The gloves were off for Amir Khan last weekend, but not for the usual reason as he wed his fiancée in a grand ceremony in New York.
The Bolton-based boxer proved himself a lover, not a fighter as he tied the knot with his American sweetheart Faryal Makhdoom in a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
And the 26-year-old four-time world champion admitted that he felt now was the right time to settle down with the 21-year-old political science student.
“I’ve lived the young life, I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do,” he said. “Now is the right time to settle down and start my own family.
“I’ve got to look after Faryal, so I won’t be going out as much partying with my friends – I don’t want that anymore, I want to do the family thing.
“I think I’ll change as a person when I’m married and it’ll be a big plus for me, I’ll be able to be more focused on my job too.”
The wedding marks a high point for a resurgent Khan, whose career was thrown into doubt after a traumatic loss to American Danny Garcia last year.
Yet under new trainer Virgil Hunter he has put together a series of victories – including last month’s nail-biter against Julio Diaz – and looks in line for a world title shot.
He is rumoured to be in negotiations to move up and compete for Devon Alexander’s IBF welterweight title, with victory opening up a lucrative pay-day against pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But boxing was put on the backburner for the festivities and for the foreseeable future – the light-welterweight will observe Ramadan in July before re-donning the gloves in December.
Khan will now move back to Bolton with his new wife, who admitted her excitement in marrying the world-famous star.
“I’m so happy to be with the man I love and to spend the rest of my life with him,” said the new Mrs Khan. “It’s a new chapter in my life.”
Image courtesy of Geo Sport, via YouTube, with thanks
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