Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather has triumphed over Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao with a unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas. The bout lived up to its billing as the ‘Fight of the century’, both fighters putting on a show for the sold-out MGM Grand and the millions watching on pay-per-view around the globe.
The contest itself was a see-saw affair, Mayweather struggling to find a rhythm early as Pacquiao came of the gates the more aggressive fighter, lunging forward with flurries of shots which seemed to be rattling Mayweather.
After some choice words in the middle
Post-fight, Mayweather announced his intentions to fight again in September, while Pacquiao admitted to believing he was the more deserving winner.
For more on Mayweather’s memorable victory, check out the play-by-play from Shaun Al-Shatti below.
Round 1: Here we go, y’all.
Mayweather-Pacquiao is finally here. Feels a bit crazy, eh? Never thought it would happen. Julio Lopez opens our night up with the national anthem of Mexico. No joke, a choir rolls out to serenade us with the Filipino national anthem. Welcome to the spectacle. Jamie Foxx is our American national anthem singer. Here come the walkouts. Manny Pacquiao out first, with none other than Jimmy Kimmel by his side. And there’s Floyd Mayweather, walking out with… the Burger King? Uh, yeah. Justin Bieber and the Burger King. Okay. Introductions over. We’re rolling, ladies and gentlemen. Kenny Bayless is our referee. Mayweather throws first, finding a home for a right hand off the one-two. Pacquiao playing it slow. Mayweather slips a one-two then cracks Pacquiao with a right hand counter. The crowd swells behind Pacquiao, but he’s hesitant. Mayweather dives in with a left to the body. Nice right hand by Mayweather. Pacquiao finally sticks a right straight in Mayweather’s face. Pacquiao backs Mayweather into the corner but Mayweather clinches. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather.
Round 2: Pacquiao charges inside but gets cracked. Pacquiao is chasing but can’t find his mark. Big flurry from Pacquiao but Mayweather slips it and clinches. Mayweather with his hands by his sides. Pacquiao rushes inside and they tie up. Pacquiao double jabs and pressures Mayweather against the ropes. Mayweather clinches and circles out. Straight left lands for Mayweather. Pacquiao ducks under a looping right. Pacquiao stalks Mayweather into the corner and connects on a hard right. Mayweather sticks his jab in Pacquiao’s face. Pacquiao answers by charging forward swinging. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Pacquiao. (19-19.)
Round 3: Mayweather eats a straight left. Low blow from Mayweather and Pacquiao isn’t happy about it. Pacquiao continues to stalk Mayweather into the corner and look to unload punches. Wild flurry from Pacquiao but Mayweather slips nearly everything. Repeated clinches from Mayweather anytime Pacquiao gets inside. Pacquiao bobs and weaves and charges forward with a right-left. Pacquiao isn’t landing much, but Mayweather isn’t throwing much. Nice shot from Pacquiao at the end of the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Pacquiao. (29-28 Pacquiao.)
Round 4: Pacquiao unleashes a flurry along the ropes. And another. Mayweather seems content to just hang back and dodges a majority of these shots. Pacquiao starting to find his range. Oh man, wild left hand puts Mayweather on the defensive! Pacquiao unloading! Pacquiao resets then cracks Mayweather with a hard right hand. Mayweather clinches when Pacquiao rushes inside. Mayweather lands a counter right. Pacquiao goes to the body.MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Pacquiao. (39-37 Pacquiao.)
Round 5: Mayweather sticking to the outside now. Pacquiao lunges in and misses with a nasty right hook. Mayweather pops his jab. Mayweather connects again and Pacquiao smiles. Pacquiao misses with a right, but he’s hanging inside the pocket. Pacquiao testing his range with his right. Mayweather clinches. Pacquiao eats a jab, and another. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (48-47 Pacquiao.)
Round 6: Both men come out swinging. Mayweather blocked most of the salvo, but ate a nice straight right. Pacquiao continues to be the aggressor, rips a punch to the gut of Mayweather. Mayweather come over the top, but Pacquiao counters and traps him against the ropes. Huge flurries from Pacquiao but Mayweather is blocking everything and countering. Mayweather keeping Pacquiao at range with his jab. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (57-57.)
Round 7: Mayweather’s corner
Round 8: Slow start to round eight. Mayweather pawing out his jab. Pacquiao pressure him against the ropes then unleashes a wild combination. And another. Pacquiao is letting it fly now, but Mayweather is blocking them all. Pacquiao goes to the body then back up top. Wow, it’s 44 punches to 43 landed punches in Mayweather’s favor so far in the fight. Incredible. Mayweather snaps a jab in Pacquiao’s face, then follows with a left hook. Mayweather rips off another straight shot. Pacquiao walks Mayweather into the corner but misses. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (77-75 Mayweather.)
Round 9: Mayweather cracks Pacquiao with a short right then backs out of range. Pacquiao wades inside and connects on a few short shots before Mayweather clinches. Pacquiao misses a lunging left and eats a counter for his troubles. Mayweather continues to touch Pacquiao up with that jab. Straight left from Maweather. Pacquiao rushes inside and unloads a salvo. Nice shot there from Pacquiao, but his only moment of the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (87-84 Mayweather.)
Round 10: Pacquiao struggling to find his range early. Pacquiao lunges inside but can’t connect flush. Mayweather circles out the backend and snaps off a jab. Pacquiao traps Mayweather against the ropes but again fails to connect. Pacquiao eating jabs aplenty here. Pacquiao is firing but man, he’s only hitting air. They clinch. Right hook from Pacquiao. Slow round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (97-93 Mayweather.)
Round 11: Hard right hand from Mayweather. Nice three-punch combination from Mayweather. Mayweather might be taking over this fight. Oof, nice exchange there. Pacquiao goes to the body. Pacquiao lunges inside but misses. Mayweather casually slips another flurry then fires off a right hand down the pipe. Mayweather backs against the ropes and dodges literally every punch from Pacquiao. Wow. Pacquiao feints, then eats a short hook coming inside. One last jab from Mayweather. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (107-102 Mayweather.)
Round 12: Here we go. Pacquiao needs to get desperate. Mayweather catches Pacquiao with a perfect short right as Pacquiao lunges inside. Solid check hook lands from Mayweather. Clinch from Mayweather. Mayweather snaps out his jab again and again. Pacquiao storms forward and looks to bull Mayweather into the corner, but man, that footwork ain’t having it. Mayweather starting to celebrate a bit, hands by his side. Pacquiao rushes in with another flurry but misses. That’s all she wrote. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Mayweather. (117-111 Mayweather.)
Floyd Mayweather def. Manny Pacquiao via unanimous decision (118-110, 116-112, 116-112)
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