In an era of ever-increasing hype, where hollow records earn title shots and fans watch in exasperation as fighters spend much of their careers more intent on avoiding each other than testing themselves, two fighters last night demonstrated the right way to go about building a career.

In the very definition of a high risk, low reward fight, Canelo Alvarez pounded out a tough, close but clear points win over Austin Trout in a fight that should surely raise the reputation of both fighters. Alvarez’s rapid rise, at the age of just twenty-two, to dual world title holder has not been without its critics, with lacklustre performances against relatively limited opponents such as Alfonso Gomez and Matthew Hatton leading many to question his ability to adapt to opponents who do more than simply stand in front of him.