When Floyd Mayweather flashed a toothy grin to the camera from his corner during his super fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, you knew it was the beginning of the end.
‘Money’ was in a state of flow, touching jabs at the young Mexican before firing off counter shots as he fulfilled the role of matador to perfection.
Billed as ‘The One’, the clash between Mayweather and Canelo in 2013 was seen as a possible changing of the guard, a passing of the torch between boxing’s past to the future.
Yet Mayweather, 36 years old at the time, had drafted a different script for his 45th professional fight.
The 1996 Olympic gold medallist cruised to a decision victory as he put on a perfect display of pugilism and frustrated his bigger and more aggressive younger opponent.
Alvarez, 23 when he stepped through the ropes, was made to look silly at times and his first career loss looked like being a one-sided decision. Yet it failed to transpire that way.
Taking place in Las Vegas, it transpired the biggest drama of that famous night which took place nine years ago occurred on the scorecards.
Judges Dave Moretti had it 116-112 and Craig Metcalfe had the bout 117-111. Yet, somewhat inexplicably, judge CJ Ross managed to turn in scorecards of 114-114.
It was the final act of Ross’ professional career as she resigned shortly after the furore, yet she could not escape the ire of Mike Tyson.
The former heavyweight champion told the Wall Street Journal: “When you’re that good and you’re that great and you’re making somebody who is a great fighter seem as if he is a journeyman, you’re going to build animosity.
“That’s just a human trait and that’s what this country produced; animosity, jealous, envy, drugs, chaos.
“There had to have been some animosity there. It was pretty much a shutout and maybe her license should be revoked.
“I don’t want her, by any chance, to be refereeing any of my fights.”
Ross was also involved in another controversial decision earlier in 2013 when she scored a fight in favour of Timothy Bradley, despite some experts giving Manny Pacquiao scores of 119-109 on the night.
Canelo, though, says he has learned lessons from the only defeat of his career.
Unafraid to take on the best, he has unified the super-middleweight division and is now looking for what's next, which happens to be the unbeaten Dmitry Bivol.
Not only that, he is moving up to light-heavyweight, while he has also not ruled out a fight between him and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
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