Mayweather’s perfect storm
A RUTHLESS Floyd Mayweather scored a 10th round technical knockout over mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor in Las Vegas yesterday, cementing his legacy as one of boxing’s all-time greats.
McGregor, 29, making his professional boxing debut, had boasted he would knock out the 40-year-old American early, but Mayweather left no doubt of his place in the pantheon of boxing greats as he improved to 50-0 to surpass heavyweight great Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record for most wins without a loss or draw.
As promised, McGregor came out full of fury, but Mayweather, long regarded as the finest defensive fighter to step into the ring, left few openings and used the first three rounds to feel out his opponent.
By the fourth round he started landing blows against a suddenly desperate McGregor.
In the 10th, Mayweather moved in for the kill, pinning a visibly fatigued McGregor against the ropes.
He was landing a flurry of punches when the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
Mayweather said he got a tougher fight than he expected.
“He is a lot better than I thought he was, he used different angles and was a tough competitor but I was the better man,” he said.
“Our game plan was to take our time, let him shoot all his heavy shots early on and then take him down at the end, down the stretch.
“We know in the MMA he fights 25 minutes real hard and after that he starts to slow down. I guaranteed this fight wouldn’t go the distance. A win is a win.”
Ringside stats showed Mayweather landed 170 of 320 punches to 111 of 430 for McGregor.
While Mayweather insisted that was his last outing in the ring, McGregor walked away with his reputation intact after putting up an accomplished showing in his first pro- fessional bout. But he did claim referee Robert Byrd called time on the fight too early.
“I took the early rounds fairly handy,” he said. “There was a lot on the line and I thought he should have let me carry on.
“I was just a little fatigued. He is composed and you have got to give it to him.
“I thought it was close. I get a little wobbly when I’m tired, it is fatigue, the referee could have let it keep going, let the man put me down. I am clear-headed.
“Where were the final two rounds? Let me wobble to the corner and make him put me down.”