Floyd Mayweather is Unquestioned King of Sport After Defeating Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather didn't just beat Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night. He left no doubt about which future Hall of Famer is the superior fighter.

Watching Saturday night's fight of the century was like getting an opportunity to see LeBron James and Michael Jordan play one-on-one. In the end, we saw one of them show us there really shouldn't have ever been a debate.

Mayweather's win put a coat of protective paint on his boxing legacy that no amount of criticism can chip.

No one should be shocked Mayweather won this fight, but the ease with which he handled Pacquiao might open a few eyes. According to BoxRec, respected judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 118-110, and that wasn't a ridiculous score. The other two judges, Burt A. Clements and Glenn Feldman, scored the bout 116-112.

I had it 117-113 for Mayweather because I saw one round as even. In any case, Mayweather's domination was apparent.

Is he the best ever? It's debatable. Has anyone ever made a great fighter like Pacquiao look so ordinary? Some might say, "Marquez knocked him out." That's correct, but Marquez also failed to beat Pacquiao in his first three bouts.

Even in the fight Marquez won, Pacquiao was getting the best of him before the vicious knockout.

Pacquiao had just a few strong moments against Mayweather, but he didn't once look to be on his way to victory. If you looked up the phrase "in complete control," an image like this one might be visible to drive home the meaning:

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Mayweather's claim of being "The Best Ever" (TBE) drew the ire from several people in and out of the boxing community. His boldness was met with outrage by former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and others.

Placing yourself above the perceived pinnacle is always taboo. But what if it's what you truly believe to be true?

Achieving greatness begins with having the audacity to believe you can be the best. Mayweather caught flack for saying he was better than Muhammad Ali. The same thing happened to Ali when he called himself "The Greatest," effectively announcing his superiority over the likes of Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano and others.

Existing in the sport of boxing is about winning and minimizing physical damage, while making the most money possible. No one has ever done a better job at all three than Mayweather.

He will always have his share of haters. He's earned much of the heat from his actions outside the ring. However, as fighters go, 48-0 doesn't lie or deceive.

Having scored such a definitive win over a fighter as great as Pacquiao, Mayweather has removed all reasonable doubt about where he stands in his era and the history of the sport. It seems the only critics who can still find fault with Mayweather's in-ring accomplishments are those who have silently sworn to hate him regardless.

Everyone else must give credit where it is due and acknowledge Mayweather's in-ring genius.

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