Canzoneri, unorthodox and a terrific counterpuncher, was a bit more aggressive than expected to open the bout. And three rounds in, Leonard's face bore the signs of it, as BOTH eyes has significant swelling.

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Leonard's corner had moderate success in keeping the swelling from getting completely out of hand. But both eyes, conservatively, were half shut for much of the night, and Leonard had two choices: go for broke and try to get Canzoneri out, leaving himself open to punishment in his debilitated state; or stick to his plan and hope his instincts could carry him through.

Leonard chose the latter, and he spent the middle rounds sticking and moving, trying to keep a distance and turn it up in the final minute, essentially trying to turn each round into a one-minute affair.

Canzoneri, though, was able to chip away at Leonard. When Leonard took a break in the 8th, Canzoneri took advantage. He sensed Leonard was wearing down and ramped up the pressure to control the 9th. But Leonard executed flawlessly in the 10th, and late in the 11th, Canzoneri - now fighting swelling of his own around his right eye, though nowhere near the level of Leonard's ailment - struck Leonard low and seemed to fire up the champ, who pummeled the challenger in the final minute and then got the best of him in the 12th as well.

Leonard, as he did in the 8th, seemed to try to conserve in the 13th for the long game...but Canzoneri wouldn't have it. The challenger worked Leonard's body effectively, setting up combos up top in a dominant 13th, raising concern Leonard may have given all he had to give on this night.

The 14th was set at a calmer pace, though Canzoneri seemed to be dictating it...until the final 20 seconds, when Canzoneri blocked a Leonard uppercut but was caught by a followup combo punctuated by a cross on the point of Canzoneri's jaw that slumped him to the canvas for the fight's first knockdown.

Canzoneri rose at 6 and made it to the bell, drawing gasps of elation and shock from the split crowd in Baltimore.

If there was concern in the 13th that the champion had given all he had, the knockdown presumably took the last of that energy. Canzoneri controlled the 15th, though Leonard was never in any danger before the bell sounded, sending the bout to the cards.

The final tally, 144-141 for Leonard, 143-142 for Canzoneri and 143-142 for the champion, Benny Leonard, meaning the knockdown was the difference in the fight!

"He's a great champion," a disappointed Canzoneri said afterward. "I think I won...just look at him. But I don't take nothin' away from him."

Leonard, his face adorned in icepack drippings and sweat, credited his challenger with a great fight afterward, but when told of his claim he won, Leonard replied "One of us tasted the canvas, and it wasn't me."

Asked what's next, Leonard - who stunned pundits and fans by taking this fight so soon after his latest war with Gans - grinned and said, "A break...maybe."

On the undercard, former Middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel fought swelling from the get-go and talented but erratic Kelly Pavlik took advantage, earning a unanimous decision victory in which he put Ketchel down twice. Ketchel will lose his #1 ranking for champ Bob Fitzsimmons' title while Pavlik, currently ranked #9, should vault into the top 5.

Then Featherweight champ Abe Attell retained by the skin of his teeth, getting a debatable draw against Benny Bass, who dropped the champion in round 10 but mustered only the likely opportunity to get another crack at Attell after two judges found it 142-142, the other scoring it 144-140 for a majority draw.