As Leigh Wood left this most remarkable of nights with his arm held aloft, Michael Conlan left it on a stretcher.
A devastating punch to the temple had sent the Irishman through the ropes in the 12th round in what was a brutal knockout.
The celebrations were quickly muted as Wood marched around the ring appealing for calm while the medical staff rushed to Conlan's aid.
It was another reminder of how dangerous the sport is and changed the atmosphere at the Motorpoint Arena from one of toughness to tenderness.
Conlan was applauded as he was taken to hospital in an ambulance and thankfully he has since been given the all-clear.
It was a fight in which the souls of both the champion and the challenger were completely drained after a showdown that former world champion Carl Frampton said was the best he had ever seen.
It is hard to argue with that assessment as Wood's defence of his WBA title against the fast-talking fast-punching Conlan was one of the most dramatic comebacks ever seen in a British boxing ring.
Wood was behind on the judges' scorecards after being floored by a left hand in the first round but summoned incredible powers of recovery to seal an unforgettable triumph.
Both men were cut, bruised and battered and as the blood trickled down the side of Wood's face afterwards, it was soon followed by a steady line of tears.
"I've shed a few actually," said Wood, whose voice began to crack when asked to sum up his emotions.
"Being away from my kids has been so hard, but it's worth it."
Wood will have cast aside his family for weeks on end in the build-up to a fight that many had predicted would be explosive.
And for Wood, there was so much on the line with the carrot of fighting at Nottingham Forest's City Ground dangling in front of him.
He has long harboured those aspirations since fighting in front of hundreds of people in small-hall shows in what has been a long and arduous journey.
And yet in the first round, those ambitions of fighting under the lights of the club he supports were under serious threat when he was dumped to the canvas by Conlan's chopping left hand.
Indeed, Wood was left seeing more stars than the two which are on Forest's shirt as Conlan underlined why many feel he is a world champion in waiting.
It was a punch that not many fighters would have recovered from but the Gedling featherweight somehow rose to his feet.
Conlan had taunted Wood about his "perm" in the build-up but after that knockdown quickly found that underneath it was a head like concrete.
The left hand could not miss as Wood, visibly shaky, weathered the storm to finally regain his legs and, crucially, some momentum.
In an utterly absorbing contest, both men were cut from head clashes as they traded in the centre of the ring amid a deafening atmosphere.
But there were signs that Conlan's earlier superiority was beginning to wane as Wood hunted him down knowing that he was behind on the scorecards.
He fought back magnificently in the middle rounds as he landed some hurtful body punches but it was not until the 11th that he found the breakthrough.
A barrage of punches leading to a left-hand sent Conlan tumbling amid complaints from the Irishman that he had slipped on water inside the ring.
But the referee Steve Gray ruled it a knockdown despite fierce protestations from Conlan's trainer Adam Booth who was apoplectic in the corner.
Wood demonstrated tremendous grit and quality as the 12th began but knew he had to summon a knockout if he was to retain his WBA crown.
Conlan's energy had been sapped as Wood menacingly pinned on him the ropes, piercing his defences with a few taps of the left hand before the right landed flush on the temple.
Conlan was out on his feet before falling backwards through the ropes as Wood briefly celebrated before realising the seriousness of the situation.
But word soon came back that Conlan was conscious before scans and blood tests showed he was okay.
It means Wood can now truly bask in the glory of a momentous victory and a terrific performance on a night that has elevated him to world stardom.
They often say in boxing that it takes two to tango and Wood and Conlan certainly served up one hell of a dance.
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