Amir Khan said he proved his critics wrong by showing he has got a chin in his sensational win over Marcos Maidana.
Khan delighted to prove the doubters wrong
Amir Khan was delighted to silence his doubters and show the world he
has got a chin.
The WBA light-welterweight champion took the best hard-hitting Marcos Maidana had on his way to a sensational win in what must go down as the fight of the year.
Khan was hurt in the third and out on his feet in the 10th but in between times produced some blistering boxing and even had the challenger down in the first.
But it was the fact that he was still standing after 12 brutal rounds that pleased the Bolton boy most.
"Everyone knows Maidana's a dangerous fighter," he told Sky Box Office HD. "He's a big hitter and a lot of people say that Amir's got no chin, but I proved I have. I got hit by the best shots and I came back stronger.
"He's warrior, he never took a step back and it just shows I've got a lion's heart as well.
"It was getting a little easier but then I had to start focussing again because I got caught with stupid shots.
"But at the end of the day this is boxing; if you're going to go into a shower you're going to get wet, if you're going to get into a boxing ring, you're going to get hit.
"I took his best shots and came back stronger."
Khan says there is even more to come in 2011.
After paying tribute to Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza, he declared himself a paid-up member of boxing's elite and expects the big fights to come rolling in over the next 12 months.
And he believes that the performance as much as the result against Maidana shows he is now, at 24, ready to mix it with the very biggest names in the sport.
"At times I was hurt, but I had to dig deep - that's boxing for you," he said. "That's why I sell-out arenas because I fight with great heart and I've got skill.
"Maidana's a tough guy as everyone knows. He's beaten the best guys in the division, he had a great fight againsy Kotelnik, he beat Victor Ortiz - but he couldn't beat him.
"I'm a great fighter and I train hard. We're going the right way, I'm not taking any shortcuts and those people who say I've got no chin, I've proved that I have.
"I've been hit by a guy that's got 27 KO's in 29 wins and I've took his best shots."
