June 22, 1938: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling
March 8, 1971: Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali
And now the first superfight of the social media age!
Here’s our round by round breakdown for the Fight of the Century (Philippines: Battle for Greatness)
11:00am: The VIPs are in the building. Michael Jordan, Mark Wahlberg, Robert De Niro, among others are in the building!
11:06am: UP NEXT: Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather
A retrospective video is shown showing the biggest fights in both fighters’ careers. Highlights from the biggest weigh-in in fight sports history was shown as well*.
*First time in fight sports history that the audience paid to see a weigh-in. Tickets started at $10.
11:26am: Magic Johnson, Jesse Jackson, Paris Hilton, Adrian Brody, Sting shown on the screen,
“We waited for five years, what’s a few more minutes?”
11:37am: Sho Sports’ Jimmy Lennon Jr. opens the ceremony for the main event.
11:38am: Julio Lopez sings the Himno Nacional Mexicano to commemorate the Cinco de Mayo weekend
11:39am: Pastor and the Word Choir and Gail Banawis sing the Lupang Hinirang
11:41am: Jamie Foxx sings the Star-Spangled Banner
11:43am: THE WAIT IS OVER! IT’S GO TIME!
Rivalries create legends. Legends create history.
11:45am: Manny Pacquiao has Jimmy Kimmel in his entourage! AC/DC’s Thunderstruck blasting through the background. The eight-division world champion is here!
Pacquiao’s entrance song:
11:49am: The #1 pound for pound boxer in the world makes his way to the ring
*Mayweather is taller, heavier, and has longer reach than Pacquiao
11:54am: Pacquiao with Buboy Fernandez, Coach Freddie Roach, Chavit Singson, Jake Juson in his corner. Michael Buffer doing the introduction for HBO/Top Rank.
11:56am: Jimmy Lennon doing the introduction for Showtime’s and Mayweather Production’s the unbeaten, 11-time world champion Floyd Mayweather
11:57am: Referee Kenny Bayless giving the rules to both fighters. “This is what the world has been waiting for. Touch ’em up and God bless!” – Kenny Bayless
11:58am: ROUND 1
Pacquiao setting up the pace. Both fighters gauging the range with jabs. Straight right hand by Pacquiao. Chants of Manny echo throughout the arena. Straight to the body by Mayweather. Stiff right hand by Mayweather with 32 seconds remaining. Pacquiao cornering Mayweather with 10 seconds remaining. “Money” holds Manny’s arms to end the round.
12:02pm: ROUND 2
Pacquiao connecting with a straight to open the round while cornering Mayweather. Pacquiao head hunting but Mayweather with excellent weaving and foot movement. Pacquiao eats a short jab. Pacquiao connecting with a combination to corner Mayweather but Mayweather clinching Pacquiao to break it off. Short combinations by Manny, Mayweather counterpunching then leaving the scene. Close second round! Pacquiao smiles to end the round.
“Forward combination okay?” – Freddie Roach
12:06pm: ROUND 3
Pacquiao weaving while moving forward. Sick body shot by Floyd at the 2:12 mark. Pacquiao connects with a 1-2 to the body but again Mayweather clinches. Mayweather on the ropes again with 1:00 remaining. Floyd holding Pacquiao’s head down and with cheap body shots. Pacquiao connects with a straight and a flurry to end the round. AGAIN, Pacquiao has a smirk on his face.
12:10pm: ROUND 4
Mayweather with another body shot to open the round. Pacquiao manages to connect with a left to the head of his opponent after a missed combination. The shoulder role defense of Mayweather still not solved by Pacquiao. Pacquiao connects with a flurry! Ten shots at least with 1:10. Mayweather winces. Manny with a huge 1-2 afterwards. Straight by Mayweather but a huge straight by his opponent follows. Stiff shot by Pacquiao to end the round. Manny takes this round.
12:14pm: ROUND 5
Pacquiao being aggressive but still wary of the counter-punching of Mayweather. Mayweather cornering Pacquiao and connects with three shots, two to the head and one to the body, Manny escapes seconds later. Mayweather with a sneaky body shot. Jabs by Mayweather. Floyd putting his hands down as Pacquiao goes headhunting again. Two jabs by Mayweather to close the round.
12:18pm: ROUND 6
Mayweather’s length showing in the opening of the round. Pacquiao on the aggressive once more to corner Pacquiao. Mayweather tries to clinch once more but Manny fakes an overhand to Mayweather’s grin. Pacquiao with an overhand followed by a combination with Mayweather on the ropes. Mayweather shaking his head not selling the shots. Pacquiao with a flurry! Pacquiao dominates Mayweather in this round.
Floyd Sr. frustrated with his son in the corner.
12:22pm: ROUND 7
Overhands by Mayweather sratching Manny’s arms. Straight by Pacquiao. Jab by Mayweather which imbalances Pacquiao. In a contrast to the first six rounds, Pacquiao being the patient fighter while Mayweather goes into the aggressive. Stinging jabs by Mayweather about three connects. Pacquiao with a right hand jab and a left straight. Sidestep by Mayweather after a combination by Pacquiao. Pacman goes into the aggressive to end the round.
12:26pm: ROUND 8
Stiff jabs by Mayweather to open. Left shots by Pacman, Pacquiao missed with a huge overhand. A combination by Manny with the last left hook connecting. Two jabs to the body by Money. Two excellent left hooks by Mayweather. The reach again making a difference. Jabs by Mayweather but Pacquiao counters with a straight. Mayweather takes the round.
12:30pm: ROUND 9
Mayweather with his hands down, daring Manny to take a shot. Mayweather slowing down with the foot movement. Clinch as the two exchange cheap shots. Straight left by Pacquiao connects. Excellent counter punching by Mayweather displayed. Straight right hand by Mayweather connects with :30 remaining. Right connects for Mayweather as well to end the round.
12:34pm: ROUND 10
Short left hooks by Pacquiao but Mayweather connects with a jab. Right hand countering by Mayweather. Left hand combination again by Pacquiao but Mayweather sidesteps. Pacquiao cornering Mayweather with :50 remaining. Headlock by Mayweather at the :35 mark. Jab by Pacquiao and weaves out off the counter to end the round.
12:38pm: ROUND 11
Two combinations by Mayweather connecting to open the round. Body shot by Money soon follows but counter straight by the unbeaten fighter. Left straight by Pacquiao connects. Left hand to the body then finished high by Pacquiao. Pacquiao corners Mayweather, connects with body shots capped off by a short uppercut to the head of Mayweather but Floyd counters. Jab to the body by Mayweather to close the round.
FINAL ROUND!
12:42pm: ROUND 12
Embrace by the two future hall of famers to open the round. Both fighters wary to take a shot. Pacquiao connects with a straight left hook, Pacquiao looking to land the cleaner shots. Final 60 seconds! Mayweather eluding all Pacquiao shots. Pacquiao cornering Mayweather with :25 seconds remaining and connecting with combinations. Mayweather raises his hands with :10 seconds remaining.
Mayweather connects with 148 to Pacquiao’s 81 shots.
DECISION: Floyd Mayweather defeats Manny Pacquiao by Unanimous Decision (118-110, 116-112×2) to unify the WBC, WBA, and WBO welterweight championships
Manny Pacquiao: “I thought I won the fight. He just kept on running,” Pacquiao in a post-match interview with HBO’s Max Kellerman. “He just kept running around, so I was not able to hit him.” Moreover, Manny Pacquiao said that there was no height disadvantage: “I did not feel it. He was not able to hit me.”
