Boxing: Khan on way up despite knockdown

What do Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Oscar de la Hoya, Felix Trinidad and Wladimir Klitschko have in common with Amir Khan? All were knocked down on the way up.

On the domestic front add to that list the likes of Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Charlie Magri and Henry Cooper, who all took it on the chin during their careers, then it is a sure indication that being put on the canvas early on does not mean being out of the picture when it comes to engaging in future masterpieces. Joe Bugner was knocked cold as a 17-year-old in his first fight and went on to go the distance twice with Ali.

So Khan can take heart – and last week he showed he had plenty of that – after Scotland's Willie Limond sent him sprawling in the sixth round of their Commonwealth lightweight title fight. It was, literally, an unguarded moment for the Bolton youngster who, although climbing up and winning in some style, still has to learn not to be impetuous, not to leave his chin unprotected and develop more lateral movement to get away from danger.

Yet some critics – largely those rarely seen at ringside – seem eager to write off the Olympic silver medallist after 13 pro fights. Matthew Syed, the former table tennis player, informs us there is no such thing as an all-time great with a suspect chin. How would he know? He's never been hit on his with anything harder than a ping-pong ball.

A sager observation comes from Khan's illustrious stablemate Calzaghe, whose place in boxing history will be enhanced with his super-middleweight unification bout against the Dane Mikkel Kessler in Cardiff on 3 November. Unbeaten Calzaghe himself has been decked – twice – by Byron Mitchell and Karbary Salem.

He says: "Nobody knows how you respond as a champion until you get hurt and Amir showed he has bottle in coming back like that. Being put down is all part of experience. This boy's 20. It would be stupid to rush him. What he needs to do is go back to the drawing board and work on his defence. He is sharp and quick. What he has to concentrate on is not getting hit."

The danger is that television interest – Saturday's fight drew five million ITV viewers – and some of those in Amir's escalating army will try to catapult him prematurely into a world-title fight. But Frank Warren, who has him under contract for another year, insists he will not fight for one in that time. "He's not ready. He's still a kid, even though he thinks he is a man."

Former champion Barry McGuigan's view is that it takes time to mature in the ring. "After I won the British title it was two years before I challenged for the world crown. Amir has the X-factor in bucketloads but now he must go to the US and train in their gyms for three or four weeks at a time, and rub shoulders with world-class fighters who make you feel their power. Amir has all the athletic ability but he must be allowed to evolve at the right pace." So,chin up, Amir. Or rather, down.