Amir Khan’s Career Has Reached a New Low… After His Glass Jaw Was Ruthlessly Exposed by a Bevy of Fighters, Terence Crawford Was Tearing Him Apart… Khan Took a Low Blow and Used it as an Opportunity to Bow Out…
First of all: Terence Crawford is a class act. The 31-year-old Nebraska native is widely regarded as one of the two pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet alongside lightweight kingpin Vasily Lomachenko. Crawford has an unbeaten record of 35-0, after crossing Amir Khan off of his hitlist.
We do have to give credit to Khan for looking for the most difficult fights out there. Clearly, though, the British fighter is just not in the same class as the elite. When he stepped in against the WBO welterweight champion he must have known that it was going to be a big ask for him to cause a massive upset.
And so it proved. Khan was getting dissected by the incredibly slick Crawford. It looked like he was in massive danger of getting properly finished before a low blow ended Khan’s night early. Should the Brit have tried to continue?
The fight is stopped on a low blow from Crawford!
Crawford gets the TKO. He looked like the best in the world tonight.#CrawfordKhan pic.twitter.com/lSSnNUGr0r
— On The Ropes (@OTRboxingshow) April 21, 2019
Low Blow
This was one of the most bizarre endings to a fight in recent memory. After getting knocked down in the first round and dominated for the next four rounds, it looked like it was going to be a short night for Khan in Madison Square Garden. Then in the sixth, a low blow caught him and he wheeled away in apparent agony.
Here’s where it gets weird: roughly 40 seconds after time was stopped by the referee, Khan’s trainer Virgil Hunter stopped the fight, saying his fighter was unable to continue. According to New York State Athletic Commission rules, this gave Crawford a TKO win via unintentional foul.
.@terencecrawford with the first-round knockdown!!!!! #CrawfordKhan pic.twitter.com/vbe4kemFed
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 21, 2019
No DQ
In a lot of places, Crawford could have been disqualified or at least had a point taken. Perhaps if the fight had continued, the latter would have happened – not that it would have made a difference to the end result. However, because it was ruled an accidental low blow, Crawford was ruled the winner because Khan could not continue.
Many, including Crawford, believe that Khan used this as a way to get out of jail without getting knocked out. The video isn’t clear whether or not the low blow did connect with the Brit’s groin, or his leg as Crawford insisted. Yes, it definitely was a low blow and obviously illegal, but the fact that he only used 40 seconds out of his 5 minutes recovery time is suspicious.
Here is the NY low blow rule for those wondering pic.twitter.com/HsFwZE4aX2
— Erik Magraken (@erikmagraken) April 21, 2019
Never Quit
After the fight, a visibly battered Khan insisted that he would never try to quit a fight the way he clearly just did. It’s bizarre that he wouldn’t just own it. How many fighters have we seen quit against Vasily Lomachenko? There are levels in boxing and it’s clear that Khan wasn’t at Crawford’s. He told the media:
“I would never quit. I would rather get knocked out. I’m one of them fighters who’d rather get knocked out in fights. I have been knocked out because I’ve tried to win fights …”
We respect every fighter who steps into a ring or cage. But come on… be honest.
