Fans call for Khan to retire after accusing the Brit of quitting against Crawford in New York

AMIR KHAN was pulled out of his WBO welterweight title challenge against Terence Crawford - and fans have called for the Brit veteran to retire.

Khan, 32, was on the receiving end of a low-blow against Crawford, 31, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Referee David Fields gave Khan a mandatory recovery break, however, the Bolton boxer was pulled out of the fight by his trainer Virgil Hunter.

Fans on Twitter were left stunned by the stoppage, and called for Khan to retire after suspecting the 2004 Olympic silver medalist looked for an easy way out.

One said: "Amir Khan isn't even a boxer anymore. He should save whatever he has left of his legacy and retire."

Another said: "Khan has probably saved himself for a fight with Brook. If he had continued it was only going one way and it could have been a nasty ending.

"Khan should retire but he won't, he now has a narrative allowing him to continue. "The fight was getting interesting.""

One commented: "Sad way for Khan to go out. Bad right arm complaints and then the low blow. Clearly didn't want to be in there. Self preservation won out. Time to retire. Done some great things in his career, but never quite hit those heights. Crawford Spence is what I want!"

Another commented: "Like I said everyone, Khan is washed up. It’s time to retire."

Khan had recovered from a first-round knockdown caused by a flash left-hook to regain his composure and stay in the contest.

Despite switch hitting maestro Crawford dominating the action, Khan was firing back with his own shots before the low-blow was landed in the sixth.

After the fight Khan revealed the low-blow caused his legs to seize meaning he felt in no shape to continue.

Khan said: “I took a shot below the belt and I could feel it in my stomach and in my legs. I'm normally a warrior - I would never give up in a fight like this.

“My legs kind of seized. I could not continue. I'm not one to give up in any fight, he would have had to knock me out. He hit me with a hard shot below the belt.

I'm going to go back to the drawing board and spend time with my family and see where I go from there.”

It was trainer Hunter who called the contest off having deemed his fighter unable to continue - and after the fight insisted Khan was now "looking for a way out".

Hunter said: "He indicated to me he was hit in the testicles and it took the life out of him.

“I don't think he was looking for a way out. We don't know what the outcome would be now, but he indicated it was a bad shot.”