Floyd Mayweather has beaten Manny Pacquiao on a points decision during one of the most lucrative boxing matches of all time.
Neither of the fighters, regarded the world’s top two, failed to land a winning blow during 12 rounds late Saturday night, and judges awarded May weather the fight on a points decison.
All three judges scored Mayweather higher than Pacquiao in a unanimous decision. The new unified WBC, WBA, and WBO Welterweight champion scored 118-110, 116-112, 116-112.
American Mayweather took his unbeaten record to 48-0, with Pacquiao’s record slumping to 57 wins and six losses after the Filipino’s defeat.
Saturday’s long-awaited bout, which had been more than five years in the making, had transcended the traditional boxing scene, catapulted the sport back into the public consciousness and promised to rewrite the record books as the richest fight of all time.
Las Vegas was buzzing ahead of the welterweight world title showdown and the money men were rubbing their hands: total revenue for the bout could reach an eye-watering $400 million, fuelled by as many as three million pay-per-view purchases.
The breathtaking figures – touted as high as a possible $180 million payday for the unbeaten American and an estimated $120 million bonanza for Filipino icon Pacquiao – have intensified the spotlight on a fight between two of the most successful boxers of their generation. Aljazeera
