Sport
Floyd Mayweather Jr., retains his championship belt after defeating Marcos Maidana in tough duel
Floyd Mayweather Jr., (r) in action against Argentina’s Marcos Maidana, during their WBC-WBA welterweight title boxing fight Saturday, May 3, 2014. PHOTO/Eric Jamison/AP
It might have been the toughest US$32 million Floyd Mayweather Jr. ever made.
Marcos Maidana did everything Saturday night but beat Mayweather, taking him 12 tough rounds before losing a majority decision.
Mayweather remained unbeaten, but not by much. Maidana swarmed all over him from the opening bell and gave him perhaps his toughest fight in a 16-year professional career.
Cut over his eye and temporarily blinded by a head butt in the fourth round, Mayweather had to rally in the last half of the fight to avoid losing for the first time since he was beaten on a controversial decision in the 1996 Olympics.
In the end, though, Mayweather got the win. He retained his welterweight title by winning 117-111 on one scorecard and 116-112 on another. A third judge had it even at 114-114.
The Associated Press scored it for Mayweather 115-113.
Maidana threw far more punches, but Mayweather was more accurate with his as the two battled into the late rounds with the fight still very much in doubt. Cheered on by a large contingent of Argentine fans, Maidana took the fight to Mayweather, who was cut by the right eye in the fourth round by an accidental head butt.
