Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez unified the middleweight division with a points victory over Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas.
The Mexican now beaten just once in 55 fights took Jacobs' IBF belt to add to his own WBC and WBA titles.
Judges scored the fight 115‑113, 115‑113, 116‑112 in Canelo's favour after 12 rounds.
And the scorecard reflected Canelo's improved defence and counterattacking skills in his return to 160lb.
The 28‑year‑old became a three‑weight world champion when moving up a division to face England's Rocky Fielding last year, but he returned to middleweight to face New Yorker, Jacobs in what was his second bout of a reported £278m deal with streaming service DAZN.
Boxing fans will now be hoping to see Canelo face another American ‑ WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade ‑ to become the undisputed middleweight king.
Jacobs ‑ known as the 'Miracle Man' after returning to the ring and becoming a champion following cancer ‑ now has three defeats from his 38 fights.
[Source: BBC]
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