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An unofficial scorecard of Pacquiao-Mayweather

Steve Marcus/Reuters
By Ivan Saldajeno

IT seemed like many got dismayed with not just the result of the so-called "fight of the century" between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather but how it went.

But before you continue criticizing Floyd for literally running the floor and call him with derogatory terms, let me show you some things you don't know about boxing that you saw in the fight.

First, what you consider as a "cowardly move" by Mayweather is part of the fight plan. Mayweather acknowledged what Pacquiao can do, so he just neutralized it by using his reach advantage. If you think he's just ducking around the squared circle, he was also active through the jabs, some even rocking Pacquiao.

Second, Mayweather-Pacquiao was a classic example of how technical fighters work. You see, boxing is just evolving, not dying as what you thought. Boxing is slowly becoming a mind game too especially with the latest technology making highlight reels available to the general public. It's just that casual fans are already accustomed to the warrior-like style of play which puts a premium on aggression, which is what most of the Filipino fighters like Pacquiao do. Technical fighters would love to slow down the pace. Hence, the "boredom" you got from the fight.

To balance everything, though, I am honest in saying that this was not the match I expected. With two future hall of famers inside the ring, I anticipated a wild one. Also, technical fighting was given a bad light there. But it was a lesson in boxing that was taught the hard way.

Now, how I scored Mayweather-Pacquiao:

Round 1-Mayweather. Slow-paced first three minutes, but it was expected in a Pacquiao fight in terms of his recent outings.

Round 2-Pacquiao. Manny started to get more active. Also a usual thing in recent Pacquiao matches.

Round 3-Mayweather. Floyd slowed the pace again. Take note that it was in this round where Manny felt his shoulder tear.

Round 4-Pacquiao. Clearly a Manny round. Aside from the aggression, Pacquiao tagged Mayweather with some huge shots.

Round 5-Mayweather. With Pacquiao nearly knocking Mayweather down, the latter again slowed down the fight.

Round 6-Pacquiao. Another clear Manny round, although his shots were not as strong as those of Round 4.

Rounds 7-9-Mayweather. Probably the turning point of the fight. Floyd put up a clinic on technical boxing. Not just that, he also tagged Manny with some significant shots.

Round 10-Pacquiao. Manny stepped on the gas in the round, although the stamina became a factor.

Round 11-Mayweather. Floyd frustrated Manny anew with his technical style.

Round 12-Pacquiao. With Floyd already winning in my card, I just looked if Manny will have one last gasp. He was actually slightly more active in that round. However, it was expected of Mayweather, who correctly thought he was winning the fight, to simply roam the ring and clinch to Manny to thwart any chance of a disaster.

My scorecard: 115-113 Mayweather