Over time a fighter loses something that he can?t put a finger on. Sometimes it?s gradual and subtle; others times it?s quick and blatant?
Over time a fighter loses something that he can?t put a finger on. Sometimes it?s gradual and subtle; others times it?s quick and blatant. Deep down he might refuse to acknowledge the deterioration, but he knows he must accept it. Last night it was clear that the great Floyd Mayweather Jr. was no longer the fighter that he once was. No longer moving with the same fluidity or showcasing his blinding speed, Mayweather tapped in to his reserves to stop a talented Conor McGregor in the tenth round of their 154-pound bout in Las Vegas on Saturday night. In what may have been his most impressive performance in years, Mayweather stayed true to his promise that he would knock out the Irishman and subsequently stunned a contingent of fans who had grown accustomed to his defensive style.
After the fight, Mayweather acknowledged the need to provide fans with the action and aggression that was sorely missing from his high-profile fights.
?I owed them for the Pac fight,? said Mayweather, who moved to 50-0 with 27 knockouts. ?I needed to give them a show and that?s what I did. He was a tough competitor, but I was the better man.?
Referee Robert Byrd?s stoppage in the tenth may have saved McGregor additional and unnecessary punishment, but the competitive fighter questioned the decision when he emphatically added, ?Let the man put me down.?
It was never easy for the legendary fighter as McGregor forced him to travel to places that he hasn?t been forced to go in years.
Everything that people had surmised about McGregor?s lack of experience and inability to cross over from the Octagon to the ring was dashed in the first six rounds. What was more impressive was McGregor?s willingness to dictate the momentum of the fight, a task that seemed nearly impossible against a defensive genius like Mayweather.
Establishing the tenor of the first half of the fight, McGregor first landed a sharp uppercut in the first round, then it was a rangy, but distracting pole-like jab that left the jab-heavy Mayweather with nowhere to turn. In the second and third rounds, McGregor used his size and angles to disrupt Mayweather?s rhythm. All the while, McGregor was landing punches, some more impactful than others. Yet, it didn?t matter since he was clearly so much busier than Mayweather.
With his aggressive approach, McGregor was falling right into the Mayweather trap to let him land ?heavy punches? early so he would tire out later in the fight. However, few expected Mayweather to be both listless and limited to a plodding fighter in the first couple rounds. Additionally, McGregor had applied a purposeful attack to take advantage of the passive Mayweather.
Heading into the fourth round, there was clear cause for concern in his camp.
Moving out of a slumber, Mayweather displayed periods of aggression, but they were quickly doused by the spirited McGregor. At this point, most Mayweather opponents have begun to succumb to the traps, baiting and utter exhaustion of dealing with the great fighter. Not McGregor. Over the next two rounds, McGregor continued to not only intensify the physicality of the fight, but also counterpunch well. As well as he had fought up to that point, McGregor could not offset the right hands that were now coming in at a faster pace.
The old Mayweather had begun to surface in the sixth round, evidenced by a left hook landed as he chased McGregor around the ring. No longer sapped of his energy, Mayweather began to remove the rust as he shined in the seventh with four vicious right hands. Mayweather defined the round with a beautiful right cross that landed perfectly when McGregor was slipping away from a previous punch.
By all accounts it was a close fight, but the rights effectively hindered McGregor?s attack. As great as Mayweather had been in his career, he was now showcasing a new, aggressive style that distanced him from the Pacquiao debacle.
His acceptance that he ?owed the fans? for that fight marked the first time that Mayweather was so upfront about a performance that lacked any entertainment value. Thus, in the eighth round, he cemented that promise by engaging in a highly entertaining give-and-take with McGregor. Both men showed why they are the best in their respective sports.
It was a fascinating round to watch for its competitiveness, but clearly this was a different, more energized Floyd and a new, slower Conor. At several points, Mayweather shoved the back of his glove in McGregor?s face to remind him who was boss.
Despite the great battle that was waged over those eight rounds, Mayweather asserted himself in the tenth and final round. After taking a vicious combination early, McGregor flailed around the ring. Slowly, but surely, Mayweather, no longer in a hurry, would catch him. In the midst of a flurry of vicious right hands, one caught McGregor and left his head on a swivel. Seconds later, Mayweather would close it out as Byrd stepped between the combatants to save a brave fighter who refused to go down.
?He?s composed,? said McGregor, 0-1-0. ?Not fast or powerful, but boy is he composed.?
But there?s so much more to him.
With the victory, Mayweather not only eclipsed Rocky Marciano?s revered record of 49-0, but he also showed the world another side of him. Everyone knew how great he was, but few believed he could match his talent and skill with bravery and courage. That?s what he did Saturday night. Knowing that he could no longer be the fighter he once was, Mayweather finally gave the fans what they had been waiting for all along. No longer reluctant or hesitant to close out the fight, he may have earned his toughest and most satisfying victory. And for the first time may have connected with the very people who had been admiring his extraordinary talents from afar for so long.
For Floyd, that should mean something special.
