Khan laid motionless on the canvas, prompting referee Kenny Bayless to immediately stop the bout at 2:37.
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Khan was risking everything moving up nearly two weight classes to take him on yet clearly out-boxed the Mexican favourite for the first four rounds, but a cut to his right eye in the fifth signalled the beginning of the end.
“I’m a natural 147 (pounds) fighter, but this challenge came and it was very hard to turn down”, he said. “I don’t want to just fight him, I want to beat him…Golovkin is a great fighter but not what they make him out to be”. “It’s good to win by knockout but you don’t really want to hurt or injure anybody”. I have many more qualities in the ring and I showed that.
“I want to thank everyone for coming”, said Amir “King” Khan.
“I will probably go down to 147 now”.
Get the results and analysis from Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan right here. “Amir set the tone”.
Khan had taken a big shot from Canelo late in the 2nd round but didnt seem to be unduly bothered by the power of the Mexican who weighed 155 pounds which was the catch-weight agreed upon at the official weigh in but may have rehydrated to around 170 pounds. Canelo called out Triple G after his win on Saturday night, and we’ll see if that comes to fruition.
But … then the sixth round happened, where Canelo basically knocked Khan into the middle of next week with one right hand.
Despite his own underdog status heading into his prize fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (47-1-1), there was no fairy tale ending to Amir Khan’s story like there was at King Power Stadium on Saturday.
In his post-fight interview, Hunter mentioned that Khan-Canelo should be a precedent of boxing returning to its roots; fighters fighting each other instead of ducking out the way.
Sitting ringside was unified titleholder Gennady Golovkin, the fearsome puncher who, by virtue of his interim belt, looms as Alvarez’s mandatory challenger. “Like we say in Mexico, ‘We don’t f**k around, ‘” Alvarez said.
Before the start of the sixth round, Alvarez was up 49-46 and 48-47 on two of the judges’ scorecards, while Khan was up 48-47 on the third card. “I fear no one in this sport”, Canelo said.
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Khan, who spent years unsuccessfully chasing bouts with Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, had to put on weight for Alvarez but was still the smaller fighter.
