Errol Spence Jr has beaten Shawn Porter to become the unified IBF and WBC welterweight champion.
Spence maintains his perfect professional record which now stands at 26-0 after securing a split decision win in a true Fight of the Year candidate at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
‘The Truth’ now holds two of the four major titles at 147lbs, with WBA champion Manny Pacquiao and WBO king Terence Crawford in possession of the others.
In a bout that lived up to its blockbuster billing, Spence and Porter shared an absolute war in the ring - with the latter making a mockery of the underdog status given to him leading into the fight.
As a slug-fest broke out in the third round, Porter's workrate and tireless aggression gave Spence problems throughout the contest - but a decisive moment in the 11th round steered the fight in the latter's favour.
A stunning short left hook from Spence rocked the WBC champion, catching him square on the chin to score the knockdown.
Porter comfortably made the referee's count and continued to throw - with Spence smartly surviving one last onslaught.
That moment in the 11th round proved enough to seal a decision win on the scorecards, with judges scoring the fight 116-111, 116-111, 115-112 in Spence's favour.
On the undercard, David Benavidez was crowned the new WBC super middleweight champion after victory over Anthony Dirrell.
Benavidez opened up a nasty cut above his opponent's right eye in the sixth round - an injury that troubled him for the remainder of the contest.
Unable to throw back during a barrage of uppercuts and hooks in the ninth round, Dirrell's corner stopped the fight.
Mario Barrios was also crowned the new WBA (regular) super lightweight champion, sealing a controversial unanimous decision win over Batyr Akhmedov.
