Garcia upsets Amir Khan to claim WBA title
Khan, of Great Britain, suffered just the third loss of his career.
WBC champ Danny Garcia added the WBA light welterweight belt to his collection with a stunning fourth-round upset of Britain’s Amir Khan in a unification title fight here on Saturday.
American Garcia knocked Khan down three times with the end coming with 32 seconds left in the fourth round when referee Kenny Bayless stopped the bout.
Garcia, who already had the WBC title, now has 24 wins and no losses. Garcia, of Philadelphia, kept his perfect record intact by surviving the first two rounds before using a perfectly-timed left hook late in the third round that caught Khan flush on the right ear.
Khan, of Great Britain, suffered just the third loss of his career.
He managed to get up from the third-round knockdown and barely finished the round but he never fully recovered from that devastating left hook to the side of the head.
Khan (26-3, 18 KOs) got knocked down twice more in the fourth round which had turned into a slugfest with both fighters trading heavy shots in the center of the ring.
The second knockdown came when Garcia’s punch glanced off the top of Khan’s head, leading to an eight count.
Garcia (24-0, 15 KOs) got the better of the exchanges in the fourth, hitting Khan consistently with left hooks and counter shots, finishing him off with a straight right hand that sent Khan stumbling across the ring.
When Bayless stepped in to stop the fight, the 25-year-old Khan protested and tried to duck under the referee’s arm. This was Khan’s eighth title fight.
Garcia, 24, was coming off a 12-round unanimous decision over Erik Morales four months ago.
American Garcia knocked Khan down three times with the end coming with 32 seconds left in the fourth round when referee Kenny Bayless stopped the bout.
Garcia, who already had the WBC title, now has 24 wins and no losses. Garcia, of Philadelphia, kept his perfect record intact by surviving the first two rounds before using a perfectly-timed left hook late in the third round that caught Khan flush on the right ear.
Khan, of Great Britain, suffered just the third loss of his career.
He managed to get up from the third-round knockdown and barely finished the round but he never fully recovered from that devastating left hook to the side of the head.
Khan (26-3, 18 KOs) got knocked down twice more in the fourth round which had turned into a slugfest with both fighters trading heavy shots in the center of the ring.
The second knockdown came when Garcia’s punch glanced off the top of Khan’s head, leading to an eight count.
Garcia (24-0, 15 KOs) got the better of the exchanges in the fourth, hitting Khan consistently with left hooks and counter shots, finishing him off with a straight right hand that sent Khan stumbling across the ring.
When Bayless stepped in to stop the fight, the 25-year-old Khan protested and tried to duck under the referee’s arm. This was Khan’s eighth title fight.
Garcia, 24, was coming off a 12-round unanimous decision over Erik Morales four months ago.