It’s now been about a year since Manny Pacquiao truly teased everyone by claiming he was aiming to come out of retirement. “PacMan” hadn’t fought since 2021 and was 45 years old when he made the announcement. Despite his advanced age, there were rumblings of strong opponents, like Mario Barrios and Conor Benn, being in contention for his first fight back.
Before any of that could happen, Pacquiao needed to get back in form. He did so with an exhibition fight against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in Japan. Pacquiao could only muster a draw in a short three-round bout. That performance has dried up the well in terms of rumors of an actual pro fight for the legendary Filipino boxer. But this week, another retired former world champion called Pacquiao out to get a fight together: Amir Khan.
Who is Amir Khan, the retired boxer who challenged Manny Pacquiao?
Khan is obviously well-known in boxing circles, so fans who follow the sport will remember this wouldn’t be his first comeback attempt. Following a loss to Terence Crawford in 2019, Khan stepped in on short notice and beat Billy Dib just a few months later. Khan then went into hibernation, reappearing in early 2022 for a fight against Kell Brook.
Brook won by TKO and Khan retired three months later. Khan was actually handed a two-year ban in April 2023, despite being retired. He had tested positive for ostarine following his bout against Brook.
Khan had a solid boxing career, finishing with a 34-6 record, but his big losses stick out more than his wins in many fans’ eyes. After reaching a 26-1 record and capturing the WBA (Super) and IBF light welterweight belts, Khan suffered losses to Lamont Peterson, Danny Garcia, Canelo Alvarez, Crawford and Brook over the next decade. Four of those fights ended via knockout.
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