Terence Crawford returned the belts to Canelo Álvarez as a profound gesture of respect and sportsmanship. Although Crawford won the fight and the titles by unanimous decision, it is a tradition in boxing that the new champion allows the former champion to hold the physical belts briefly as a sign of honor for their legacy and reign. Crawford gave Canelo back the belts at the post-fight press conference, acknowledging Canelo's long and dominant career in the super middleweight division. Crawford will receive his own new, personalized belts from the sanctioning bodies in the coming weeks. This act showed that while they are rivals in the ring, respect and collegiality prevail outside of it.