and ability to fight Alvarez on even terms. However, the rising young Mexican star was closing the distance by the middle rounds. Everyone was thinking the same thing: When is the punch going to land? Then it did, with around 32 seconds left in Round 6. Khan threw two lazy jabs, Alvarez stepped in and he landed an overhand right that put Khan flat on his back. He didn’t move, which made the count unnecessary. Khan has fought only four times since that setback, including one more knockout at the hands of Terence Crawford.
