LAS VEGAS-Floyd Mayweather was just “Old Money” in the early rounds of his welterweight unification
It wasn’t. Maidana clawed at Mayweather, earning repeated warnings from referee Tony Weeks for his rough-house behavior. An upset seemed possible as Mayweather, 37, seemed puzzled and vulnerable to his opponent’s reckless manner.
But maybe Mayweather was just making the fight more dramatic, luring his opponent into a false sense of comfort and giving the fans an emotional ride, ever the showman.
Mayweather woke up in the later rounds, displaying the hand speed and the dazzling combinations that have made him the top draw and fighter in the sport, and he earned a majority decision victory by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 114-114 at the MGM
“I was in a tough competitive fight,” Mayweather said in the ring afterward. “I normally like to go out there and box and move. But it was a tough fight and I decided to stay in there and give the fans what they wanted to see. I wanted to stand and fight. He put a lot of pressure on me. After the head butt I couldn’t see for two rounds. But that’s what champions do. True champions adjust to anything. He’s a champ and I’m a champ and we did what we did tonight.”
From entering the ring with Justin Bieber and circus performers on stilts to the fake dollar bills that dropped like confetti from the sky during his entrance, the star of Saturday’s show was Floyd “Money” Mayweather, though Maidana showed with his aggression that he also had what it took to be a leading man. Maidana landed 221 punches on Mayweather, the most in his 38 fights since Compubox has been charting fights.
“That was the most exciting Mayweather fight I’ve ever seen,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.
