10 Boxing Matches That Will Make You An Instant Fan

When Bolton's own Amir Khan was unexpectedly knocked out in the first round by Breidis Prescott in September 2008, he was forced to seriously rethink his strategy as a fighter.

He did just that and in the wake of this humbling he became a revitalised athlete, going on to win a world title less than a year later.

That being said, people still didn't feel as though Khan had a chin worthy of sitting at the top of the Light-Welterweight division. So, Khan set about trying to disprove those theories.

A match-up with the destructive Marcos Maidana in December 2010 would act as the perfect opportunity to prove his chin could handle even the hardest of hitters.

Khan started fast - as usual - and even dropped Maidana early in the first with a wicked body combination. Yet, Maidana wasn't going anywhere.

Khan continued to pile on the pressure for the next few rounds but Maidana finally found his footing and started to land some bombs on Khan's face. As the fight trudged on, Maidana got up close and personal, sneaking in uppercuts and effectively countering Khan's attempts at offence.

In the tenth round, Maidana finally landed his money shot. A huge haymaker caught Khan square on the jaw and wobbled the champ, but he too wasn't going anywhere.

Khan survived and eventually took the fight by unanimous decision. However, the real victory came in the form of proving his detractors wrong.

If a champion coming back from the brink of defeat isn't enough to make you an instant boxing fan, this isn't the sport for you.