An undefeated six-time champion, Mayweather easily rose to 40-0, with 25 knockouts with a flawless, 12-round, unanimous decision over Marquez of Mexico City after having been out of the ring for 21 months — good for FanHouse’s Comeback Of The Year honors.
In a fight that took place three days after Mexico’s Independence Day celebration before ringside spectators who were largely pro-Marquez, the 32-year-old, five-division champion consistantly beat Marquez to the punch, flooring him with a crisp, short, left hook in the second round and winning virtually every round.
Like FanHouse, judge Burt Clements had it 120-107, meaning Mayweather won every round, with the second round being scored, 10-8, for the winner.
Judges Dave Moretti, and, William Lerch, scored it, 119-108, and, 118-109, respectively, for Mayweather, who lost only three rounds total in a bout that was to be contested at a catchweight of 144 pounds, even as Mayweather was fined for coming in at two pounds over at 146.
The weight, notwithstanding, Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) simply was too slow, and, Mayweather, too slick and too skilled for him to handle.
Having skipped the 140-pound weight class, the 36-year-old Marquez was coming off of junior lightweight (135 pounds) knockouts over Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz — two fighters whom Marquez stopped for the first times in their careers.
Mayweather had last been in the ring opposite England’s previously unbeaten, Ricky Hatton, who was 43-0, with 31 knockouts before being stopped in the 10th round by Mayweather in December of 2007.
Since Marquez has battled seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquiao, to a disputed draw, and, a controversial split-decision loss, respectively, there are many who still believe that Mayweather — and not Pacquiao — remains the sport’s best fighter, pound- for-pound.
