Fighting Vijender Singh will be a step backwards in my career, says Amir Khan

Khan won the WBA title at just 22 years of age.

What’s the story?

British boxer Amir Khan recently spoke about the prospect of facing Indian pugilist Vijender Singh in a match and said that it would be a step backwards for him and that he will be criticised if he is to share the ring with Vijender.

“For me to fight him, it will be a step backwards and I will get a lot of criticism if I fight him. At the moment, it’s politically a good fight because he’s Indian and I’m from a Pakistani background. But in America or the UK, the fight will not sell,” said Khan.

He added, “From a business point of view, you want to maximise it (the match) and make sure you can make it the best fight. At the moment, because Vijender is not that big, only in India and Pakistan will the fight be big.”

However, he also said that Vijender is a good fighter but still has a long way to go to reach his level. He admitted that the Indian is a good fighter and that he respects him.

“I want to see him give India a good name. Whenever we meet, we talk and it’s all good. Outside of boxing, we are friends. I supported him during the Commonwealth Games. In fact, I’ll always be there for him,” said Khan.

In case you didn’t know...

Amir Khan is one of the most prominent boxers in the world and won the WBA title at just 22 years of age. Like Vijender, he has an Olympic medal to his name as well as he won the silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004, when he was 17. He has an outstanding career win-loss record of 31-4, which includes 19 knockouts.

The heart of the matter

Vijender just turned pro in October 2015 and last year defeated Australian boxer Kerry Hope in front of a home crowd in Delhi to win his first major title – the WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title. In December, he defended it successfully after defeating Tanzanian Francis Cheka in a match that ended in just three rounds.

While his professional career is still in its nascent stages, he does have a formidable amateur record. He won a bronze medal at the Olympic games in Beijing in 2008 along with two silvers and a bronze in the Commonwealth Games. At the 2010 Asian Games, he won the gold medal in the middleweight category.

What’s next?

Amir Khan was in Mumbai to promote the Super Boxing League, which has been launched recently.

Author’s take

Khan’s comments are understandable from his point of view. His subsequent ones that show his support and respect for the Indian are especially nice to see.