Mayweather defeated Pacquiao

Mayweather outboxed Manny Pacquiao in a brilliant display to win a unanimous decision in one of the biggest fights in boxing history before a sold-out and star-studded crowd of 16,507 on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 118-110, and judges Glenn Feldman and Burt Clements both had it 116-112. ESPN.com also had it 116-112 for Mayweather.

The five-weight world champion is now undefeated in 48 professional fights, stretching back 19 years. Six-weight world champion Pacquiao, who falls to 57 wins, six losses and two draws, later blamed a shoulder injury for his defeat.

Mayweather, already the highest-paid athlete in the world in recent years, is expected to earn an estimated $180 million from the fight and Pacquiao around $120 million.

THE FIGHT

The opening round was extremely cagey, with both men trying to establish their distance, but Mayweather did land with a couple of eye-catching right hands on the counter.

In the fourth round, Pacquiao nailed Mayweather with a hard straight left hand that sent him into the ropes, and he then unloaded numerous punches as the crowd erupted. Floyd shook his head as if to indicate he was not hurt, but then got caught with a right hook.

Mayweather and Pacquiao during the fight / Getty images

Mayweather was not throwing as many punches as Pacquiao at that point, but when he did, he was accurate, especially with his jab as he controlled the distance of the fight. But Pacquiao had bursts, such as in the sixth round, when he fired straight left hands to back Mayweather into the ropes before unleashing multiple flurries.

As aggressive as Pacquiao tried to be, Mayweather was able to blunt him, blocking punches and countering with jabs and straight right hands as he seemed to get into a groove in the seventh round.

The crowd tried to lift Pacquiao in the 12th round with chants of "Manny! Manny!" but it was more of the same as the previous several rounds as Mayweather boxed, moved and countered

 “I THOUGHT I WON THE FIGHT”

After the fight, Mayweather had only good words for Pacquiao: "He is a true champion at heart, and we both did our best tonight. When the books are written, it will be a great fight," he said.

Floyd Mayweather / Getty images

"He is a hell of a fighter. I take my hat off to Manny Pacquiao, now I see why he is one of the guys at the pinnacle", he added

Pacquiao believed the fight was his: "It is a good fight. I thought I won the fight", he commented. "He did not do anything. He moved outside. I got him many more times with a lot of punches, and I thought I won the fight; I was never hurt. I was very surprised at the scores", he explained.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, a Hall of Famer and seven-time trainer of the year, also thought Pacquiao, the 36-year-old Filipino legend, won the fight.

PACQUIAO´S CHRISTIAN FAITH

In 2012, Pacquiao acknowledged he had succumbed to many of the temptations offered to ultra-wealthy sportsmen, after the Philippine media for many years dined out on rumours of infidelity, drinking and gambling.

"I do realise I was a weak person before. If I had died the other year, I believe my soul would have ended in hell", Pacquiao told reporters then. "I had faith, but I was doing things which were against the will of God", he added.

"All the things I loved and wanted were the same things that were most detestable before the eyes of God. I was a sinner", Pacquiao said.

Pacquio preaching

Publicly, Pacquiao has also been just as confident that God will help him defeat Mayweather." The Lord, my God that I am serving will deliver him into my hands", the boxer said on Twitter.

He is now building a church, to be called: "The Word for Everyone" and which can accommodate up 5,000 people, in his southern hometown of General Santos, pastor Boy Buan, who is overseeing the construction, told AFP.