Amir Khan Opens Up On Armed Robbery, 'First Time I Had A Gun Pointed In My Face'
Amir Khan Opens Up On Armed Robbery In UK ... First Gun I Had Pointed In My Face
Amir Khan is providing a blow-by-blow of the terrifying moment thieves stuck guns in his face and stole his luxury watch -- while his wife watched from just feet away -- telling TMZ Sports "it's the first time I ever had a gun literally pointed at my face."
We talked to the 35-year-old former boxing champion a day after his night out on the town with wife Faryal Makhdoom nearly turned deadly ... and asked the former boxing champion about the life-altering experience.
"In the UK, I mean the law is quite strong where hardly anyone, even the police, don't really carry guns," Amir explained, exasperated.
"So, it was quite shocking to see a gun pointed at me. And you could see that they were young. They seemed a bit nervous, and he kept saying to me, 'take off your watch.'"
We asked Amir, who had just finished eating in a restaurant about 45 minutes outside of London, if he believed the lick was somehow an inside job.
"Yeah, definitely. Obviously, I was in a restaurant taking pictures with a lot of people. I've never said no for a picture whenever someone wants to come for a picture," Khan said, explaining someone may have spotted the wristwatch and knew it was worth a pretty penny.
"Someone must've recognized that watch. I was wearing a really expensive watch which is worth like maybe $100,000. I think that news must've traveled a little bit. So, I do think that somehow it was set up. Maybe the news just went to the wrong people, and they knew I had a watch there."
We asked Khan -- who has some of the most dangerous hands in the world -- if he considered launching a counter-ambush and attempting to disarm the thieves.
Amir says the thought crossed his mind.
"I'm a fighter. There was a time I thought, he had the pistol and I can just move the pistol to the side and hit him. I know I would've hurt the guy."
But, he felt with two gunmen, and Faryal only feet away, the risk was too high.
"The only thing that stopped me was having my wife not far from me, behind me. Even if he shot the gun and even if it didn't hit me, it could've hit someone else."
After the robbery, Amir, as you'd expect, called the cops ... who immediately launched an investigation. We asked him if the police had any leads or suspects.
"The last time I spoke to them was obviously after the interview I had and they said that they saw where the car went, and they've got the car in that radius -- they've got the cameras around that car."
So far, Khan hasn't heard of any arrests that have been made.
Perhaps the saddest part about the story ... Amir, who grew up in Manchester, says he no longer feels secure in one of the world's most popular cities.
"I don't feel safe. I'm in the city London which is obviously a very well known town and everyone loves London. Now, after I was robbed, you start hearing all the stories or you start reading up on all the robberies that have happened. I mean, it's quite regularly happening," Khan says.
"I need the prime minster, the MP member of Parliament and also the Mayor of London -- what are these people doing?! They need to improve security and maybe get more police forces out or do something about this because it's not a safe place to live."