Boxing needed something special from featherweights Carl "The Jackal" Frampton and Leo "El Terremoto" Santa Cruz last Saturday. Something to make up for Terence Crawford's comprehensive but less-than-dazzling unanimous decision over Viktor Postol the previous week and Deontay Wilder's mismatch with Chris Arreola the week before that.
Boxing needed a fight like Keith Thurman's bitterly contested decision over Shawn Porter on June 23, an intense struggle in which two world-class welterweights gambled everything in an all-out bid for glory.
Not every fight can be a classic, but to bring the masses back into the fold, the sport requires as many reminders as possible of just how great boxing can be.
Frampton and Santa Cruz gave us all that and more. They gave us one of those magic moments boxing fans live for, the kind that makes following this perpetually troubled sport worthwhile.
You won't see athletes in any other sport do what Frampton and Santa Cruz did. They entered territory where only heroes dare to tread. It was special in a way unique to boxing.
1. At its best, boxing is still sport's greatest spectacle
There comes a time in almost all great fights when the boxers seem to become caught up in something bigger than themselves. It's as if they've been carried away by the frenzy of excitement and pushed beyond the bounds of normal human endurance.
Frampton and Santa Cruz charged into that unforgiving realm in the second round and never looked back. They went at each other in a series of breathtaking attacks and counterattacks, round after round, flurry after flurry. Just when it looked like one of them was taking control, the other rallied back.
The exchanges were awe-inspiring and virtually ceaseless, right up until the closing seconds when Frampton and Santa Cruz tore into one another a final time with an abandon bordering on desperation.
The 9,062 fans in attendance inside Brooklyn's Barclays Center cheered themselves hoarse, leaped to their feet on numerous occasions and gave the fighters a standing ovation before the start of the 12th round and again at the final bell.
It was boxing the way it's supposed to be: a raw display of humanity's indomitable spirit and will to win.
2. Frampton is better than a lot of people thought
It's easy to understand why Santa Cruz was favored, at least on this side of the Atlantic. He was an undefeated veteran with 11 title-fight victories to his credit, an aggressive volume puncher who could be relied on to attack.
Frampton, on the other hand, had looked a bit vulnerable in his two previous bouts, getting knocked down twice by Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. and playing it a little too safe against Scott Quigg. To be fair, he won both of those fights, but he failed to impress the American audience.
Against Santa Cruz, on the biggest night of his career, the Belfast man was better than he'd ever been before.
Maybe moving up from junior featherweight to featherweight had something to do with it. After all, Frampton said that making 122 pounds was "killing him." Then there's Santa Cruz's walk-in style, which makes him a relatively easy target. Who knows? Perhaps the enormity of the occasion helped pushed him to a different level.
Whatever the reason, this time, when he needed it the most, Frampton actually fought like a jackal.
3. Quality over quantity was the decider
According to CompuBox, Santa Cruz connected with 255 punches to Frampton's 242. Even so, most observers agreed that Frampton deserved a close decision. That he hit harder than Santa Cruz became clear in the second round when he staggered Santa Cruz with a left hook.
There were times when the sheer volume of Santa Cruz's output looked like it might be enough to sweep him to victory. But as Larry Merchant used to preach, punch stats are quantitative, not qualitative. When you get right down to it, it was the superiority of Frampton's punches that made the difference.
4. Frampton has plenty of options
Talk of a rematch began as soon Frampton's arm was raised, which is understandable considering how wildly entertaining and well-fought the first fight was.
Moreover, according to Santa Cruz's camp, he's contractually guaranteed a return bout. It might not be Frampton's next defense, but unless either of them loses in the interim, Frampton-Santa Cruz II should eventually happen.
Frampton has a few attractive matches back home in the U.K., including Wales' Lee Selby, who also owns a featherweight title, and Quigg, who would gladly move up four pounds from junior featherweight to get another crack at the only man who beat him.
Other highly capable contenders, including American Gary Russell (who also owns a piece of the featherweight title), undefeated Mexican knockout artist Oscar Valdez and Argentine slugger Jesus Cuellar, would all fit well with Frampton.
5. The McGuigan factor
The image of former featherweight titleholder Barry McGuigan with his head bent in prayer between the end of the fight and the announcement of the decision was remarkable -- a famous man having a private moment in a very public setting.
McGuigan remains a popular public personality in the U.K., where his sharp mind and magnetic personality serve him well. He's never strayed far from boxing, but managing Frampton has put "The Clones Cyclone" back on the international stage.
McGuigan is still spry and bright-eyed, enjoying his new role and the success of his son, Shane, who trains Frampton. You get the feeling he'd fight just as hard for his fighters as he once did for himself and Ireland.