Naseem Hamed had to overcome the very real possibility of defeat at the hands of Augie Sanchez at the Foxwoods resort in Connecticut, before battering his unheralded young American opponent senseless in the fourth round of a wildly exciting 15th defence of the World Boxing Organisation world featherweight title he won from Steve Robinson almost five years ago.
But Hamed had no time to celebrate before his American television paymasters HBO made it clear they are not satisfied with the level of opposition their charge is choosing to face.
No matter that Sanchez had given Hamed the hardest three minutes of his professional career in the second round when he clubbed the champion repeatedly with solid right hands, and sent him to the canvas with a shot Hamed admitted was a legitimate knock-down even if referee Michael Ortega chose to take the opposite viewpoint.
Nor that the champion's response could scarcely have been more emphatic. Despite having a point deducted for hitting Sanchez when his opponent was on the floor in the fourth, Hamed unleashed all his brutal power to turn the contest around, ending the Las Vegan's challenge with a stunning left hook and two right hands, the second to the temple, to send Sanchez crashing.
Paramedics treated Sanchez in the ring, before he was rushed to hospital. He had briefly lost consciousness but was mercifully discharged after no abnormalities were revealed in a brain scan.
The bruises on Hamed's face gave a vivid reminder of the ferocity of the exchanges, but the HBO boss Seth Abraham seemed unimpressed.
Asked if he would be renewing the contract, which reputedly pays Hamed about £5 million sterling a fight, when it expires, Abraham replied: "I would have to take a walk around the block to think about that if the next three were Augie Sanchez."
There is a feeling in some quarters, which Abraham was doing nothing to dispel, that Hamed is being over-protected with his choice of opposition and HBO are keen to hasten the moment when Hamed steps up a level to take on one or both of the two outstanding Mexicans Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
No firm word has been given over who Hamed's next challenger will be, although Istvan Kovacs of Hungary is another relatively soft option who has the convenient tag of being the WBO number one mandatory challenger. As a draw to an American audience, Kovacs is a non-starter, so that fight could take place in Britain with a more meaningful contest in March when Barrera may take on Hamed in Las Vegas.
Opinion was divided over whether Sanchez had been wrongly under-rated by the critics, or if Hamed had produced a performance so sloppy that he almost paid the ultimate price.
Hamed had no doubts saying: "He came here with a great fight and a great plan. But if you put me down you get seriously hurt. I like a fight, it's the sign of a warrior. I had to come from all angles with some great shots. Even though I got hit, my head was always straight. When I get knocked down, I get up and I think, I'm gonna knock you out. I'm gonna hit you harder than you hit me. I'm gonna destroy you.
"It was a devastating knockout, but I'm still waiting for Barrera and Morales."
Kevin Kelley, commentating for BBC Radio at ringside, summed up the choices, saying: "Ali had Foreman, Frazier and Norton and beat them all. There are plenty of guys out there for Naz; the Mexicans, Angel, Vazquez who is a killer with his punch, Floyd Mayweather, Derek Gainer, Diego Corales. It's up to Naz. He fought Sanchez because he knew he could beat him, but he has to take on those who people think can beat him."
