Over 12 rounds at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather Jr.(48-0, 26 KO’s) took away the doubt of who is the best boxer in the world. By scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 Mayweather silenced the critics who said he could not beat Manny Pacquaio (57-6-2, 38 KO’s), and did so fairly comfortably in a less-than-scintillating fight.
InTheCorner.Net had it 116-112 for Mayweather.
What was expected to be Pacquaio’s chance at victory, frenetic two-handed offense from difficult angles, was snuffed out over and over by the brilliant defense of Mayweather. Manny did have his moments and rallied at times like few fighters have been able to do against Mayweather. But there was never a fight-changing moment for Pac Man.
It started right away, with Pacquaio throwing just 29 punches in the first round. He had his best moments in the fourth, rocking Mayweather with a left hand that sent Floyd back to the ropes in a cover-up posture.
But Mayweather didn’t sustain damage, like the Pacquaio camp thought he would, because the greatest ring skills of this boxing generation were no less sharp at age 38 than in any of his other fights. Floyd had everything he needed to get out of danger and keep Pacquaio at bay. The second half of this fight looked like the second half of most Mayweather fights. His opponent was in an aggressive posture, but firing very little. Hesitant. Calculating, but never coming up with the solution. Then getting popped by a sneak right hand, just before Mayweather circled away.
It went like that. Pacquaio’s fight plan…? Didn’t happen. Mayweather was much bigger and longer in the ring, but that never bothered Manny before. Tonight, it was too much to overcome. Pacquaio couldn’t get into scoring range for long. It was the same frustration that many of Mayweather’s opponents have felt.
And the frustration was there for the viewers as well. It wasn’t a great fight. It was tactical, and that’s not what a $100 pay-per-view event is expected to be. I guess. This is the first one.
But there was very little sustained offense that would get the fans on their feet. The pro-Pacquaio crowd at the MGM Grand was very animated, but boxing fans and sports fans wouldn’t have lost their voices reacting to these 12 rounds.
On the flip side, Mayweather is someone a lot of fans love to hate. They didn’t change their minds tonight. His supreme boxing skills don’t go over like a Mike Tyson massacre or a Hagler – Hearns attrition war. It just letter-perfect. If you didn’t like him before, nothing changed tonight.
But tonight Mayweather answered the only pressing question that still remained for him. Should this fight have happened sooner? It would likely have been more one-sided five years ago. He was even quicker then.
