For the much maligned Sonny Bill Williams, who had bested seriously underwhelming opposition in each of his four previous bouts, this fight was supposed to be a step towards boxing credibility.
Much was made of William's lack of boxing technique, knowledge and pedigree, and though he was in much better physical shape than his opponent, Clarence Tillman was going to test him sorely.
Either Tillman was extremely overrated, or Williams is a far better boxer than anyone thinks. The fight lasted 160 seconds before Williams was declared the winner by technical knock out.
For all his braggadocio and attitude, Tillman didn't land a clean punch on Williams.
The American is a notoriously slow starter, and was tentative in the opening moments of the round, but he couldn't resist taunting Williams, whose decision to fight him he had claimed was "disrespectful".
Gloves down, chin up, Tillman urged Williams forward as he backed into the ropes.
But that was when Williams caught him with a left hook.
Dazed and gloves dropping even further, Tillman clung to the ropes to retain balance when he should have taken a knee.
Williams pounced, sensing blood, and unleashed the barrage that would finish the fight.
The referee stopped the bout, with Tillman in obvious danger, and before the fight had barely begun, Williams was the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association's Heavyweight Champion.
