This week we take a look at the flurry of words following the “Fight of the Century.”
April 30-May 6, 2015.
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After seven years of hype and hyperbole, Floyd “Money” Mayweather put an end to any speculation regarding the supremacy of his 19-year — undefeated at 48-0 — career with a unanimous-decision victory over Manny Pacquiao last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight drew plenty of charged comment with the Pacquaio camp claiming Mayweather was overly passive and that their man fought with an injured shoulder.
“Rocky Marciano, Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson. It’s no different from Ali. He called himself the greatest, and this is my era and in my era I’m TBE.”
Mayweather’s response to to potentially breaking heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0 before retiring.
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“I’ve made a decision to relinquish all those belts. Other fighters need a chance.”
After defending his WBC and WBA Welterweight Championships and adding Pacquiao’s WBO belt, Mayweather decided it’s time to let go.
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“(Pacquaio) is a hell of a fighter. I take my hat off to him.”
Mayweather was magnanimous in victory.
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“You thought you WON the fight? WHY?”
HBO host Max Kellerman employed a line of questioning in his post-fight interview with Pacquiao that sent social media into a rampage.
This just confirms why I don’t watch boxing. And that #MaxKellerman dude should lose his job for that horribly opinionated interview. — Kelly Slater (@kellyslater) May 3, 2015
.@MannyPacquiao fans: I love Manny. He’s pleasure to deal with & to watch fight. Manny disagreed w/judges. Had to ask him about it. #MayPac
— Max Kellerman (@Max_Kellerman) May 3, 2015
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“I thought (Mayweather) ran very well. When he wasn’t throwing punches, he was just running and moving backwards. I feel Manny should have won a lot of those rounds because he was the aggressor.”
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddy Roach at the post-fight press conference.
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“He didn’t do anything.”
Manny was a bit more blunt about it.
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“The ruling made tonight affected the outcome of the fight.”
Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum stirred up post-fight controversy claiming his client requested and was denied an injection pre-fight night to alleviate pain caused by a right-shoulder injury suffered during training.
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“I once loved the sport of boxing. Throughout the years I lost the love for it.”
It seems all the intense scrutiny has begun to wear Mayweather down.
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“When the history books are written, this fight will have been worth the wait.”
Mayweather’s summation of the fight.
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Sorry boxing fans.
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) May 3, 2015
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Photo Credit: Associated Press/File
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