Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Manny's Claim That He Won Superfight Is Unrealistic

In his long and brilliant boxing career, Manny Pacquiao has consistently managed to come off as likable. Even as he has climbed the sport's weight classes and risen to near the top of the pound-for-pound lists, he has continued to exude humbleness. 

That's why it was so shocking to hear him claim that he thought he won his fight with Floyd Mayweather on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Max Kellerman's jaw dropped when Pacquiao made the statement to the HBO analyst during his post-fight, in-ring interview. 

A fighter immersed in the action and emotional heat of a prizefight can hardly be faulted for not completely understanding what happened during that fight. So it's not like Pacquiao's entire character should be called into question for this one case of being a sore loser.

It's true, too, that a strong emotion like disappointment can warp a person's ability to accurately perceive reality. And the disappointment was obvious on Pacquiao's face while Kellerman was interviewing him.

After years of build-up leading to this fight, it's understandable. Pacquiao has always relished the role of the underdog who inspires the masses by overcoming all odds. For Mayweather to manage to make him look so ordinary had to be a hard pill to swallow.

Pacquiao had his moments during the fight. In Round 4, he appeared to stagger Mayweather slightly with a left hand. At the midway point in the fight, it was possible to have the fight even. 

But in the second half of the fight, Mayweather did what he always does. He adjusted to his opponent and won going away. Mayweather used lateral movement, a quick jab and a sneaky right hand to punish Pacquiao whenever he attempted to close the distance. 

Pacquiao's game plan going into this fight had to be to use quick movement and angles to stay close. He was never able to do it to any significant degree. 

John Locher/Associated Press

When he was clearly behind in the championship rounds, Pacquiao did little to push the pace and give himself a chance to land the kind of big punch that could have saved the night for him. For a fighter to complain about losing where he was so inactive in the final round is particularly galling. 

Pacquiao showed far more class after he was outright robbed in his fight against Timothy Bradley in 2012. 

Hopefully Pacquiao will watch the fight again with honest eyes and admit that the better boxer won. For a man who prides himself on being a moral inspiration to millions of people, poor sportsmanship is not a good look.