Underdog Boxing: Amir Khan reignites his lost fire in Baguio

The last time Amir Khan trained in the Philippines, it was for his fight against Paul McCloskey. He went to train in Baguio's Shape Up Boxing Gym because Freddie Roach was there to prepare Manny Pacquiao for his fight against Shane Mosley. Khan won that fight via a technical decision then went on to defeat Zab Judah by knockout. The former Olympian looked to be on his way up the pound-for-pound rankings and some boxing pundits even pegged him as a possible opponent for both Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. somewhere in the future. But Khan lost via split decision to Lamont Peterson, a fighter he should have easily defeated. In that fight, Khan failed to dictate the tempo as he allowed Peterson to get into his groove early. On May 20, Khan will face Peterson again. He wants to avenge his recent defeat and reclaim the WBA and IBF light welterweight titles. "He did not want to fight me again," Khan told me. "He was forcing Golden Boy Promotions to stage the fight in his backyard because he knew the judges were friendlier there." Khan was bitter after the fight. He aired out his disgust over the result on Twitter and gave countless interviews saying that he should have been declared the winner. But he's done with that part of his career. He's now focused on getting revenge and putting the belt back around his waist. Khan arrived in the Philippines way before Freddie Roach did. He wanted to get acclimatized to the weather so he came in early. Khan hired the services of local trainer Marvin Somodio, Roach's assistant when he is in Baguio. Roach has since arrived in the country and the duo are hard at work in the City of Pines. It is true that Khan trains here in the country because Roach is here; however, I would like to believe that the 25-year old fighter likes training here. In the Philippines, only hardcore boxing fans know him. He can move around the city without a problem and he often goes to places unnoticed by the public. He is also immersed completely in boxing. He has no relatives here and he only brought a couple of team members so his concentration is entirely on his training. But the biggest factor why he likes it here is because training alongside Pacquiao inspires him. "I have a lot of respect for Manny Pacquiao and the things he has accomplished," Khan shared. "I hope to accomplish some of those things too before I retire in a few years." In a sport where fighters often stay a little too long; a sport where old fighters often try to hold on to their former glory as long as possible, Khan is an exemption. "I plan to retire before I turn 30," he said. "I want to be able to enjoy life after boxing." Time is of the essence for Khan. Even though he is still young, he is in a hurry to accomplish as many feats as possible. Aside from his professional boxing career, Khan also balances his time with endorsements and advocacies. His main thrust is to help kids in the United Kingdom to pursue their dreams of being Olympic athletes like him. I asked him what he tells the kids that train in his facility. He simply said "Decide what you want to be, and work for it," which is exactly what he is doing right now. He may be apart from his family but this gives him the extra space to focus on what he wants to accomplish and right now, he wants revenge. — OMD, GMA News