It seems money was at the bottom of boxer Amir Khan's family feud that had us glued to the news for the past several weeks. In a no-holds-barred interview the 30-year-old confirmed that he has decided to part ways with his family, and choose a path which benefits "only him".
In his upcoming fight next month with Filipino icon Manny Pacquio his old team –which includes his father Shah Khan-- will not be included.
"After the Canelo fight my old team thought 'he's had his big fight, he's done now'," Khan said speaking about the fight where he was knocked out unconscious in the ring for a full minute.
"So this is the chance for me now to prove everyone wrong. I'm not done. I've just turned 30, I've still got some good years left in me. It could be my time to shine.
"My old team will think I made the worst choice by letting them go and say 'watch his career go down the drain'. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm looking forward to proving them wrong."
Also Read: I was bullied for three years, boxer Amir Khan's wife speaks out
At one point in his career he racked up to £40m, but he says money he made was spent very quickly, mostly by his family.
He said people around him should have looked out for his interests but they kept spending like there was no end to it. "I lost sight of it because obviously I left it to people that I trusted. I thought they could do everything and I could sit back and focus on my boxing. But it wasn't like that. It's funny now thinking about it - I was young then and I relied on my team, whatever they said went.
"I had property advisers who used to rip me off, I had accountants who ripped me off. I changed everything. With what I've gone through, if I told you everything you would start crying."
Without naming his family he said, "The way they left everything. They could have done it a bit nicer, they could have showed me what went where."
One particular incident he recalls is when he paid eight grands for an internet server at his office. "I thought to myself 'Why would I need an office with a server?' I'm a fighter. My office is the gym."
He says that his family does not speak to him anymore. The last time his sister talked to him was in email informing him about some tiles that needed fixing at his house. He says he speaks to his brother Haroon, also a boxer, here and there, if he replies to him.
"I've been the best son, I've been the best brother, I've been the best family member anyone could have. I've done everything for my family. I've done more for my family than anyone would do... But I'm happy. I'm relaxed. It has matured me a lot."
He says he is eyeing the next big title win, and everything will fall back in place. "One more big title win. Then I can call it in. Two more years. "It's like a yoyo, I'm down but on my way back up. I want to end on top."
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