Mayweather sails by averting brawl
LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather Jr. refused to allow Marcos Maidana to turn their rematch into a brawl like the first meeting, boxing masterfully to win a 12-round unanimous decision Saturday night in their welterweight title fight.
Mayweather remained unbeaten in 47 pro fights, drawing upon his 18 years of experience and frustrating Maidana the entire night. In their first bout in May, Maidana roughed up Mayweather in one of the closest fights of Mayweather’s career.
Two ringside judges scored the rematch 116-111 for Mayweather, while the third had it 115-112.
“I felt sharper in the first fight; my rhythm was off,” Mayweather said. “I got hit with some shots tonight I shouldn’t have gotten hit with. But that comes with the sport.”
The fight was held up momentarily in the eighth round when Mayweather complained that Maidana bit him on the wrist while the two were tied up. Maidana was penalized for tripping Mayweather in the 10th round.
Mayweather complained long after the first fight in May that Maidana was a dirty fighter, and complained even more Saturday when Maidana seemed to try to hit him below the belt in a clinch in the eighth round, then apparently tried to bite him.
Mayweather immediately jumped back and gestured to referee Kenny Bayless that Maidana bit him on the wrist. He went to his corner and showed Bayless where the bite was, then went over to the Showtime announcers’ table to complain.
“He bit me!” Mayweather yelled.
Maidana (35-5) would later be penalized a point for tackling Mayweather as he tried desperately to find something that would work against the champion.
By the end of the ninth round, though, Maidana was so out of sorts he went to the wrong corner when the bell rang.
Nevertheless, Maidana said, “I thought I won the fight.”
Maidana also said that after the first fight, when he had won three of the first five rounds while Mayweather had trouble staving him off. But Maidana was less effective in the rematch.
He spent many of the early rounds trying to figure out a way to get inside as he had in the first fight. Mayweather kept him at a distance, circling around and landing left jabs and hooks, then scampering out of the way before Maidana could respond.