In the city that never sleeps, the lights have gone out for Amir Khan.
It has been one heck of a ride for Khan since his US debut nine years ago, but his controversial TKO by Terence Crawford will be his 11th and last big fight in America.
Khan had always been respected Stateside for being a fearless warrior. He was the guy who survived a pounding by Marcos Maidana to win and took the fight to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez before his brutal KO.
Not any more.
Much of that respect vanished on Saturday night the second trainer Virgil Hunter told referee David Fields he could not continue against Crawford because of a low blow.
Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre jumped into the ring, laughing at Khan, while the 14,000 Madison Square Garden crowd booed him. It did not matter that Khan had previously shown enough guts to win a Purple Heart, they suspected he quit to save himself from an even bigger beating.
Amir Khan vows to fight on — but stats from Terence Crawford loss are worrying
Crawford believes this and challenged Khan, 32, in their post-fight press conference, asking him: “Did you quit? You got hit in the leg.”
Khan, said to have been in tears in the dressing room, claimed Hunter pulled him out and that he is no quitter.
“Virgil did it,” insisted Khan, who said he peed blood because of the low blow. “I was in the corner and Virgil asked me how I was feeling. I could feel it in my stomach. I was caught with some good shots, but I didn’t recover from that shot.
“I would never quit and I’m one of those fighters who would rather be knocked out.”
Fields did not penalise Crawford for the low blow and told Khan’s corner he was entitled to five minutes to recover. Yet he and Hunter, who claimed the Bolton fighter was “incapacitated”, did not request a break and this flat ending left a bad taste in the mouth.
Terence Crawford taunts Amir Khan after retaining WBO welterweight title
Khan claims he could still fight in the US again against Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia or Manny Pacquiao. That sounds highly fanciful and which promoter and TV network in the US would want him now they think he is a quitter?
His value has plummeted here quicker than Wall Street in a bear market and his only obvious big fight
is Kell Brook, who was ringside, back in Britain.
Brook also accused Khan of quitting, and that fight between the two is losing popular appeal because both men are clearly past their best.
Khan was competitive against Crawford, although always behind, for the five rounds and 47 seconds of action the crowd did see. He recovered from being put down at the end of the first from a right hand.
'Fraud' Amir Khan savaged by fans for quitting Terence Crawford fight
Crawford fought the first two rounds as orthodox before switching to southpaw “just to mess with his head” as he put it. The unbeaten WBO welterweight champ was too slick and quick for Khan and alternated at will between his body and head.
Some of Crawford’s body shots were low and at the start of the sixth, he delivered a left hook into Khan’s groin. Khan winced and walked gingerly to his corner where Hunter told Fields he was too hurt to continue.
Three-weight world champ Crawford refused to accept that excuse and accused Khan of surrendering.
“I thought he was looking for a way out,” said the American. “He and Virgil were having a conversation. Amir just kept shaking his head and I was, ‘Aah, nah. He’s going to quit’. I was right, that’s what happened.”
That second low blow will hurt Khan’s pride the most.
