GENERAL SANTOS CITY ? Manny Pacquiao lost the biggest fight of his life right at the start when, in the first round, his vaunted aggression was stymied by his tentativeness.
It was a round in which Floyd Mayweather Jr right away established his jabs to keep Pacquiao from teeing off.
Bigger and taller, Mayweather was able to establish his game plan, moving to his left whenever Pacquiao lunged and clinching when the Filipino came close.
Several times Mayweather hit below the belt or dug his elbow into the face of the Filipino to push him away when the referee told them to break during clinches. He pushed down Pacquiao behind the back of his head and almost got away locking the head of the 8-division world champion.
It was an ugly win for Mayweather and a painful loss for Pacquiao. But a win is a win.
For a man obsessed with keeping his immaculate record, it was a necessary tactic to keep the streak going.
Whoever said Mayweather would keep it clean does not know his or her boxing.
Some even said it was a bad decision. But, no, it was not a bad decision. It was the right decision at the end of a disappointing fight that never measured up to the hype.
Two rounds
Pacquiao won clearly in only two rounds ? rounds 4 and 6 ? when he kept Mayweather in the pocket and connected with a flurry of punches. But these came like rain in a hot summer.
Pacquiao said he thought he won the fight. His relatives here in General Santos City also thought he did, according to a local TV station who visited his mansion.
But Mayweather clearly won this one. In the tactical battle between two of the biggest boxing names in their generation, it was Mayweather whose game plan worked.
Pacquiao was not able to solve the Mayweather puzzle. Never able to execute a Plan B or Plan C when all did not work He was schooled, his guns silenced.
General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera nonetheless said Pacquiao put up a brave fight. He said his good friend and political ally has nothing to be ashamed of. He will still be revered as the greatest Filipino boxer of all time.
Pacquiao fan Philip Pabelic said Mayweather was too good for Pacquiao on the day.
At the gym in Lagao, General Santos City, the loud roars of some 6,000 fans during the introduction and the start of Round 1 had turned to tense silence by the middle of the fight when it was apparent Pacquiao?s electric ways were not working for the fight.
When the bell rang at the end there were boos. Perhaps because of the lack of action, or maybe because many felt Pacquiao came up short. When the runaway unanimous decision was announced, there were no loud protests. The jeers were halfhearted. They knew their idol lost this one.
