Virtuoso performance by Pretty Boy Floyd

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Robert Guerrero was about as live as an underdog as they come, for the first three minutes of the fight or so. That was of course until Floyd Mayweather made some mid-fight adjustments to turn a once dangerous opponent into a glorified sparring partner. 

“Money” Mayweather (44-0, 26 knockouts) put on a boxing clinic over 12 rounds, nearly a year after serving time in prison on a domestic violence charge. He showed no signs of ring rust and had no trouble out-boxing the tough-as-they-come Guerrero (31-2-1, 18 knockouts), who fought a great first round, tagging Mayweather with some solid head and body shots, before unraveling into a one-dimensional non-threat in the 3^rd.

“The Ghost,” as Guerrero is called, employed what seemed to be an effective gameplan which involved countering with an uppercut to the body to answer Mayweather’s straight right, and playing rough on the inside in an attempt to force a brawl – tactics that opened up Mayweather’s vaunted defense much to the delight of the packed crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Mid-fight adjustments

Sensing Guerrero’s power, Mayweather shifted strategies as the 3^rd round was underway. He at first tried to pot shot Guerrero with his patented lead right but Guerrero was prepared for it each time. Mayweather increased production of his jab and worked a mean right hook behind it to keep his opponent off balance.

In what would be one of his greatest performances to date, Mayweather showed his superior ring generalship with unbelievably slick footwork. 

Using the entire length of the ring, Mayweather was as elusive as ever and from the 3^rd round onwards, Guerrero was unable to find him with anything. The increasingly frustrated Guerrero’s spirit was taken completely out of the fight by the 6^th round due to frustration and complete and utter confusion, as the California native had the look of defeat painted vividly on his face.

Mayweather shuffled his feet and got to spots in the ring in a blur, launching zippy power shots while slipping and sliding out of harm’s way. He made sure to keep his left lead foot on the inside of Guerrero’s southpaw lead right. From this position, Mayweather’s snappy right hand’s speed and velocity were amplified and Guerrero had no answer for it.

Total domination

It was a one-sided show as all three judges ruled in favor of Mayweather by scores of 117-111 across the board. I scored it unofficially giving Mayweather the victory 119-109. I thought Guerrero took the 1^st round but did not do significantly much after.

Mayweather’s defense was on full display and was absolutely superb. He showed no signs of slippage given his 36 years of age, fighting a young, come-forward Mexican fighter in his prime. Mayweather had no trouble allowing Guerrero to take him to the corner as he did the rope-a-dope, exciting the crowd who were witnessing a technical masterpiece.

There should be no question as to who the best in the sport is after this performance. Looking past the brash, trash-talking demeanor, fans should appreciate what Mayweather brings to the table and has continued to bring for the past two decades.

“I’ve got five more fights and then I’m through with the sport,” said Mayweather, alluding to his retirement plans.

“Truly an amazing ride, 17 years. I’m blessed to be where I’m at. I was built for this,” said Mayweather.

When the name Canelo Alvarez popped up, Mayweather was reluctant to hint at making any commitments, as he always has in his entire career.

“I’m closer to 40 than I am to 21. I’m gonna talk to my team, Al Haymon, and take some time off,” he responded. “We don’t know who we’re going to fight now. Let me go home and rest now. Tonight I had a good tough battle with Robert Guerrero.”

60% power punch rate

Mayweather’s total domination of Robert Guerrero will go down as one of the best performances in his career, particularly defensively, and will be reviewed by pundits and trainers for years. 

Mayweather landed over 60 percent of his power punches according to CompuBox, a staggering total of 153 out of 254. He wasted no punches as he clipped an unbelievably high mark. Guerrero on the other hand only managed a measly 19% (113 of 581), due largely in part to Mayweather’s pristine defensive prowess.

“Mayweather was a tricky fighter, especially with body shots,” said Guerrero, who found himself on the losing end for the first time since 2005.

“That’s why he’s still undefeated. God has a plan for me, but today, it wasn’t to beat Floyd Mayweather. It was to be here to inspire people and all of my fans. He’s slick, he’s quick, and he’s better than I thought. He was definitely on his game tonight,” said Guerrero.

If Mayweather has only 5 fights left in his career, could one of those opponents finally be Manny Pacquiao? Fans can only hope. – Rappler.com