Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Round by Round: Highlights and Key Moments of the Fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr. extended his unbeaten career record to 48 consecutive victories on Saturday night, beating Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision in what was a deserved win for Money.

The No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world went through his moments of doubt, but as confirmed by ESPN's David Kull, the judges' scorecards showed Mayweather started and finished in strong fashion:

Bleacher Report gave its reaction to the fight after Mayweather succeeded in overcoming one of the biggest challenges in his career to date:

No fight of this magnitude would be complete without some controversy, however, and it emerged after the bout that Pacquiao was denied an anti-inflammatory injection just prior to the fight, per Tim Dahlberg of The Associated Press.

Pac-Man and his camp were under the impression they'd be able to treat the shoulder problem as had been the case in training, but Dan Roan of BBC Sport confirmed it was too late, per Nevada Athletic Commission law:

As can often be the case in fixtures of this significance, the pair took their time to open up, but it was undoubtedly Mayweather who assumed the foothold early on.

Shouts of "Manny" rang around the MGM Grand Garden Arena whenever Pacquiao had so much as a sniff of tagging his opponent, but Mayweather picked his moments more efficiently and took the first three rounds, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:

It was in the fourth that we saw what many were hoping Pacquiao would offer in greater quantity, as he backed Money into the ropes and unloaded in high volume to make his foe look vulnerable.

Mayweather looked happy enough to allow the Filipino contender his moment, but there was no doubt that Manny's increased intensity had Money under threat for the first time, per ESPN's Dan Rafael:

It was during these middle rounds that Pacquiao began showing hints of a potential comeback, particularly in the sixth, but Mayweather proved as cunning as ever and made it difficult for Pac-Man to smother him against the ropes.

Mannix pointed out Mayweather's gamesmanship during the fixture, as he knew precisely how to break his opponent's momentum when required:

All three judges had scored the fight 4-2 in Mayweather's favour after six rounds, and at this midway point, thoughts inevitably turned to how badly a knockout would be required.

Of course, given Mayweather's standing as a defensive maestro, boxing fans had believed Pacquiao would need to unleash the full extent of his punching power in order to emerge as victor.

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But after succumbing in the opening exchanges, it became all the more evident he would need a stoppage. Unfortunately, those shoulder concerns were taking their toll as Pac-Man struggled to throw his usual punch volume.

By this stage, Mayweather had responded more efficiently to the fight's blueprint and found his "groove," per Rafael, stacking up a considerable lead as Pacquiao was left chasing shadows for patches:

Ticking into the 10th round, that crucial need for a knockout had begun to reach a critical stage, but it's a storyline Mayweather is only too familiar with, having thrived upon the art of evasion for much of his 48 career wins.

The official CompuBox numbers told a story of their own, and despite Pacquiao's pre-match billing as the attacking expert, Mayweather managed to come out on top of the punch statistics:

Five years ago, there may have been hope a younger Pacquiao possessed the drive and fervour to force an elusive, last-gasp knockout against Money, but the last two lung-bursting rounds in particular were food for Mayweather.

One doesn't have to be a fan of his style, but there is little doubt Mayweather has perfected his craft, for which he will go down as an all-time great.