Last night (Sat., Sept. 14, 2013) at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in the main event of a 152-pound championship catchweight fight dubbed "The One." It was by far the biggest boxing event of the past decade and arguably of all time.
To watch full "Mayweather vs. Canelo" main event video highlights online click here.
"Canelo" was thought to present an interesting stylistic match up, and with Mayweather's age, 36, some believed the time was right for "Money" to fall to a younger, hungrier fighter. That was not the case as Mayweather put on an absolute clinic against Alvarez, who just never seemed to find his rhythm.
If you missed it, I don't know what to tell you. It was one of those "once in a generation"-type fights that will be hard to recreate again.
So, About Last Night ...
Mayweather is totally "Money"
This may come as a surprise to some of you, but Mayweather is without a shadow of a doubt the best boxer of this generation. I know, some of you are shocked at that statement. But, the way that he's been able to compete at such a high level for so long, it's like he's getting better with age.
He neutralized most of Alvarez's attacks with that patented Mayweather shoulder roll, and kept his opponent on the defensive for the entirety of the fight just by finding a home for his jab. By the end of the fight, it was pretty clear that Mayweather was the better fighter.
The big takeaway, though, is that there is currently nobody in the world up to 154 pounds who really has a shot at beating him. "Canelo" truly was the best shot. The only thing that will beat Mayweather at this point is Father Time and last night showed that Mayweather has at least another few years left in the tank.
Not all undefeated records are created equally
Without doing any research, this appeared to be a perfect match up. Mayweather entered the ring Saturday night with a 44-0 record. "Canelo" entered with his own impressive 42-0-1 record. But, inside those numbers contained a certain truth:
Alvarez's resume was the product of favorable matchmaking.
And don't take that as a knock on his skills as a boxer. At 23 years old, "Canleo" is one of the young bright spots in a sport that desperately needs stars for the next generation. He has the good looks, charm and popularity to possibly transcend the sport and ensure that boxing doesn't die after Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao retire.
But, he's still got a long way to go. He was caught flat footed most of the bout and wasn't able to keep up with Mayweather's ridiculous pace. That may be because of the weight cut, but if he hopes to rebound, he'll need to make certain adjustments in his training.
Wait ... a majority decision? That can't be right.
Mayweather wasn't the only one surprised when Jimmy Lennon Jr. announced that the fight had ended in a majority decision. From my couch, it was a clear win for "Money," who worked over Alvarez for 12 rounds of boxing. If there ever was a clear case for a unanimous decision, it was last night's bout.
But, for some reason, CJ Ross scored it 114-114. She's the same judge who scored the Timothy Bradley vs. Manny Pacquoia fight 115-113 for Bradley. It's a completely indefensible scorecard and one that needs some investigation. Boxing isn't crooked, it's the people who can alter an outcome who are the problem.
And for those conspiracy theorists out there: A majority decision paid out 21:1 odds in Las Vegas.
It's time to stop underestimating Danny Garcia
Yes, his father Angel Garcia is about as grating as they come, but Danny Garcia proved last night that he's one of the elite fighters in the world with his 12 round drubbing of Lucas Matthysse. Entering the bout, Garcia was the +210 underdog despite being the Light Welterweight (140-pound) champion.
Oddsmakers are usually good at evaluating talent and skills. Last night proved that sometimes a fighter's heart and determination are incalculable. Garcia worked over Matthysse and caused a ton of early damage to his right eye. By the end of the fight, it was almost completely shut.
At 25 years old, the sky is truly the limit for Garcia. Especially if he can continue to put on great performances against top-ranked fighters.
Additional Thoughts
- I know we love talking about the production of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) being the best in combat sports, but Showtime has brought it to a totally different level. Every aspect of last night's pay-per-view (PPV) was incredible. The broadcast booth added such a nice touch to an already "big fight" atmosphere.
- The Molina/Smith bout was fun, but definitely one of the dirtiest fights I've ever witnessed. There was no reason for a referee to get so involved in a fight. But, I guess like the saying goes, 'if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.'
- Seriously, that 114-114 card is criminal. I hope that Keith Kizer launches an investigation if only to protect the image of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I know with other commissions, judges are asked to justify ridiculous cards almost immediately after the fight. I'd hope that Kizer did that with CJ Ross.
- My favorite part of the night was that after people already spent $75 on an HD version of the PPV, Mayweather told fans to go buy a $65 hat on his webstore. That's not greed. That's the American dream. Mayweather is a business, and right now, business is booming.
For complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of the entire Mayweather vs. Canelo fight click here. For complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of "The One" under card click here.