New York holds a special place in Amir Khan’s heart. It was here that he married his wife Faryal Makhdoom in 2013.
This Saturday night, in the fabled Madison Square Garden, Khan goes in search of the victory which would elevate him into the pantheon of boxing’s greats.
Rhetorically, he asks himself: “Would beating Terence Crawford in New York top our wedding day here?”
The answer: “My wife will kill me for this, but I have to say yes. Definitely.”
If Khan (right) beats Crawford, he will not only become a three-time world champion by claiming the WBO welterweight title, but also supplant a fighter who is second in the pound-for-pound rankings.
“This fight means so much to my legacy,” he says. “This will be a fight talked about for years to come.
“I am putting everything on the line, and I want this so much.”
Crawford is heavy favourite, but Khan, 32, believes the experience gained from so many big fights in America will help him overturn those odds.
"I don't want boxing to retire me, I want to retire before."
"Me at my best, I don't think anyone can beat me."
Fight week has arrived and Amir Khan is feeling as good as he ever has 👊 pic.twitter.com/R5Eyi8MXUa
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) April 15, 2019
“I am an American veteran now,” he says. “I never thought I would have all these fights over here. Nor did I expect to be boxing as long as this.
“But it’s gone much better than I ever thought it would. Now I’m looking for the biggest win of my life.”
Today was last session in the #Bayarea it’s been 12 hard weeks of training,. It’ll be worth it at end. The biggest help has been my wife @faryalmakhdoom taking care of the whole camp, Also a big thanks to the team #Virgil @Tony_Brady @DrRickRosa #DrWatson #Thigpin #Don #ChefKeli pic.twitter.com/yBLHgpYn0n
— Amir Khan (@amirkingkhan) April 16, 2019