http://www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 11, 2018 lBOXING NEWSl 17punishment all the time.”
Of course, the mileage is far higher than it was
post-Athens, when he was a golden boy with a silver
medal and the face of the GB team in Greece.
Then he was filled with hopes and dreams and
while Khan retains a level of ambition there is also
satisfaction at what he has accomplished. He
feels he has fulfilled his potential.
“You know what?” he paused. “Winning
world titles, being in an Olympic
Games... I think so, yeah. Definitely.
I’ve already achieved lots. Fighting
in America, headlining in the MGM,
headlining in LA, headlining twice
in New York, once at the Barclays
and once at Madison Square
Garden... Headlining at these
venues, that was my dream, to
fight in America – in Vegas. I’ve
done it numerous times. I’ve had
my name up in lights. I’ve had the
biggest posters up of me and I’ve
had my picture on top of the MGM
Grand Hotel. This was my dream. I’ve
been on the biggest TV shows on HBO
and Showtime, I’ve headlined their shows.
I’ve been on Sky, on pay-per-view. I can give
you a list of things I’d dreamed of doing and I’ve
done them already.”
Talk of retirement, though, is premature. Yes, he will work
more on the Amir Khan Foundation, which helps so many
people in need around the world, assisting with water projects,
the Syrian refugee crisis, aiding the homeless and buildingorphanages. He will do some work in real estate. He
may even handle some young fighters and try his
hand further at promoting. “At the moment, thankfully
God has been good and financially I’m good,” he
stated. “If I retired today I would be happy and I’d be
comfortable, but I think I’ve got a little more left.”
A period of darkness, where Khan questioned
himself and those around him, concluded
with him finding a source of light in a
remote part of Australia. Now he will
fight on.
The rows with his nearest and
dearest are behind him.
“It was all just me being a little
bit silly, maybe saying things that
weren’t true and just making
big issues of nothing really,” he
said of the public spat with his
wife last year. “I think it definitely
played a part of it when I wasn’t
fighting for a long period of time.
It shows how important boxing is
in my life. I need to box and keep
myself busy because otherwise you
can go down the wrong path. But I’ve
sorted out the issues with my family, I’ve
sorted the issues out with my wife and it’s all
about standing on my own feet and enjoying the
last few moments in my boxing career.” bnlFOR more from Khan on his turmoil away from the ring, his time
in the jungle and his reputation as an international strawberry thief,
visit http://www.boxingnewsonline.netDOWN IN ONE:
Khan swigs back
some repulsive
concoction during his
time in the junglePhoto: JAMES GOURLEY/ITV/REX/SHUT TERSTOCK
HAPPY AGAIN:
Khan and his
wife are
looking
forward to a
bright future