Beaten Khan has big decisions to make
Boxing:Trainer Freddie Roach admitted he almost stopped the fight after Amir Khan suffered a third-round knockdown in his bout with Danny Garcia last night. The American landed a huge left hook that ultimately proved Khan's undoing, with the Briton eventually being stopped by referee Kenny Bayliss a round later.
However, with Khan unsteady on his feet at the end of the third, Roach felt the former champion was barely in a condition to continue.
"He got caught with a shot right on the money and that was it, he never really recovered after the first shot," said the legendary trainer. "When he came back to the corner he wasn't responding really well in that minute break. I said I''m going to stop the fight but he said 'no, I'm ok'.
"He showed a lot of heart. We should have boxed a little bit more but that's the way things go."
Khan had dominated the first two and a half rounds of the fight in Las Vegas, with his customary hand speed and power leaving Garcia with little room to manoeuvre. But Roach believes that proved Khan's undoing.
"We got a reckless," he said. "He was having so much success he thought he could just overwhelm him. Then the guy threw a big overhand shot from leftfield and it landed. He's a big puncher and he's very strong. His Dad got under our skin a little and I guess it paid off. Hopefully he'll give us a rematch in England and we can reverse this."
However, that has already been ruled out by Garcia's camp.
"It wasn't my night," admitted Khan afterwards. "After watching the replays a little bit I thought I was coming in with my hands down and Danny took advantage. I respect Danny, he was countering very well against me."
Khan has been advised to retire by Carl Froch today. The current IBF super-middleweight champion said he would if he was in the Bolton fighter's shoes.
"I would retire if that happened to me," he told Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme. "Why? Because I am not in this sport to get beaten, knocked out, or outclassed.
"I've lost twice, I lost a very, very close points decision to one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in Andre Ward and I've come back and beaten an unbeaten fighter, Lucian Bute, the very next time so I'm world champion.
"If I had lost to Lucian Bute I would probably have retired, because I am in this game to be at the very top and stay at the top. I'm not in this game to make up the numbers. It's a personal decision whether or not you retire, but to get stopped in the fourth round and to be previously knocked out, it's just very, very damaging."
