Amir Khan should retire after Saul Alvarez defeat, says Barry Hearn
Monday 23 May 2016 15:45, UK
Amir Khan has "gone past his sell-by date" and should retire from boxing, says Matchroom boss Barry Hearn.
Khan, 29, suffered a crushing sixth-round knockout defeat when he stepped up in weight to challenge Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez for the WBC middleweight title in Las Vegas.
Khan has since suggested he will return to the welterweight division, but ruled out a future fight with British rival Kell Brook, the reigning IBF champion.
Matchroom Sport chairman Hearn, whose son Eddie handles the career of Brook, believes Khan's loss could have ended any hopes of the domestic clash and advised the former super-lightweight world champion to retire.
He told Sky Sports: "Listen, the guy has been knocked out at lightweight, he's been knocked out at light-welterweight, now he's been knocked out at middleweight - and he's deciding who he'll want to fight?
He says he's got three or four fights left in them. Does that mean three or four times he's going to get knocked out?
"He should retire. He should retire for his own health. These people won't listen. He says he's got three or four fights left in him. Does that mean three or four times he's going to get knocked out? Because if he fights Kell Brook, he gets knocked out, and he knows that as well. We all know that.
"It's a fight that we would all have loved to have seen, but frankly it's gone past it's sell-by date and Amir Khan has gone by his sell-by date as well. The only person who doesn't know it, is Amir Khan."
Khan is still the mandatory challenger for the WBC welterweight belt held by Danny Garcia, who stopped him inside four rounds in 2012 and has questioned why the British fighter would face him again.
But Hearn has suggested that Khan has harmed his status in the sport and would be an easy fight for future opponents.
"He was never a great fighter, but he was a good fighter, and it's sad when you become an opponent," said Hearn.
"The only people that will box him, Danny Garcia maybe, because they are looking for an easy fight and Amir's an easy fight."
Amir Khan's advisors were unavailable for comment when contacted by Sky Sports.
