Last night, inside of the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Amir Khan?s stature took another devastating hit as he was dropped, rocked, and savagely halted inside of four frantic rounds by a relentless Danny Garcia.
Perhaps letting the pre-fight trash talk get the best of him, Khan started the fight a bit aggressively and was fighting well, catching Garcia with some clean shots in the opening frames. But a counter left hook would put the British star down and on wobbly legs in the third, with two subsequent knockdowns in the fourth prompting referee Kenny Bayless to waive the fight off.
Watching the action unfold from ringside, former Khan foe Paulie Malignaggi, who Amir stopped in the eleventh round in May of 2010, admitted that he never expected this kind of drama to unfold.
?I saw Danny trying this kind of thing. I just saw him missing all night,? stated Malignaggi, the sport?s WBA champion at 147 pounds, as we spoke at the post-fight press conference. ?When I thought of the fight in my mind, I said Danny?s going to give you the effort, Danny?s going to give you the thing about wanting to come forward and [trying] to break Amir down. but I just saw him being a step slower the whole night and Amir just winning a wide decision.?
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Exclusive Photos: Behind the scenes during Danny Garcia’s destruction of Amir Khan in Las Vegas
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For Garcia, this triumph serves as the highlight to a career that has exceeded the expectations of many. The 24-year old from Philadelphia sees his record improve to 24-0 with 15 knockouts while he takes hold of the WBA championship along with the WBC crown he won after his unanimous decision over Erik Morales in March.
But for Khan, there are a lot of question marks. The 25-year old British star from Bolton sees his record fall to 26-3 with 18 knockouts as he chalks up his second consecutive defeat, the Garcia meltdown coming on the heels of his split-decision loss to Lamont Peterson this past December.
Khan made great strides in overcoming his first setback, a harrowing knockout at the hands of Breidis Prescott in September of 2008. And now, more than ever insists Malignaggi, will Amir have to summon everything inside of him if he is to make another championship run in the sport.
What is essential from this point forward, says Malignaggi, is the trust from those around the former two-time champion.
?It?s a tough loss and it?s going to sting and it?s going to hurt,? Malignaggi said candidly. ?You?re not a competitor if it doesn?t hurt. Amir Khan come back, he?s 25-years old man. But it?s going to be on him and the people around him. They?ve got to be very supportive.?
