Entering a 140-pound showdown in Las Vegas, Amir Khan was on the verge of super-stardom, but he needed to exorcise his one demon - a first round knockout he suffered back in 2008. The Brit did much to quiet the critics by showing a granite chin and guts galore. He took the best shots from Marcos Maidana, the nastiest power puncher in the junior welterweight division, and landed plenty of his own.
It was far from easy, but Khan edged Maidana via unanimous decision, 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112 to retain his WBA 140-pound strap and answer a lot of questions about his ability to take a punch.
It's tough to find a fight this year that can match the power punching output that came from sides in this one.
"What a great fight it was, man," Khan said, before heading for a CAT scan. "I'm sure HBO are happy. I'm sure Sky are happy. This is boxing, and you have to fight the best. You can't take any shortcuts. Most people said to me, 'You've got no chin'. Well I've proved them wrong."
Khan was in control for much of the fight, but was always on the edge of eating that one big Maidana bomb. Towards the end of the fight, he did and it almost lost him the fight.
Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) tried to make it a short night. He floored Maidana with 29 seconds left in the first round, with a pair of vicious body shots. Maidana was in such pain on the ground, it prompted HBO announcer Jim Lampley, to say "he's not getting up" before recanting the statement.
With 1:50 left in the round, the Argentinian bomber cracked Khan with an overhand right that stopped the Brit in his tracks. He was on wobbly legs and Maidana poured it on.
It looked like there was no way Khan could survive, but he did. He took some hellacious shots, 23 in all and they all seemed like power shots.
"He was strong. I hit him with some big shots. And there were times in the fight when I got caught, but took it," Khan said. "I made a few mistakes that I won't make again. Sometimes I fight with my heart too much. But I'm young. I'm still learning."
Khan stayed clear of Maidana down the stretch and may have lost both rounds, but it was just enough to get by with the close decision.
It was a rough fight throughout. Referee Joe Cortez had trouble managing the fight. As Cortez stepped in to separate the fighters, Maidana often hit on the break.
He even had to take a point away in the fourth round when Maidana threw a back elbow as the fighters were being separated. The elbow hit a target, but not Khan. It actually caught Cortez in the shoulder.
Maidana showed off an amazing chin. Through six rounds, he was outlanded 161-60. Khan made good on 48 percent of his punches to that point. That included 135 to Maidana's head. Rounds seven and eight weren't much better.
Maidana looked tired in the ninth and appeared to go down. Cortes ruled it a slip. The replay showed the combination of Maidana falling forward along with getting nailed by a right uppercut and a left to the body, made for a real knockdown. Khan wasn't given credit.
Maidana's body language was terrible at the end of the round. He stood in place, looking dazed from exhaustion and actually took a few steps towards Khan's corner.
He looked even worse coming out for tenth, which is why the barrage he unleashed on Khan was such a shocker.
There should definitely be a rematch in future. Golden Boy has big plans for Khan, so don't count on Maidana on getting a second chance anytime soon.
Paula Garcés Genelle Frenoy Shania Twain Gwen Stefani Sunny Mabrey
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