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welterweight title fight.
Mayweather, who was defending his title for the first time since serving a jail term for domestic violence, dominated a bloodied Guerrero for most of the fight at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.
All three judges scored the 12-round fight 117-111 in favour of Mayweather.
Though “The Ghost” brought the uncompromising high-pressure attack he has become known for, Mayweather’s own trademark defence was just too quick and too elusive for the most part, with the champion’s stinging counter-right catching Guerrero time and time again throughout the contest.
Mayweather opened up two small cuts on his opponent just after the halfway mark, one on his left eye and another on his nose, but took his foot off the pedal in the latter stages knowing he had the fight won.
There were occasional boos from the crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena due to the constant periods of relative non-action, but for the 44th consecutive outing the “Mayweather code” remains uncrackable.
“I had a good tough battle with Robert Guerrero,” Mayweather said. “It was blood, sweat and tears tonight.”
The 36-year-old Mayweather was also fighting for the first time in a year as he improved to 44-0 with 26 knockouts. Guerrero, who had his 15-fight win streak dating back to 2005 snapped, fell to 31-2-1, with 18 knockouts.
Mayweather spent close to three months in jail beginning in June after being convicted of domestic violence involving the mother of his three children.
“I wouldn’t wish being locked up on anyone,” Mayweather said after the fight. “That’s a rough position, being locked up 23 hours a day with one hour out.”
Both fighters had their fathers working their corners in this fight.
Mayweather sacked his uncle and longtime cornerman Roger Mayweather in favour of bringing his father Floyd Sr back for this fight.
The two fathers grabbed most of the pre-fight attention by exchanging verbal jabs, with Ruben Guerrero calling Floyd Jr a “woman beater” in the build up to the bout.
“I needed my father for this fight because Guerrero is tough, a true warrior,” Mayweather said.
“My father helped my defence and encouraged me to box smart. I wanted a knockout but I hurt my right hand during the bout.”
“I am 36 and after the Cotto fight I wasn’t sure if my defence was sharp enough but it was, even with the sore hand. Guerrero was pressing with his attack but him pushing me to perform was what I needed.”
Mayweather had plenty of critics heading into the week’s fight who said factors working against him included increasing age, the change in trainers and the conviction and jail term.
“Everybody was saying because I am 36 that I don’t have it no more, that my defence wasn’t sharp, but I proved myself,” Mayweather said.
The fight started slowly, with Guerrero the aggressor and Mayweather feeling the challenger out.
Mayweather began to seize control in the third round and dictated the pace from there, using his superior foot and hand speed to keep Guerrero off balance. Mayweather landed one of his hardest punches in the eighth round — a roundhouse right that wobbled Guerrero, whose face was starting to show the effects of being hit with a barrage of straight rights, stinging counterpunches and lunging jabs.
The champion also opened up a cut near Guerrero’s eye in the eighth.
The ring-savvy Mayweather cruised through the middle and later rounds, using his strong defence to slip punches on the ropes and in the centre of the ring. Mayweather was so dominant in the later rounds that he stopped moving from side to side in the 11th, choosing to slug it out and landing punches at will against Guerrero, who never gave up but was hopelessly over-matched.
“He is a tough competitor. I take my hat off to him,” Mayweather said.
The only blemish on his performance was that Mayweather, who made US$32 million for this fight, failed to get the knockout.
Mayweather blamed the inability to finish Guerrero off on an injury to his hand that he suffered in the middle rounds. “I was looking for the knockout but I hurt my right hand,” he said.
Mayweather is committed to fighting September 14 when he could possibly face Mexico’s Saul Alvarez. — AFP.
Online Reporter