By William Trillo
Photo: Mikey Williams -Top Rank
The look of confusion on Amir Khan’s face as he tried to recuperate from a powerful low blow seemed to tell a story that I believe many missed or dare not mention. Yes the blow delivered by Terrance Crawford was way south of the border, Khan had every reason to need some time to collect himself.
To me it looked as though Khan was trying to walk it off when suddenly as he got to the corner he had a look of confusion on his face. He did not comprehend what was being told to him from his corner. The advice coming from Virgil Hunter was for Khan not to proceed with the fight. Obviously Khan did not understand why and the look on his face spoke volumes.
Say what you will about Amir Khan, but he has never shown the attributes of a quitter. He might not have the heartiest whiskers on the planet but his heart should not come into question. It’s just not in Khan’s character to throw in the towel. His mind doesn’t work that way.
Had Hunter not given the advice I believe Khan would have fought on.
Hunter will never admit it but I firmly believe he was hopeful the errant blow thrown by Crawford would be deemed a foul, thus giving Khan the victory via disqualification.
Outside of Andre Ward, Hunter’s track record with other fighters in Championship bouts is far from stellar. Getting his fighter a victory on paper would if nothing else look good on his resume a year or two down the road.
Personally, I don’t think this thought is that farfetched, but as I said, getting Virgil to admit that ain’t gonna happen.
Look, Khan was most likely not going to win that fight but he got up off the deck after a brutal knockdown in round 1 and although it is unlikely he was winning any rounds he did land more than his share of flush shots to Crawford’s chin. In fact I can’t recall a time when Crawford was getting caught like that in any of his previous fights.
If nothing else Khan still had a punchers chance. He should have been the one to decide if he was going to fight on or not.
The next time I see Amir, whether that be next week or next year, the first thing I am going to ask him is if it was his decision or Virgil’s. If he tells me it was Virgil’s decision I will inquire about the motivation.
I have a sneaking suspicion I already know the answer to that question.
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