Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2015: Highlights of Money's Strategy to Beat Pac-Man
For fight fans who appreciate the depths of technical boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s winning display against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night was a joy to behold.
In what became a sumptuous display by Pretty Boy from the first bell in Las Vegas, viewers were left in no doubt who is the pound-for-pound king of his generation.
Pac-Man was left devoid of ideas or performance, as Mayweather moved and counterpunched his way around the ring with consummate ease.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Floyd Jr's strategy wasn't a secret before the title fight with the Filipino hero, but the question remained whether the fighter could weather the storm that Pac-Man was expected to deliver.
However, Pacquiao's best was not in evidence during the contest, and Mayweather swept to a unanimous-decision victory.
Boxing fans expected a fast start from Pac-Man—but it was Money who established his dominance in the opening minutes.
Mayweather opted to take the centre of the ring from the first exchange and forced Pacquiao to fight around the periphery—never allowed the opportunity to open up and deliver true damage.
Pretty Boy was three rounds up before Pac-Man had a chance to temporarily lift his pace, but Mayweather never looked like a boxer who was going to lose control of the biggest fight of his career.
It was difficult to decipher Pacquiao's tactics, as he completely failed to respond to Mayweather's skill and execution.
Pac-Man has since proclaimed he had a shoulder injury before the contest and thought about delaying the fight, as explained by ESPN boxing writer Dan Rafael:
This revelation might be seen as an excuse from a well-defeated boxer, but Pacquiao did not deliver the entertainment many thought he would in Las Vegas.
There was something missing from his usual arsenal, and the shoulder injury may go some way to explaining why Mayweather's strategy was carried out with such ease.
The most impressive part of Floyd's work came in the final two rounds, as the scorecards showed Pac-Man might have pulled out a draw if he had won Rounds 11 and 12.
David Kull of ESPN showed how tight it was on the official cards despite Mayweather's control, with Pretty Boy finishing in style:
All three judges gave Mayweather a perfect 10 in the final two rounds, as his flair and work rate proved to be too much for a completely beaten opponent.
Listen here to Mike Tyson's comments on Mayweather's victory:
Technically, there were no comparisons to be made between the two on Saturday night, with Pac-Man chasing Mayweather around the ring but Money never looking tired or deflated.
Mayweather once again proved he is the grandmaster chess player of world boxing, outthinking the only true challenger to his superiority across five weights.
There is nowhere to go for either superstar now, with both having completed the biggest journey of their careers. But Mayweather proved beyond reasonable doubt he is a cut above Pacquiao, despite the Filipino being tagged as the fighter of the decade in previous times.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
