Floyd Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) proved why he is the best pound for pound boxer of this generation. He defeated Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) via unanimous decision to remain undefeated.
For five years we have waited for this match to take place and we finally got it. It was speed vs. speed. It was the top two boxers of the welterweight division going at it to find out who was the best.
People were wondering whether Mayweather’s defense would be enough to hold up against Pacquiao’s offensive aggression. Mayweather’s ability to bob and weave as well as slip out of the corner showed that he still has great defensive moves.
Right from the start Mayweather gave Pacquiao fits with his speed and reach. In the fourth round, Pacquiao seemed to have caught Mayweather enough to stun him against the ropes where he started his offensive output. Mayweather was able to get through it and never looked back. Pacquiao, who is known for throwing a lot of punches in a fight and being more active, only threw six more punches than Mayweather in the entire fight. His inactivity in certain rounds hurt his chances to mount a rally big enough to win a decision.
By the end of the fight you could see the confidence just build in Mayweather. He knew that he had this fight in the bag. The judges scored the bout 118-110, 116-112, and 116-112 all in favor of Floyd Mayweather.
Now that Mayweather has won, the question on everyone’s mind is: whom will he fight next.
Names like Britain’s Amir Khan and undefeated Keith Thurman have come up in discussions. We don’t know who he will fight next but we do know that it will be his last fight. During his post fight interview with Showtime’s Jim Grey, Mayweather said that he would retire after his next fight hoping to improve his record to 49-0. It is also the last match in his Showtime contract.
Whether you love him or you hate him, Floyd Mayweather is going to be considered one of the best boxers of all time. Where he ranks against other legendary boxers is still up for debate. Fight fans need to enjoy this ride while it lasts because they will be seeing the last of Mayweather come this September.
Undercard
Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KOs) defeated Gamalier Rodriguez (25-3-3, 17 KOs) in convincing fashion to start the PPV telecast. Lomachenko was very impressive from start to finish. His right jab was accurate and on point as he consistently nailed Rodriguez with it. He added nice combinations as they got into the later rounds. Rodriguez fell victim to the knockdown in the seventh and ninth rounds. Rodriguez knockdown in the ninth ended the fight as Lomachenko hit him with a vicious right hook followed by a lethal combination. As the referee counted, Rodriguez just stayed on one knee for the count out.
Lomachenko would win in the ninth by way of knockout to complete another impressive performance for the Ukrainian. Although Lomachenko has only five professional fights in him, people have already started talking about a showdown between him and Nicholas Walters. It remains to be seen if we will see this fight within the next year.
In another undercard bout, Mexico’s Leo Santa Cruz (30-0-1, 17 KOs) sailed to a unanimous decision victory over Jose Cayetano (17-4, 8 KOs). This was Cruz’s first debut fight in the featherweight division. From the start of the first bell Cruz was aggressive throwing a flurry of punches. He also left himself open to take punches from Cayetano. Cruz was in complete control the whole night working the jab and combinations that kept Cayetano at bay. Cruz showed why he is undefeated but many people question his choice in opponents. His next opponent should definitely be a step up. Cruz has set his eyes on Abner Mares and if we ever get that fight fans will be in for a treat.
- Anthony Rivera / @AntRivera86
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