Khan King Amir rise again?

It starts with a flash and you’re on the canvas. Everything is blurry and you’re body is screaming at you to stay down. You push your legs and they struggle to cooperate but somehow you find yourself back on your feet. 

Your ears are ringing ,your legs aren’t there and you're still in la-la land, but you do your best to stop the man in the blue shirt from stopping the fight. He asks you “Are you ok?”, and you nod your head unconvincingly,wipe your gloves, and he somehow lets you continue, it is a World Title fight after all; they don’t stop these things easily.

You stagger to centre ring and eye off the man that has sent you crushing to the edges of defeat. He is like a caged lion, stalking his prey with a devilish look on his face. He is salivating like a lion hunting his wounded prey, he has struck a mighty blow and can see, and taste the blood which pours out of you,showing signs of your mortality. The young lion can taste the title he craves, the very one you have stained with your blood, sweat and tears over the last few years.

The referee brings the fight back to life, and you summon all you’re strength to punch your way back into the contest, throwing shots with all that is left in your body. You throw shots with the same ferocity as all those great nights where they lauded you the next best thing, but tonight your punches do nothing, your body is not responding as it once did and this caged lion is rocking your head back with unparalleled ferocity.

One shot, and the flash is back. 


You are down on the canvas, and it’s all over.

The world title dreams, potential super fights with the best fighters on the planet, and the title of “Next Big Thing” all wash away amidst the sounds of the referee signaling, “fight over”.

It looks familiar, it’s because you have seen it all before.

In 2008 at the hands of Breidis Prescott, Amir Khan is destroyed inside 35 seconds, by an opponent, who despite his 19-0 record many viewed as a mere stepping stone.

This wasn’t meant to be, you are an Olympic Silver Medalist, a British Icon and a poster boy for the next generation of Boxing.

The next day the papers say you were “hype” and good marketing, but lacked the gumption to match the potential, and you’re simply someone that had a lot of promise but was clearly too big for his boots.

This is around about the time; you throw the paper down, hit the gym and destroy every doomsday proclamation levied at the career of Amir “King” Khan.

You go on to link with one of the World’s Best trainers in Freddie Roach and promptly blast your way to wins over Marco Antonio Barrera, Paul Malignaggi, Marcos Maidana and Zab Judah, as well as the WBA and IBF Light-Welterweight World title’s.

You hit a bump in the shape of Lamont Peterson, who wins a disputed majority decision to take your world titles and a slice of your marketability along with it, however most is restored when in the ensuing months comes news that Peterson tests positive to a banned substance, and the titles are duly returned.

That turn of events puts you in the path of the caged lion, Danny Garcia, who is quickly ushered in as a new opponent, in a fight to unify the division, his WBC title with your IBF/WBA belts.

Garcia talks a big talk, but you are a heavy favorite and expected to win comfortably. It’s the perfect time to strike too, given the recent controversy following the Pacquiao-Bradley fight it looks like those two will rematch and could leave the door open for you to get a shot at Mayweather.

For the first three rounds, it all goes to plan as you dazzle Garcia with your fists, showing an uncanny hand speed that the Brit’s had once enjoyed from The Prince called Naseem.

But then there is that flash…and all those dreams go down the gutter.

The papers the next day look awfully similar to those from four years ago and this time you have the one of the best trainers in the world guiding you, and your backed by one of the top promotions in the world, Golden Boy.

How do you come back from this?

When you were KO’d by Prescott they said you were “Chinny”, yet you seemingly dispelled that myth with your win over Maidana, but now Garcia’s knockout has got you marked as “chinny” once more.

They say you have major technical flaws, but you are trained by one of the best trainers of all time, so is there more to the story.

Is it time for Amir Khan to cast aside his Hall of Fame trainer, to someone that spends all his time with Team Khan, rather than spread his services across a number of fighters, including Pacquiao and Chavez, among others.

Do you reconsider your plan to mix it with the plethora of Welterweight’s such as Mayweather, Pacquaio,  Cotto, Margarito, or do you try to recapture your glory in the light-welterweights where you are coming off two consecutive losses.

In the world of boxing, three consecutive losses on the trot seemingly make you irrelevant and Amir Khan is now walking that tightrope.

Losses to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia, both who are solid fighters, but not on the elite level that the pound for pound kings stand on, severely hurts Khan’s marketability and Golden Boy will be trying to protect their investment.

Do they steer Khan back into calmer waters with a fight against Malignaggi or perhaps Devon Alexander, or do they make the bold step to Welterweight and try and pull off a coup of Tim Bradley proportions.

I have not given up on Amir Khan as returning to the top level of the sport just yet, but it is clear that many within the industry now have their doubts.

I don’t think he is chinny, and he has great heart, and his knockout to Garcia was through his arrogance/carelessness and should not result in a pen being drawn through his name just yet.

Many people did the same thing four years ago and Khan quickly gave them a dose of humble pie.

The next step in Khan’s career will define it.

Does he take a major risk and roll the dice on a marquee name in which victory provides him with a quick return to marquee status, or does he pick the carcass of opponents past their prime to prepare his confidence and box office appeal?

Khan’s long rival Tim Bradley has shown how quickly it can be done and sometimes it can only take one fight.

Khan’s journey to become king once more may well be a long one, but having seen his resurrection once before, who’s to say he cannot rise again.

Follow Adam Santarossa on Twitter - @adamsantarossa