History-maker Crawford stuns Canelo in Vegas

In front of 70,000 fiercely pro-Alvarez fans at Allegiant Stadium, Crawford - jumping up two weight divisions - delivered a masterclass, underlining his status as boxing's pound-for-pound star.

The unbeaten 37-year-old showcased his full arsenal of skill, defence, power and timing, leaving Alvarez, 35, clinging on at the final bell and silencing the partisan crowd.

Despite the judges scoring it tighter than expected - 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 - the verdict capped off a defining performance, on the grandest stage, that will be remembered long in the sport's history.

"I'm not here by coincidence," said Crawford, draped in the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO and IBF super-middleweight titles.

Crawford dropped to his knees as he was announced the winner, visibly emotional.

Despite the victory, the Omaha fighter did not rule out retiring after his 42nd straight professional win.

"I don't know, I've got to sit down with my team and we'll talk about it," he added.