- Terence Crawford defeats Amir Khan to retain WBO welterweight championship
- Crawford (35-0, 26 KOs) made the second defense of his WBO title
- 32-year-old Khan said after the fight that the pain caused by the low blow was too much to continue
- “I want to apologize to all of the fans,” Khan said. “The fight was just getting interesting.”
Boxing fans numbering more than 14,000 were left disappointed after the WBA title fight between Terence Crawford and Amir Khan ended abruptly after the sixth round. Crawford unintentionally connected low on Khan and the latter felt he couldn’t continue the fight.
According to ESPN, the fight got off to a shaky start for Khan after Crawford nearly knocked him out in the first round. A hard right hand near the ear left the British fighter on shaky ground who was then on the floor with a left hand.
Khan’s trainer Virgil Hunter later stopped the fight after an incident in the sixth round that saw Crowford’s uppercut accidently land on Khan lower than expected.
“It’s obvious he was in a lot of pain,” Hunter said after the fight. “Sometimes you can continue and sometimes you can’t continue, it depends on how hard you were hit in the testicles. I asked him if he could continue and he said, ‘No.'”
Crawford looked like the stronger fighter throughout the match and landed more punches than his British opponent said: “I could tell I was breaking him down,” Crawford says. “It was just a matter of time. I just took my time. I was disappointed the corner stopped the fight in that manner, but Virgil is a great coach, and he was looking out for his fighter. I know he didn’t want to go out like that.”
“I was hit below the belt and I can feel it in my stomach and I can’t continue,” Khan said. “I have never been hit below the belt before. I’m a warrior [but] I could feel it in my stomach. My legs kind of seized. I couldn’t move and I couldn’t continue. I’m not one to give up in any fight. I’ll fight to the end and you have to knock me out in any fight. I’m not one of those fighters [who gives up].”
After a shaky round one start for Khan, he fought back despire Crawford turning southpaw in round three and looked impressive in round five exchanging blow for blow with the US fighter.
In January earlier this year, former world unified light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan has finalised a deal to fight pound-for-pound and welterweight title defender American boxer Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford for the WBO world title.
Khan, who was in Dubai in December 2018, revealed to Esquire Middle East that the American, along with Sheffield-native Kell Brook, were both being considered for his next fight.
The Bolton native, who is in the twilight of his career, has publically said he has only three fights left in him. His fight against Crawford will net £4m (US $5.1m) and he could have reportedly have made more had he chosen to face Brook.
Khan with his record to 33 wins and five defeats opened up to Esquire in December on his fight options and said that “there is an amazing fighter over in America, Terence Crawford. He’s pound-for-pound the best out there right now. He’s bringing a world title to the table. I mean Kell Brook is only bringing himself to the table.”
