Amir Khan hungry to return to the ring after career-saving hand op… and targets Kell Brook in comeback showdown
Bolton boxer feared the surgery in case complications resulted in him never being able to punch again
AMIR KHAN has revealed he's hungry to return to the ring after a career-saving hand operation and still has his sights set on selling out Wembley Stadium for a showdown with rival Kell Brook.
Speaking exclusively to SunSport, former world champion Khan, who turns 30 next month, admits he feared the operation in case complications resulted in him never being able to punch again.
Three months on from surgery the Bolton boxer is about to embark on an intensive rehabilitation programme with a view to securing a bout with Brook in the summer - one of three fights he hopes to take on in 2017.
Khan told SunSport: "I had always been scared about having the operation, thinking, 'God forbid it doesn't go right and I can never punch again'. Now I really think it's going to give me another couple of years in boxing. I never imagined it could feel so good, it feels like a totally different hand."
"I just can't wait to get into the ring again. Kell Brook is a good fight. It's a fight that the British public want to see and a fight that would be massive in Great Britain. If Kell would agree with the weight then I think the fight can happen. I'd definitely take that fight at welterweight in the summer at somewhere like Wembley Stadium."
WBC middleweight champion Saul Alvarez dealt a brutal sixth round knockout blow to Khan when the pair met in the stellar Las Vegas showdown in May this year after stepping up two weight classes. Despite the setback the two-time former world champion promises to make a sensational comeback in 2017.
He explained: "My comeback fight will be in March or April, just before Ramadan but I want to pick the right fight. There are some good options out there. I've been chasing the [Danny] Garcia fight because I am WBC number one.
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“I want to get at least two fights in the UK. I haven’t fought in the UK for a long time, not since the Diaz fight. I’d like to get back in the ring again and give my UK fans a chance to see me.
"I think I've got two to three years left before I retire and want to keep busy next year and get back on top again."
Earlier this week Manny Pacquiao confirmed he would be open to a fight against Khan after coming out of retirement to take on Jesse Vargas in Las Vegas on Saturday night for the WBO welterweight title.
Khan, who will return to his US-based training camp in December, was also trained by Pacquiao's long-time trainer Freddie Roach but left the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles in favor of San Francisco-based coach Virgil Hunter in 2011.
Despite the previous talks for a clash between the pair last year falling through because of middle-men, Khan isn’t ruling out a deal being struck before they both permanently retire from the sport.
He said: “Manny [Pacquiao] is a friend of mine, I respect him a lot. I think he is a great fighter. What he has done for his country not only in the ring but outside of the ring is amazing.
“That fight between us didn’t happen and maybe it’s because Bob Arum knew it was a bad fight for Manny Pacquiao.
Khan added: “We have that respect for each other and it’s a fight that people want to see between two boxers with speed, skill, aggression and power. It would be a good fight to watch.
“I support him 100 per cent and I wish him all the best. Maybe one day the fight between us could happen. You never know. This is not going to be Manny’s last fight, so let’s see. I’d give him two years.”