Knowing he needed that extra something to convince legions of detractors, Jermain Taylor found it to retain the undisputed middleweight championship in Las Vegas.
Taylor again started fast but finished stronger in his rematch with Bernard Hopkins to record a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 115-113, in another tight battle devoid of knockdowns or jaw-dropping action.
In the first meeting between the two back in July, Taylor was the aggressor early and survived a rally by Hopkins to finish the challenger's remarkable run of 20 straight successful title defences.
That bout saw judge Duane Ford rule the final round to Taylor, a shocking development to Hopkins' camp and the decision that prevented a draw and sent the title to the 27-year-old Taylor with a split decision.
The rematch followed a similar pattern as Hopkins allowed Taylor to place his jab throughout while sitting back and waiting to land the big blow.
Thirteen years Taylor's elder, Hopkins again appeared to gain strength as the fight went on but saw his chances at a decision go by the boards when Taylor dominated the 11th round.
Hopkins did manage a solid right early in the 11th and a left hook late, but Taylor continued to land the left jab that controlled the action throughout. Hopkins scored six more punches overall and held a 101-60 advantage in power blows but was hit by enough clean jabs to fall short of forcing a potential third bout.
All three judges gave the final round to Hopkins, a small dose of consolation for a fighter who must question his next move after a lacklustre performance.
