Why Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao Fight Should Have Ended in a Draw, Not a Mayweather Victory
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao didn't exactly provide fans with the "fight of the century" on May 2.
From Mayweather ducking, dodging and running around the ring to Pacquiao fighting with a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, it's safe to say boxing fans didn't exactly get their $100 worth spent on this midnight pay-per-view fight.
As we all know, Mayweather was named the victor via unanimous decision by the three judges, 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110. With that win, Mayweather extended his undefeated record to 48-0. Pacquiao, on the other hand, dropped to 57-6-2 with that "loss."
Only he didn't lose.
For people who have watched Mayweather fight in the past, this match was no different than what we've seen before. A lot of emphasis put on head movement, defense and ring mobility. Mayweather won the statistical match-up throwing more punches (435-429) and landing more punches (148-81) as well. There's no doubt that when you look at the raw numbers, Mayweather has a clear edge.
The only issue with this is neither fighter really looked impressive on Saturday night, or more accurately, Sunday morning. Mayweather obviously landed more jabs, 67-18, but those punches are packed like soft pillows. We can't be blinded by the raw numbers that had absolutely no effect whatsoever on Pacquiao. Historically speaking, winning the statistical punch battle has never played a huge factor when determining the winner unless the opponent is knocked down to the canvas at least once.
Make no mistake about it though: Mayweather is the best at what he does under his terms. He has fought his last 13 bouts in Las Vegas, and 24 of his 48 career matches there as well. He knows as long as he doesn't get knocked out, he will more than likely get the win. Mayweather knows how to play the new school game of boxing, even if it's as entertaining as watching paint dry.
Pacquiao clearly won the first half the fight controlling at least four of the first six rounds. The only round of the entire match where either fight was in "serious trouble" came in the fourth round, when Pacquiao had Mayweather pinned against the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches. Mayweather then used the rope-a-dope technique for a short period, but Pacquiao backed off to save energy.
Boxing columnist Jeff Powell was ringside for the fight, and he called the match a draw, 115-115. Powell went on to say, "Neither of them did enough to win it." He's absolutely correct. Immediately after the match, Pacquiao said, "He didn't do anything." Not that Pacquiao really did much to Mayweather.
While Pacquiao undoubtedly won the first half of the fight, Mayweather was victorious in the second half with his great endurance. Not by a long shot, but just enough that it should have offset Pacquiao's victorious first half. As Powell was saying, neither fighter really did anything to the other. Neither fight got knocked out. Nether fighter got knocked down. Neither fighter even got cut. How Mayweather won by unanimous decision is a mystery.
Former heavyweight champion of the world Evander Holyfield and Shane Mosley each felt that Pacquiao won the fight.
For more than 90 percent of the fight, Pacquiao was the aggressor, while Mayweather was fleeing from corner to corner. Traditionally, if a fight has no knock downs and is even, the aggressor is announced the winner because he is the one controlling the fight. We're only two days after the fight, and already Mayweather has texted ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he would be welcomed to a rematch in one year against Pacquiao.
Why would Mayweather prolong his September retirement to face Pacquiao again, someone he refused to face the previous six years? Is it because he knows this fight did virtually nothing for his legacy?
In the end, what did Mayweather or Pacquiao do to win the match that their opponent? Pacquiao won the first half and was by far the bigger aggressor, while Mayweather won the stats game and won the second half of the match.
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