Where ever you may have followed from around the world, have yourself a goodnight. Signing off.
This has been Bassil Thayabeh. Hope you have enjoyed VAVEL's LIVE coverage of the 'fight of the century'. Make sure to check out VAVEL to keep up-to-date on all the latest happenings in the world of sports.
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Well, it has been fun, folks! Hope you enjoyed that one. It certainly lived up to the hype. A knockout may have put the finishing touches, but you have to appreciate the show two of boxing's greatest ever put on.
People are sure to be interested in the stats that won the 'biggest fight of the century'. The most staggering stat being 9%. Final fight stats:
Floyd celebrating his latest victory to keep his undefeated record alive:
Pacquiao landed his fair share of big blows, but unfortunately it was just not enough. He looked like he had the upper hand early, but he slowly lost pace. Here is one of the punches he landed:
Mayweather used his long reach to his advantage tonight, landing some big reaching blows on Pacquiao. Here is one of them:
Although Pacquio was smiling and seemed in high spirits in his interview despite his loss, he questioned Mayweather's tactics on the night: "It was a good fight. I got him many times. I saw the punches. I thought I won the fight. He is moving around, it is not easy to throw a lot of punches. I can handle his power. He is not strong like some others. He's not bigger than me, the size doesn't matter, I have fought bigger guys."
Here is what Mayweather had to say after his latest win, met with a chorus of boos from the crowd: "First off, I want to thank God. I want to think all the fans around the world. This was a hell of a fight. I take my hat off to Manny Pacquiao, now I see why he is one of the guys at the pinacle of boxing. I am truly blessed. Manny Pacquaio is truly blessed. I am a calculating fighter. He is a tough competitor. I had to take my time with him. My last fight is in September."
At the same time, it seemed Mayweather hung on to Pacquiao on several occasions, disrupting the flow of the fight. Could have been called out on a few of his grabs.
Many critics seem to be in a hurry to reducle Mayweather's style tonight, but he had a real stragey in mind, he used defensive tactics rather than going for power, and it paid off for him.
Mayweather will be very happy with the result. The 'Money' man keeps his undefeated record intact in an effort to leave his mark on the sport of boxing.
'Pacman' still handing out high fives and blowing kisses to the audience as he exits to his dressing room.
Pacquaio seemed to have the upper hand early on, but seems the judges thought otherwise.
Pacquiao does not reveal what is next for him in the ring. Says he will take a vacation and his manager will take care of his upcoming events.
Pacquiao's interview: says he believed he should have won and Mayweather continued to duck him, running away in the ring.
BIG NEWS: Mayweather says he has one fight left in him. After one last time in the ring in September, says he will hang up the gloves.
Mayweather's post-fight interview: speaks of how confident he was in his ability, and had no doubt he would win.
118-110, 116-112, 116-112, FLOYD 'MONEY' MAYWEATHER IS YOUR WINNER!
Scorecard results...
The two fighters embrace in the middle of the ring, showing appreciation for one another.
Mayweather has a verbal exchange with fans in the crowd who are displeased with him.
12th Round (0:00): The fight is over. We await the scorecard results.
10th Round (0:00): Although Pacquiao has landed the bigger punches, Mayweather has been the more effective of the two, connecting more on his punches.
10th Round (1:15): Mayweather dodging everything Pacquiao has thrown at him.
10th Round (2:21): Pacquiao lands a big body blow.
9th Round (0:40): Both fighters exchange some jabs in the middle of the ring. Pacquiao chasing his counter part around the ring.
9th Round (2:26): Some decent body connections from Pacquiao's end. Looking to land more punches to up his scorecard rank.
8th Round (0:00): Floyd had the upper hand in the round. Connecting on more punches.
8th Round (1:29): BIG left hook landed from Pacquiao.
8th Round (2:28): Mayweather dodges some BIG swings from Pacquiao.
7th Round (0:00): Even round, hard to call who had the better round. Both fighters trying to land some headshots.
7th Round (0:49): Mayweather using his reach advantage to land some jabs.
7th Round (1:47): The fighters meet in the middle of the ring. Not many punches landed.
6th Round (0:00): A sneak peak into the judge's scorecards seems to indicate Mayweather has a 10 point lead. Unbelieveable, really. Pacquiao looks to be having the upper hand so far.
6th Round (1:10): Pacquiao again backs Mayweather into the ropes, lands several big body blows.
6th Round (2:00): The official gets into the two fighters, urging them to clean things safe.
5th Round (0:00): Floyd backed Pacquiao back into the ropes, had the better round of punches.
5th Round (1:25): The fighters exchange blows in the middle of the ring.
4th Round (1:20): Pacquiao lands a FLURRY of punches to Mayweather's upper body! Floyd hanging in there, protecting his face.
4th Round (2:20): Pacquiao has Mayweather backed into the corner here!
3rd Round (0:00): Both fighters landing big blows that round. Mayweather with the upper hand.
3rd Round (0:03): Mayweather lands a big shot on Pacquiao's head!
3rd Round (1:15): Mayweather finding his way into the fight. Backing Pacquiao into the ropes.
3rd Round (2:10): Some low shots from both fighters. Verbal jabs between the two, trying to keep it clean.
2nd Round (0:00): Second round comes to a close! Another round to Pacquiao. Seems the more motivated and energetic between the two.
2nd Round (0:25): Hard left hook from Pacquiao! Hardest punch so far.
2nd Round (1:30): Mayweather being backed into the corner. Unable to find his grove.
2nd Round (2:30): BIG body blows exchanged.
1st Round (0:00): The opening round comes to an end! That round to Pacquiao. Landed some quick jabs out of the gate and backed his opponent into the corner.
1st Round (0:30): Mayweather lands a BIG body blow.
1st Round (1:50): Pacquiao has landed some nice quick punches.
1st Round (3:00): FIGHT IS UNDER WAY!
The fight the world has waitied for, we are seconds away from the first bell!
In the blue corner, Floyd Mayweather.
In the red corner, Manny Pacquiao.
Official in-ring introductions are about to be held.
MAYWEATHER IS IN THE RING!
Floyd Mayweather's turn to be introduced. Making his way to the ring now.
PACMAN HAS ENTERED THE RING!
Pacquiao looking very cool and calm here. Smiling, waving to the crowd, and jumping on the spot to the ring. He has just taken a selfie, looking very relaxed.
Manny Pacquiao being introduced, led by his entourage.
GO TIME! Main event TIME! We thank you for joining VAVEL's coverage of this huge fight.
We are MINUTES away! Crowd chanting 'MANNY, MANNY!'
Both fighters are waiting to be introduced. Itching to get into the ring.
Jamie Foxx now singing the American national anthem.
National anthem of the Philippines now being sung.
Mexico national anthem being sung.
Pre-fight festives set to get underway in the ring!
Let us know who you think will win this fight with the hashtag #VAVELBoxing on twitter!
The question occuying everyone's mind is how will each fighter approach this fight. Will Floyd be agressive or pay it safe? Will Pacquiao play his famous quick pace and land a flurry of early blows? We will have to wait and see.
Welcome to everyone, where ever you may be in the world, just tuning into this LIVE commentary of the 'biggest fight of the century'! We are almost ready to rubble.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is BUZZING! The arena seems to be already full and people are itching to hear the first bell.
The fight might be delayed a few minutes, folks! Reports from cable television suggest there has been a traffic overload from the number of people buying the fight on pay-per-view, need more time to sort out the blackout in some areas of the United States.
The celebs are taking their seats at the MGM Grand Arena! Tom Brady getting interviewed, one of thousands of big names in the crowd tonight. Paris Hilton, Charles Barkley, Denzel Washington, a few of the names.
Pacquiao is READY! The 'Pacman' is motivated to put an end to his opponent's undefeated record and leave his legacy on the sport.
Floyd is HUNGER! This is his night, he will do anything to keep his undefeated record intact! Is it destiny? Will he do it? He's fighting for his kids and money tonight.
We are getting closer and closer folks! Get comfy in your seats, we are mere minutes away from the introduction of the main event: Mayweather - Pacquaio.
"I've never wanted to win a fight this bad in my life," Mayweather also said to reporters earlier in the week.
"I know I'm going to win the fight in the ring," Pacquiao told a crowd of supporters earlier this week. "So relax."
Mayweather and Pacquiao are currently in their respective dressing rooms, as the two fighters await the finish of the undercard fights.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are set to hit the ring in 30 minutes time, ladies and gentlemen! It is almost fight time.
Many celebrities will be on hand for the fight tonight. If you want an idea of how many big names will take in this historic event, here is a private jet traffic jam at a Vegas airport (via @marcjay702)
If you are not the biggest boxing expert and are here to just witness the 'biggest fight of the century', here is a video recap of how the fight was organized and the stakes that are on the line:
Mayweather is reportedly guaranteed $180 million for this fight, while Pacquiao will get $120 million. Many conflicting reports, but what we do know is that both fighters will be just a little richer following this bout.
Much of the talk in the past few hours leading up to the fight has been the banning of the credentials for CNN’s Rachel Nichols and ESPN’s Michelle Beadle. The two reporters stated that Mayweather's camp has denied them entry to tonight's fight. Nichols has previously questioned Mayweather about allegations he abused his wife in the past.
If you were wondering what a front row ticket to the fight looks like, here is one, at a cost of $7,500 (via @SBNLukeThomas).
64-year-old Kenny Bayless will be refereeing the Mayweather - Pacquiao Live fight. Bayless has previously officiated fights for both fighters, but none of the magnitude of this one. No matter how well he performs, criticism will be sure to follow from officials of both fighters and fans. Dave Moretti, Glenn Feldman, and Burt Clements are the three judges for tonight and are tasked with keeping the scores of a huge fight. Fans will be hoping if it does indeed go to the scorecards, things will be clean and whoever does win, wins fairly.
In case you missed Friday night's weigh in between Mayweather - Pacquiao Live in Vegas, Mayweather came in a pound heavier than his counter-part Pacquiao, 146 and 145 pounds respectively. Echos of 'boo' filled the arena everytime Mayweather was shown on the big screen, while cheers welcomed Pacquiao.
The citizens of Phillipines have been asked by electric companies to turn off their fridges in an effort to prevent power cuts while watching their hero Pacquiao against Mayweather.
Mayweather turned professional in January of 1995 at the age of just 16-years-old. At the time, he stood at 4'11" and weighed 98 pounds. Yesterday, he weighed in at 146 pounds.
Who will it be? Mayweather keeping his undefeated record alive? Pacquiao putting an end to his opponent’s streak? Will it be a Mayweather - Pacquiao live knockout? Scorecards? How will each fighter perform? Just a few of the million questions occupying the minds of not only boxing fans, but just the ordinary person that will be watching this one to take in the biggest fight of our generation.
Ticket for Mayweather - Pacquiao live fight sales reached $74M, with expected revenue at $300M; the most expensive seat ringside at a value of $141,575+ and an expected $300M purse for each fighter. If the hype surrounding the fight did not convince you enough of how big this fight is, those figures certainly did.
Boxing has had a somewhat difficult struggle in terms of main popularity over some years now, these difficult times were compounded by its own internal flaws as well as outside competition which overtook it massively in the shape of MMA.
Going into the biggest fight of the decade everyone is debating the likely outcomes; what it will mean for either man, rematches before the first bout has even started and even the fascinating topic of gum-shields. It has only been touched on ever so slightly though, that this could be a fight to thrust Boxing back into the main.
With all the money, hype, sponsorship, talking and waiting, we finally will be greeted with the bout between two of the best pound for pound fighters of their generation, arguably, ever. With many divisions in the sport looking competitive and exciting for once at each respective domestic level, could this one Welterweight bout tip it over the edge and grasp the worlds attention again to a sport just waiting to make its comeback?
Several reports have stated each fighter will earn approximately $140,000 a second in this Mayweather - Pacquiao live today, which is just incredible and speaks volumes to the magnitude of this event. Sponsors to have the right to put their logo on Floyd’s shorts were said to be willing to pay as much as $50,000.
Instead of the fight itself, much of the talk that has dominated the buildup to this event has not been who is going to win or what is going to happen, rather the talk is about the money that is being put on the line. It is staggering how many people have spent to witness this once in a life time opportunity. Not only what the audience have paid, but what the fighters are projected to be earning every second of the bout.
Through many social media polls, Pacquiao seems to be the one with the most fan support. However, people still believe it is destiny for Mayweather to win and keep a stranglehold of his prestigious undefeated record. Will Pacquiao put an end to his undefeated streak? Who knows, but it would definitely cause a big reaction around the world, especially in Pacquiao’s native Philippines where he is viewed beyond the label of a hero.
Compared to Floyd’s 26 career knockouts, Manny has registered 38 career wins via knockout. Floyd has the height, reach, and weight advantage, but will that have an effect on the fight? Highly unlikely as Pacquiao has become renowned for his impressive speed around the ring and the quick punches he can land in quick succession.
Where Mayweather’s criticism is born from is the fact he has not won a fight via knockout since 2011. A surprising stat potentially to many. Pundits believe because of this, there is pressure on Floyd to end his career with a bang and knockout Pacquiao in the biggest fight of his career, the Mayweather - Pacquiao live fight 2015.
Mayweather loves the attention and basks in the spotlight. It will be interesting to see what kind of approach he takes as soon as the first bell rings. Pacquiao on the other hand has come to be known as a ‘humble’ family man that does not care too much for the cameras. Whether that is true or not, we will leave the audience to think for themselves.
The legendary Iron Mike Tyson is backing the Filipino challenger Pacquiao on the basis that he throws more punches than the tactician Mayweather: “Floyd doesn’t throw anywhere near 100 punches a round. He is more of a scientific fighter, he really plots a lot, he poses whereas Pacquiao is feinting and moving. That’s just my opinion; Pacquiao has perpetual motion he’s all over the god damn place.”
Despite his impressive record, Mayweather has long been criticized for his apparent ‘lack of knockout power’. With the amount of titles and money he possess, he is sure to not care about what the critics say. Will he look for a knockout in what could be his final fight? Probable. But he is sure to do all he can to defend his record.
Mayweather has hinted on several occasions that this could be his final goodbye to the ring. The American would love to retire with his undefeated record intact. It would be quite the accomplishment if he could pull it off and beat the ‘Pacman’.
Mayweather - Pacquiao live fight: 38 AGE 36 : Grand Rapids, Michigan ORIGIN Bukidnon, Philippines : 5’8” HEIGHT 5’6 1/2” : 72” REACH 67” : 47-0-0 RECORD 57-5-2.
The Hitman Ricky Hatton has branded the pair as “two of the greatest fighters that boxing has ever seen.” He is also well placed to give a prediction having fought both Mayweather and Pacquiao, and he’s tipping Mayweather to have his arm lifted at the end of it all. “I think Manny will cause Floyd all sorts of problem with his southpaw stance and his hand speed, however there is a reason that one of the two are undefeated. Floyd knows how to win a fight in any situation and my head leans towards a Mayweather win.”
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have been training for months, and it all comes down to this. Fans are spectacle of how the fight will turn out because of the age of Mayweather - Pacquiao live. Fans have wanted to see the two fight for years, but issues between the two sides made it difficult to organize a fight. But patience is rewarded, and the fans have got what they have been wishing for, finally.
Of course we can talk all we want about Mayweather’s accomplishments, but his opponent Manny Pacquiao is also one of the greatest fighters the sport has seen. ‘Pacman’ has a 57-5-2 record and looks to hand his counterpart his first career loss.
Mayweather currently holds five world titles. He is the TBRB junior middleweight champion, WBC Super welterweight champion, WBC welterweight champion, WBC diamond super welterweight belt and WBA (Super) super welterweight champion. The fact Floyd is 38-years-old and has still defended all these belts and titles, speaks volumes of the fighter he is and the dominance he has put the sport of boxing under.
There is no questioning what Mayweather has accomplished throughout his career, however. ‘Money’ is widely regarded as the best pound for pound boxer in the world and is a definite future hall of fame candatiate. His 47-0 record is just proof of what he has done in his career since his debut in the sport in 1996.
Welcome to Vavel USA’s live coverage of the “fight of the century” as Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao live boxing. The two finally meet up after years of fan pressure to have arguable two of the greatest boxers in history in the same ring. Will Mayweather keep his undefeated record? Will Pacquiao pull off the unthinkable?