Pacman fails; Floyd now 48-0

American boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. proved that conditioning, speed and determination to win are not enough anymore to win in a modern-day boxing match where guile now is a necessity, a fact that Filipino icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao learned the hard way.

Pacquiao tried to use speed and his agility to bring down the unbeaten Mayweather, but the cunning American merely mostly eluded everything the Filipino boxer threw at him.

Filipinos met Pacquiao’s loss to undefeated Mayweather in their welterweight showdown in Las Vegas with tears, anger and accusations of foul play.

The American weathered Pacquiao’s early assault and seemed to get stronger as the fight wore on, finishing ahead on all three judges scorecards.

In General Santos City, some fans cried while others called for an immediate rematch, saying Pacquiao deserved the win as he had been the aggressor, chasing Mayweather around the ring for much of the 12-round fight.

“It was a home-court decision,” said Karlo Alexei Nograles, a lawmaker from Davao City. “Manny should’ve won. He had Mayweather running and cornered on the ropes. Manny did not disappoint Filipinos, he gave it his all.”

The fight left streets deserted and brought the country to a virtual standstill as Filipinos packed into cinemas, hotels and parks to watch on big screens, while army bases across the Philippines also showed the fight for the troops.

Gymnasiums and other public venues where the 12-round fight was shown for free by local officials were quickly vacated soon after it was announced Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision.

Herminio Coloma, a spokesman for President Aquino, said the ‘’the country still holds its head high in the admirable fight of our National Fist.’’

He said the President thanked Pacquiao, who is also a congressman, for being ‘’an inspiration to every Filipino who is struggling with life’s challenges to achieve a bright future.’’

“He fought for respect, not points,” Edwin Lacierda, the President’s spokesman, said. “He won the hearts of the world.”

While many fans vehemently disagreed with the result, some agreed Mayweather had come out on top.

Analysts thought Mayweather was better defensively and landed the more accurate punches, and while Pacquiao was more aggressive, they said he won only three or four rounds.

Mayweather, thus, improved his unblemished record to 48-0.

Mayweather used his jabs and hit-and-run style to keep Pacquiao at bay and got the nods of all the three judges, 118-110, 116-112, 116-112.

With his 48th straight win, Mayweather unified the World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight titles in the match the boxing fans waited to happen for the last six years.

Pacquiao tagged Mayweather twice in the fourth and sixth rounds with combination to the body, but the Filipino slugger failed to capitalize the combination to the body.

”I think I won the fight. He did nothing. He kept on running,” Pacquiao said in a post-fight interview.

Pacquiao absorbed his sixth loss in 66 fights, losing the WBO belt he won against former undefeated Tim Bradley, also of the United States, on May 12, 2014.

After the 12-round match and the boxing fans were waiting for the verdict, Mayweather went to the corner of Pacquiao and hugged the former eight-division world titlist.

“He’s a hell of a fighter, I take my hat off to Manny. Now I see why he’s one of the guys at the pinnacle of the sport,” Mayweather said.

Mayweather, known as best defensive fighter, claimed he outboxed Pacquiao.

For some, it was the fight that almost never happened as huge demand meant some pay-per-view viewers in the US experienced disruptions to their service.

Yet, after a short delay in proceedings to iron out broadcast problems, “MayPac” was finally on.

The sense of anticipation as both men entered the ring was all the $300-million purse and their indisputable reputations promised.

Fight fans, pundits and TV networks had been demanding this bout as far back as 2009, when both men were arguably at their peak.

A series of contractual disputes and stipulations regarding drug testing, however, initially ensured an agreement was impossible.

But after a chance meeting between the pair at an NBA game in Miami earlier this year a deal was in the making. By February, it was on.

Tickets for the event sold out in minutes. Some were exchanging hands on the black market for as much as $350,000 before the fight. Even closed circuit relays of the match in Vegas were reportedly selling for as much as $3,500 a ticket, while viewers tuned in from every corner of the globe on pay-per-view channels.

PNA