Inside Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao: Mayweather’s last five fights

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Ahead of the May 2 superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, The National looks at the fighters' recent history. Below, scroll through the pictures for Steve Luckings' analysis of Mayweather's last five fights.

ALSO SEE: Jon Turner's analysis of Manny Pacquiao's last five fights

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v Marcos Maidana, September 2014

This rematch put several noses out of joint, none more so than Briton’s Amir Khan, who turned down a fight with Devon Alexander believing a deal had been done for him to be Floyd Mayweather Jr’s 47th opponent. Mayweather won comfortably on all three judges scorecards; ahead of the final round, it was clear Maidana needed a knockout to inflict a first defeat on the American and, more importantly, was capable of delivering it. This match offered further evidence of Mayweather’s declining skills and combativeness but, like all great champions, he found a way to win. The jab was effective, if not spectacular and the master of not getting hit soaked up Maidana’s power shots.

v Marcos Maidana, May 2014

One trait rarely afforded to Mayweather is his powers of resolve, but he had to draw on all his reserves during his first joust with the Argentine, who he clearly had underestimated. By the halfway stage, Maidana looked in complete control, cutting the ring off from Mayweather with wild assaults and lethal combinations, leaving his opponent little room in which to outmanoeuvre him. A boxing maxim is to “box clever” and none are smarter than Mayweather when it comes to the latter stages of fights. His stamina shone through and his punch output increased, no doubt noticed by judges, so much so that two of them scored the bout 117-111 and 116-111 in the champion’s favour. The one judge with his faculties seemingly intact scored the bout an even 114-114.

v Saul Alvarez, September 2013

The last time Mayweather schooled an opponent in the squared circle. Much was made of the red-headed Mexican’s power and speed ahead of the fight, an arsenal that had served Alvarez well in his previous 43 bouts, all wins except for a draw. However, those particular weapons have never caused the master of the Queensbury Rules to lose much sleep, and so it proved on this record-breaking night, in which the gate record of US$20 million (Dh73,5m) was set by the 16,746 in attendance. Mayweather dominated. He was elusive, dancing around the ring like Fred Astaire and his punch accuracy was an impressive 52 per cent. One judge, incredibly, scored the contest a draw, and retired soon after. It was the easiest $41.5m Mayweather will ever earn in 36 minutes.

v Robert Guerrero, May 2013

Mayweather’s orchestra had a new conductor, but the music was as sweet as ever. Floyd Sr, back in his son’s corner after a lengthy absence following a family row over who would train him for the Oscar De La Hoya fight, was credited by Jr for setting out the blueprint for this one-sided bout. A good defence is the cornerstone of any successful fighter, alas the referee’s pre-emptive warning: “protect yourself at all times.” Impenetrable, impregnable, impervious, invulnerable, all the superlatives applied to Mayweather on this Las Vegas night. The thinking behind it is simple: the less you get hit, the longer you last, and it is no mistake that the majority of Mayweather’s wins have been left to the judges’ scorecards. But to say Mayweather simply hit and ran against Guerrero would be wrong, with the challenger’s battered and bloodied face at the end of the 12 rounds testament to Mayweather’s clinical skills.

v Miguel Cotto, May 2012

Mayweather had been criticised by some for ducking Cotto during the Puerto Rican’s peak years the previous decade, and on this display, it was easy to see why. For once it was Mayweather’s face on the end of a stiff and formidable jab. For the first time in his career, Mayweather was visibly hurt, with blood and swelling to his face by the end of Round 8. If he was flustered by the end of that round, he was a model of calm in the last four as he picked off Cotto with clever combinations when backed up against the ropes. Another unanimous decision for Mayweather, but it will likely be the last time he ventures up to fight 154-pound monsters like Cotto.