(Al Bello/Getty Images)

The long-awaited fight between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alverez paid off for boxing fans in every way but one.

After 12 rounds of heavy hitting from both fighters, both casual fans and experts alike were in agreement that triple-G had done enough to win the fight and retain his titles. While both men gave and took their fair share of powerful blows, Golovkin controlled the bout for most of the night and as the decision went to the judges scorecards most thought the result to be a mere formality.

But fight fans were wrong. When the cards came back, the fight was scored a split decision draw: 118-110 for Alvarez, 115-113 for Golovkin, and 114-114.

To many, the scorecard that had Alverez winning the fight felt especially egregious — there's a reasonable way a spectator could have gotten to Canelo winning by a round, but scoring it 118-110 would require giving the underdog a number of rounds that would be tough to justify.

Boxing fans following the fight on Twitter were quick to share their shock and displeasure.

While the result was surely a disappointment for GGG and his supporters, it does set the stage perfectly for a rematch that will likely draw even more attention than Saturday's fight. With the show that both fighters put on in the ring, fans would no doubt love to see it.

Canelo has fought at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend for the past two years — hopefully GGG can keep his schedule clear.

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