Amir Khan’s next fight has been called off after his opponent, Neeraj Goyat, suffered serious injuries in a car accident.
Amir Khan’s next fight has been called off after his opponent, Neeraj Goyat, suffered serious injuries in a car accident.
But the former world champion will still fight in Saudi Arabia on 12 June after a new opponent was found immediately, with Australian Billy Dib stepping up from featherweight to take on Khan.
Khan was expected to return to the ring for the first time since suffering a controversial defeat against Terence Crawford, who beat the former WBA and IBF light welterweight world champion when he decided against continuing after a low blow, against India’s Goyat.
The Bolton boxer had very much taken a low-key fight following the high-profile defeat, but he now has two weeks to prepare for a new opponent after it was confirmed by the fight promoter that Goyat has suffered injuries to his head, face and left arm that has left him in hospital following an accident while travelling back from training.
The statement was issued by Bill Dosanjh, who is promoting the event through the Super Boxing League, and who appeared alongside Khan at a press conference in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday before the accident happened.
"We are very sad to inform that our star Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat who was preparing for his mega-fight against Amir Khan met with a car accident last night that has caused him severe injuries on his head, face and left arm,” Dosanjh said.
"He is currently in hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery.
“We are in the process of looking for Neeraj’s replacement. Please bear with us till we announce the new opponent of Amir Khan."
Khan was due to face Goyat for the WBC Pearl World Championship in Jeddah, but he did not have to wait long before confirmation came of Gib’s promotion to the main event, having already been scheduled to fight on the undercard.
The 32-year-old revealed earlier this week that his rapid return to the ring since the April defeat by Crawford was out of determination to prove he still has a future inside the ring, as well as banish the memories of what happened in New York two months ago.
“That’s why I took this fight so quickly, I want to erase that *memory,” Khan said. “That fight, I just can’t live with it. It did upset me. I’m one of those guys who, if I get knocked down, I get back up. I fight with my heart.
“Reading the comments and stuff about me afterwards, that’s why I had to get this fight, to fight again as soon as possible.
"If that fight had not gone the way it did, I’d never have taken this fight. I want to erase that fight from my memory, move forward, get back to winning ways, and just keep busy.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-a8975716.html
