In his 19th consecutive world title fight, a tearful-looking Teraji (26-2, 16 KOs) could rejoice again after becoming a three-weight beltholder.

Armed with a promising start, the 34-year-old showed his superior boxing ability though would have lamented his inability to close the show on his long-awaited return with another stoppage.

The disappointment of last summer's upset loss by Ricardo Sandoval, as well as Willibaldo Garcia's late withdrawal before their proposed IBF title fight on Dec. 27 meant the former pound-for-pound star headed for a new challenge with a point to prove.

Was he just fighting father time and a physical decline? This performance showed exactly that, though he's still among the elite in an ever-changing division without a ruler now at 115 pounds.

Teraji floored Gonzalez with a right to the side of the head late in the second, then rattled his senses with more of the same in the following frame.

There was a temporary reprieve from the avalanche of punishment early in Round 4, as Teraji was penalised for an accidental low blow after one of his punches strayed below the belt.

That didn't deter him from investing downstairs, though the pair traded leather in a busy fifth stanza where Gonzalez (32-6-2, 12 KOs) acquitted himself well and finally gained the future Hall of Famer's respect.

He increased his output and fared better for that adjustment in Round 6, catching Teraji more frequently as they entered the second-half.

Teraji jabbed well at range and caught him whenever the Mexican overextended with his punch entries, leaving his defenses open to be exploited.

The longer this went, the more obvious Teraji's control became.

Whether it was with single shots pinning Gonzalez against the ropes or general ringcraft, the crowd were baying for a stoppage but "Jiga" knew how to survive, spoil and frustrate whenever the pressure picked up.

His team were visibly unimpressed after Round 10, urging him to employ more head movement and be smarter defensively but that's easier said than done against a world-class operator.

Despite navigating with slower feet and less zip to his work than previous years, Teraji's punch selection kept the younger man guessing.

He snapped Gonzalez's head back repeatedly in the final minutes of Round 12 and his right hand dropped the Mexican heavily in the final half-minute. Despite his best efforts, the finish didn't arrive in time.