Khan out to keep boxing legacy intact

The thought of his career being tainted by defeat to nemesis Kell Brook is what's driving Amir Khan ahead of Saturday's grudge bout.

From winning Olympic silver in 2004 to unifying the light-welterweight division and fighting on the grandest stages in New York and Las Vegas, Khan's legacy as one of the finest British combatants of his era is already secure.

But he fears an asterisk will be affixed to his legacy if Brook has his hand raised in their catchweight contest at the AO Arena in Manchester, where only bragging rights are at stake for the two former world champions.

That is enough of an incentive for Khan, who insisted he has left no stone unturned in his preparations after surprisingly linking up with former opponent Terence Crawford's coach Brian 'Bomac' McIntyre in Colorado.

Ahead of his first fight since July 2019, Khan said: "You're always that one fight away from destroying your whole legacy. This is a fight that I could end up losing what I've done in my whole career.

"People will be like 'oh he got beat by Kell Brook'. I have to make sure I do everything. That's why I was running up hills, I was working so hard, I had to make sure I did everything right because I don't want to lose to him.

"I don't like the guy. You can see by looking at people in the eyes how humble and nice they are but he's not like that".

Khan, who boasts a 34-5 record with 21KOs, is one pound lighter than Brook (39-3, 27KOs), but bookmakers still favour the ex-IBF welterweight champion.

All four of Khan's losses inside the distance have been in the first half of a fight so the 35-year-old is prepared for an onslaught in the opening rounds.

"For the first three or four rounds he's going to try hard and that is sometimes when I caught