Floyd "Money" Mayweather reaffirmed his spot atop the pound-for-pound rankings in boxing by taking down Robert "Ghost" Guerrero via unanimous decision on Saturday night.
Guerrero came out strong in the first round, using an aggressive style to try to dictate the tempo of the fight, but it didn't take Mayweather long to adjust. The champion used a vicious straight right hand and his patented world-class defense to control the majority of the fight and ensure that the victory would be his in the end.
Money shook off the rust from a year-long layoff to best the formidable challenger. As this is just the first fight on a lucrative deal with Showtime/CBS, his business partners must be pleased with the early results.
Obviously Mayweather's name drew a large audience, but a victory maintains his relevance for at least the next fight in the deal.
At 36 years old, his sustained dominance is truly on a fight-by-fight basis. Continuing to defeat top-notch competition into his mid-30's is a mark of true greatness.
As usual, a Mayweather win brought spirited responses from the boxing community.
Many critics have targeted Mayweather for fighting easy opponents, but Guerrero had the respect of boxing fans in the know. A win over him is as impressive as a victory over any fighter in Mayweather's weight range would be.
There are several directions in which he can go from here. He could take a fight with 154-pound king Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who just defeated Austin Trout in April.
He could also take on any number of challengers at 147 pounds. Even fighters at 140 pounds may have aspirations of moving up to face him.
With Manny Pacquiao faltering in his last two fights, including a brutal KO at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in December, Mayweather is the best in the sport.
No other fighter can stake claim to the status he holds. Love him or hate him, he is the best fighter in the world.
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