He
calls himself ‘the best ever' and, while that remains open to debate,
there is no doubt Floyd Mayweather is the best fighter on the planet
right now.
He produced a defensive masterclass as he won a unanimous points decision against Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to extend his unbeaten record to 48-0.
With the WBO, WBA and WBC welterweight belts all on the line, the American dominated the centre of the ring throughout the contest, largely negating the high pressure, come-forward style of Pacquiao.
The Filipino enjoyed sporadic successes when he managed to back his opponent onto the ropes but, for the most part, Mayweather used his razor-sharp reflexes to stay out of trouble.
And when he did find himself out of his comfort zone, the 38-year-old was more than happy to grab and hold Pacquiao. It might not have been pretty, but Mayweather was completely nullifying the threat of the naturally more aggressive Pacquiao.
Most experts predicted a fast start for Pacquiao and reckoned he would be ahead at the halfway stage, but the reality proved very different as Mayweather took control from the opening bell.
And it was a control he never looked like relinquishing as Pacquiao found it impossible to impose his all-action style on the fight.
Mayweather was never in trouble throughout the night and, while he never looked like forcing a stoppage – nor in having any real interest in trying to – he was certainly never in danger, either.
It was far from the explosive bout the 16,000 fans in the MGM arena, and the millions watching on PPV around the world were hoping for, but it left no one in any doubt as to the identity of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
He produced a defensive masterclass as he won a unanimous points decision against Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to extend his unbeaten record to 48-0.
With the WBO, WBA and WBC welterweight belts all on the line, the American dominated the centre of the ring throughout the contest, largely negating the high pressure, come-forward style of Pacquiao.
The Filipino enjoyed sporadic successes when he managed to back his opponent onto the ropes but, for the most part, Mayweather used his razor-sharp reflexes to stay out of trouble.
And when he did find himself out of his comfort zone, the 38-year-old was more than happy to grab and hold Pacquiao. It might not have been pretty, but Mayweather was completely nullifying the threat of the naturally more aggressive Pacquiao.
Most experts predicted a fast start for Pacquiao and reckoned he would be ahead at the halfway stage, but the reality proved very different as Mayweather took control from the opening bell.
And it was a control he never looked like relinquishing as Pacquiao found it impossible to impose his all-action style on the fight.
Mayweather was never in trouble throughout the night and, while he never looked like forcing a stoppage – nor in having any real interest in trying to – he was certainly never in danger, either.
It was far from the explosive bout the 16,000 fans in the MGM arena, and the millions watching on PPV around the world were hoping for, but it left no one in any doubt as to the identity of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
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