Fight Review Courtesy of www.fightnews.com
By Felipe Leon
With precise brush strokes Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr (45-0, 26 KOs) displayed his dominance over the sport and proved at 36 years of age why he still is the pound for pound king as he completely dominated 23-year-old Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) in the main event of "The One" held at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. After 12 championship rounds, a majority decision was announced with Las Vegas judge C.J Ross scoring it a shocking 114-114 while Dave Moretti, also of Las Vegas, turning in a 116-112 and Canada's Craig Metcalfe filing a 117-111.
Presented by Mayweather Promotions with Golden Boy Promotions as well as Canelo Promotions, the biggest fight card of the year broke the all-time attendance record with a reported gate of over $20 million dollars with nearly 17,000 fans in attendance plus over 25,000 closed circuit seats sold. The fight was broadcast live by Showtime PPV. With the win, Mayweather captured the WBC and WBA super welterweight titles.
Not having fought twice in years, Mayweather Jr. became a busier man in 2013 after signing a multi-million dollar and six-bout agreement with Showtime. Last May he completely out-classed former champion Robert "Ghost" Guerrero mere weeks after Alvarez captured the WBA 154 lbs. from the hands of Austin Trout with a clear unanimous decision, after sending the previously undefeated champion to the canvas in the late rounds.
Mayweather, of Las Vegas by way of Grand Rapids, Michigan, came out aggressively at the sound of the first bell and looked to score the first punches by going to the body with jabs to the mid-section of the clearly heavier and slightly taller Alvarez of Guadalajara, Mexico. In a close exchange two minutes into the round, "Canelo" landed the hardest shot of the round with a short power punch on the inside. Alvarez looked to use feints early on but the experienced Mayweather Jr looked past them and waited for "Canelo" to commit so he could counter punch. Alvarez went to the body as he mentioned he would in the pre-fight comments landing to the gloves and arms but getting huge reactions from the pro-Alvarez crowd. Alvarez was successful in making Floyd miss early but Mayweather Jr kept scoring the jab with ease.
Things heated up in the third when after "Canelo" missed some big shots Mayweather Jr. didn't and scored two hard right hands that snapped Alvarez's head back while stuck in the neutral corner. Alvarez closed off the ring well in the first half and kept throwing but not scoring anything flush.
What "Canelo" did land flush was a low blow early in the fourth which had Mayweather Jr complaining not only referee Kenny Bayless but to "Canelo" himself. His request to keep it clean fell on deaf ears as far as Alvarez was concerned and accused Mayweather Jr of using his head. "Canelo" kept active but Floyd was getting more adept in counter punching the Alvarez attack with flush right hands.
While the pro-Alvarez was loud with chants of "Si Se Puede" and sing-a-longs in Spanish in the first half of the fight, suddenly they grew quiet in the second as Floyd began to pick his shots and landed almost at will with at times a smile on his face. He became more precise with left hooks to the body and head, right hooks to the body and straight rights to the face.
Despite the scoring of C.J. Ross in which she gave Alvarez four of the last five rounds, Mayweather Jr was truly dominant and made the young, tough and skilled fighter, look as rudimentary as most of his opponents. Mayweather Jr. used every tool in his arsenal, from moving around the ring to staying in the pocket and exchanging with Alvarez in the middle of the ring.
Despite Alvarez looking for the body throughout the fight, Mayweather Jr had no problem leaning against the ropes and letting Alvarez try to score a body to his midsection with not much luck.
Alvarez had his moments such as a short right hand in the ninth but Floyd didn't even flinch. Alvarez in the closing rounds began throwing bigger punches which only glanced near Mayweather Jr. as he used his legs to stay away.
Knowing that he perhaps behind on the cards, Alvarez looked to score big, swinging for the fences, and looking to score big rights. Alvarez still threw punches with power but just wasn't close to landing much of them. Mayweather Jr in the last round did nothing but moved, as it was clear that he had the fight in the bag.
According to the fight stats, Mayweather Jr threw 505 punches to Alvarez's 526. Mayweather Jr landed 46% with Alvarez only 22%. Mayweather Jr landed on average eleven of twenty-seven jabs per round and 53% of his power punches to Alvarez's 31%.
"He looks to score points a lot and it is hard to fight somebody like that," a clearly disappointed Saul Alvarez said at the post fight presser. "His punches are not hard but precise."
Mayweather Jr was full of praise for Alvarez during his time at the presser: "He is a young, strong champion who will carry the torch and has everything it takes to be a legend. Tonight was just my night. I only have twenty-four months to go and then this is the guy."
Mayweather Jr did mention that he would be fighting again in May of next year dubbing it "Cinco de Mayweather." No word who his next opponent would be.
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