It was a fight of many years in the making and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr has done it again, this time defeating Manny Pacquiao in a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This was one of the most highly-anticipated title fights in modern boxing history with purses rumored to be around $300 million combined.
In a fight worthy of the hype, Mayweather dominated Pacquiao, controlling him on defense and landing his jabs to keep him off balance. At one point during the fight Mayweather landed an impressive combo of punches that closed Pacquiao’s eye. In a move of sheer dominance, Mayweather continued to land more shots as the ringside physician examined the injury.
By the final bell, Mayweather had solidified himself as one of boxing’s all-time greatest defensive fighters. The Showtime pay-per-view event will be remembered by many for its brash entrances, impressive technique, and the fact that this much talked-about bout finally became reality.
When it was all said and done, Mayweather won by unanimous decision and handed Pacquiao his first defeat since 2012. With a record of 48–0 (26KOs), Mayweather can now lay claim to being one of boxing’s pound for pound best even if he did have a ton of help doing it. This could well be the last we see of either fighter in such a high profile event as both are well past their prime at this point. However, for now congratulations for Mayweather for putting on a performance that fulfilled people’s expectations and adding another chapter to this legendary rivalry.
Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. won a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night (May 2) against Manny Pacquiao and kept his perfect, 49-0 record intact.
The fight was not without its controversy as Pacquiao disclosed after the fight he had a tear in his right rotator cuff that he sustained during training camp. He was medicating during the lead up to the fight as well. Pacquiao said he felt he could still win despite the injury, but clearly it played a role in his performance.
While there were many fans who wanted to see Mayweather finally get beaten for the first time in his illustrious career, the judges saw it differently and awarded him 116-112 marks on all three cards. Even with his injury, Pacquiao showed why he is one of the greatest boxers of this generation, throwing punches with incredible power despite limited movement and hitting Mayweather more often than most observers predicted.
The performance by both fighters captured the attention of most boxing fans and non-boxing fans alike. With record number pay per view buys, reports say the fight may have grossed more than $300 million and those numbers may continue to rise. Mayweather stands to make millions more when all of the payouts are calculated.
It goes without saying that this fight lived up to its expectations. How often do we get to witness two superstars squaring off with undefeated records? After years of talk, boxing fans finally got their wish and went home happy they could witness this human chess match between two amazing competitors.