For everyone who thinks Mayweather just ran around like a turkey and hugged it out all night - you must have been watching a different fight to me. Take a look at these stats -
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The stats don't tell the whole story.
Mayweather does use spoiling tactics, albeit very well, and is not exciting to watch
Ye total hug fest
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Well, I ain't gonna argue with him data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I can understand casual fans not liking it, but that was a display of defensive artwork from Mayweather. Pac just didn't have a clue, I've no idea what the game plan was other than to apply pressure, but every time he tried he got countered first and hit fresh air.
Pac is a great fighter, but Floyd is a master boxer and that's the difference.
If Pac had agreed to drug testing 5 years ago the fight would have happened then. And the outcome would have been the same. Even Freddie Roach said before the fight that Floyd of 5 years ago would have beaten Pac.
He's just too good a boxer, too slick and too fast for Pac, who looked good beating up slower, bigger opponents, but struggled in 4 fights all through his prime against a top counter puncher in Marquez.
It's all speculative and makes no difference now as we'll never know. All we do know is the Pac in the ring last night was a million miles away from the force of nature he was at his very best. That much was evident in the stats and his general lethargy over the 12 rounds. He looked an utterly spent force and has done for quite some time. Like I said, no surprises with the result as it was called and expected by just about everyone. A real shame though and I hope he retires now...
Disappointingly the anti-climax I predicted. Another masterclass from Mayweather maybe, but yet another fight of his that has bored me to tears. I love exciting fights not tactical bore fests, but each to their own I guess.
I said it many times before, but this fight came way too late in Pacs career, he would have needed to be his all action ferocious best to beat Mayweather and you can't turn back the clock.
The casual fans must have been wondering what the hell us boxing fans get high on.
That was exactly my feelings on the fight - 2 fighters near the end of their careers but Pacman has been involved in wars whilst Mayweather has taken very little meaningful punches in his career ... Mayweather knew what he was doing in giving Pacman the fight he wanted in 2015 and not 3 or 4 years ago when Pacman wasn't simply just fighting in short bursts like he did last night.
I think we can all agree on that point. The thing that's difficult to say is whether that's due to him losing a step, or simply due to Mayweather completely negating him.
Mayweather came out with the perfect game plan - a fast start by his standards. He controlled the range and beat
Pacquiao to the punch early - and I think Pac quickly realised that Mayweather is actually the faster fighter, which made him so gun-shy (granted, Marquez KO also a possible factor). Pac needed to be willing to eat a right hand to land himself, but like Kellerman said, he must have been feeling something that put him off.
By the way - to all who watch ESPN First Take - Floyd is apparently going on there tomorrow. I wonder what Skip Bayless is thinking...