Belfast bantamweight Michael Conlan believes his support of Irish boxing fans helped him get up off the canvas to before the first Irish man to win a World Championship gold medal.
Conlan claimed a 3-0 unanimous decision win over Murodjon Akhmadaliev (Uzbekistan) in their 56kg bantamweight final but it was not a victory without drama.
A vocal Irish contigent in the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena were worried after a big right hook from the Uzbek floored the 23-year-old Belfast native in the latter half of the final round, but Conlan survived to claim a 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 win.
Conlan revealed that the knockdown was the first of his career but he was delighted with the way he recovered.
"I'm speechless, there was an phenomenal atmosphere in there today and it picked me up off the canvas and made me keep going," he said,
"It was probably the best punch I've ever been hit by in my life. I've never ever been down in my life, I've never been put down by a head shot or a body shot.
"It was sweet on the chin and I was down but it was testament to my fitness, I recovered really quick so I was really happy," he added.
Conlan revealed that despite become a World Champion, his thought instantly turned to home. "I'm so desperate to get home now, I just want to get home and see my baby and my fiancee," he said.
The Belfast fighter also revealed that he took some inspiration from an unsual place in the build-up to the fight. "I was sitting watching Rocky 2 last night and he says 'it's probably the greatest day of my life apart from my baby being born.'....yo Shauna, I did it!"
Conlan's father John also spoke of his delight at his son's achievement. Speaking to Game On on RTÉ 2FM, he said: "It's been a long, long time in the making from winning Irish titles, going on to the High Performance and then going away to the internationals.
"Michael is a distance boxer but he can go to war when he has to. He beat the best fighter in his division toe to toe and beat him at his own game."
Michael Conlon's good friend and team-mate Paddy Barnes equated today's victory to Michael Carruth capturing gold for Ireland at the 1992 Olympics.
"It's a massive achievement - for me it's the same as Michael Carruth winning his Olympic medal. Jason Quigley was the only other Irish boxer to get to an {Elite final} final. Michael was the second and he won gold."
