(CNN)Floyd
Mayweather outboxed and outmaneuvered Manny Pacquiao to claim a
unanimous points victory in the most lucrative boxing match in history
Saturday, taking his unblemished professional record to 48-0 and
cementing his place as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Main event: Pacquiao vs. Mayweather 25 photos
After 12 high-intensity and often
tactically cautious rounds, the judges scorecards at the MGM Grand in
Las Vegas read 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 in favor of Mayweather.
And
while Vegas is a town not unfamiliar with a controversial points
decision, there could be little disputing the outcome of this showdown
for the WBA, WBC and WBO welterweight titles.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, hugs Manny Pacquiao after defeating him in their welterweight unification bout.
For
some, it was the fight that almost never happened as high demand meant
some pay-per-view viewers in the U.S. experienced disruptions to their
service.
Yet after a short delay to proceedings to enable broadcast problems to be ironed out, "MayPac" was finally on.
'Fight of the Century'
The
sense of anticipation as both men entered the ring was all the $300
million purse and their indisputable reputations promised.
Manny Pacquiao acknowledges the crowd before the start of his world welterweight championship bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Fight fans, pundits and TV networks had been demanding this bout as far back as 2009 when both men were arguably at their peak.
A
series of contractual disputes and stipulations regarding drug testing,
however, initially ensured an agreement was impossible.
But
after a chance meeting between the pair at an NBA game in Miami earlier
this year a deal was in the making. By February, it was on.
Tickets
for the event sold out in minutes. Some were exchanging hands on the
black market for as much as $350,000 before the fight. Even closed
circuit relays of the match in Vegas were reportedly selling for as much
as $3,500 a ticket, while viewers tuned in from every corner of the
globe on pay-per-view channels.
Main event: Pacquiao vs. Mayweather 25 photos
In
Pacquiao's homeland of the Philippines, millions tuned in to watch
their hero, congressman and cultural icon take on the man known to refer
to himself as "TBE" (The Best Ever.)
Yet
for all his talk of being better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray
Leonard, there was something different about Mayweather before this
fight.
His usual trash talk and brash
outspokenness was noticeably absent. Some said it was uncharacteristic
nerves, others extreme focus on his biggest ever challenge. Some even
wondered whether Mayweather was displaying a new-found maturity.
At the ripe old age of 38, could that really be? This,
after all, is the man who once waved around a chicken with a fake gold
medal round its neck to mock Olympic gold medal winner, Oscar De La
Hoya, when the pair met in what was previously the most lucrative bout
of all time in 2007.
Ready to rumble
The way the fight began Saturday, it looked like those predicting a supremely focused Mayweather were correct.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. throws a left at Manny Pacquiao.
The
10-time world champion and the larger man, sought to establish his
dominance early, using his jab to keep the powerful Pacquiao at a
distance while landing with two large right hands early on.
But
Pacquiao was the aggressor at the beginning of round two. The Filipino
moved forward more although he still found it difficult to make contact
with the ever illusive Mayweather.
Earlier
in the week, former middleweight world champion Bernard "The
Executioner" Hopkins described Mayweather's defensive style as like a
turtle going into its shell. "You can beat that shell up but you're not
hurting him."
Like the wily tortoise up against the hare, the man with the impenetrable shell looked to be in control.
Round
three offered much of the same but Pacquiao finally began to land in
round four, pushing Mayweather against the ropes and letting rip with a
sequence of blows to the body.
Mayweather fought back in five and six, reasserting his control although Pacquiao twice caught him with his dangerous left hand.
Trainer Freddie Roach adjust Manny Pacquiao's mouthguard.
By
the eighth, the fight had become a chess match. Mayweather moved and
picked his opponent off with the jab. Pacquiao was only landing with 18%
of his punches, far fewer than his usual average of 34%.
When
the 10th arrived the cocky Mayweather was back, smiling and dropping
his hands to taunt an increasingly frustrated Pacquiao.
The
Pacquiao corner knew a knockout was required but their man had to catch
his fleet-footed opponent in the opposite corner first.
Alas, it was a task the crowd favorite could not rise to, although the fighter himself felt he had done enough to claim victory.
"I thought I won," Pacquiao said in the ring post fight. "He didn't do nothing, just moved outside. I got him many times."
Floyd Mayweather Jr. celebrates victory after the MGM clash.
"He
is moving around and it's not easy to throw a lot of punches if your
opponent moves around. I can handle his power, it's not strong like
other opponents. It's not about size. I've been fighting bigger than him
and it's not a problem."
Understandably, the victorious Mayweather -- as well as most ring-side observers -- disagreed.
"I
was a smart fighter, I out-boxed him," said Mayweather, shaking off
boos from the crowd which was unimpressed with his defensive style.
"We did what we had to do tonight. I knew he was going to push me. He had moments in the fight but I kept him on the outside."
"He's a hell of a fighter. Now I see why he is one of the guys at the pinnacle of the sport of boxing."
Post a Comment