It's not in the nature of fights like this to leave clean exit wounds.
Last night (Sat., May 2, 2015), Floyd Mayweather used terrific footwork and ramrod jabs and straights to blunt the offensive bulldozer that is Manny Pacquiao on his way to a decision win inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
To watch full fight video highlights of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao right now click here.
By his account, though, those weren't the only things holding him back.
Pacquiao revealed at the post-fight press conference (watch full video replay here) that he suffered a tear in his right shoulder three-to-four weeks ago in training camp. In addition, because he did not disclose the injury, which could keep him on the shelf for up to nine months, he was not permitted to have an anti-inflammation shot prior to the fight of his life.
Considering how integral the right hook is to Pacquiao's potent arsenal, that's a serious blow.
While it's easy to claim he's just covering his rear, the massive promotion for the fight and the fear of yet another delay were definitely quality incentives for the Filipino to fight injured. In addition, his statement that he had an MRI and had a legitimate diagnosis do lend credence to his claims.
Now, the part where he thinks he won? That one's a stretch.
After the fight, Pacquiao informed a baffled Max Kellerman inside the ring that he believed he won the fight, claiming that Mayweather "didn't do anything." Admittedly, he's not alone -- the great Evander Holyfield and Shane Mosley both thought Pacquiao deserved the win.
However, the ringside judges disagreed ... by a collective wide margin (see scorecard pic here).
There's talk of Pacquiao "controlling the fight" and landing the bigger punches, both of which are questionable. Yes, Pacquiao managed to get Mayweather to the ropes and corners repeatedly throughout the fight, but got less and less effective at exploiting that as the fight went on. He was almost entirely unable to catch Mayweather circling off and the easy with which "Money" returned to the center makes it hard to give Pacquiao the nod for ring generalship.
As far as punches, it strikes me as an example of something I've been wondering about for a while: If both fighters' punches are having similar visible effects, but one is known for having greater power, do his punches deserve greater consideration?
At the end of the day, though, Mayweather is still undefeated (48-0).
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