Yep, saw the fight. Wanted to see if the scorecards were close.
They weren't.
Round 1: Mayweather pressing, Alvarez going backward for the most part. When Mayweather is going backward, it’s that defense of his. Except for about 15 seconds, Mayweather doing most of the going forward and Alvarez doing most of the going backward in the first 90 seconds. That, absent any real answer, is called “Ring Generalship”.
Then, Alvarez gets a short bit of initiative. No real punches are being landed either side here. It is a true feeling-out round. The sides then square up, not really much to Round 1 of The One.
Maybe Floyd landed a couple of jabs, but there just wasn’t anything to the round. If you scored it for Alvarez (and Ross did), you probably had to believe that some of the punches that forced Mayweather to evade were meaningful. If you scored it for Mayweather (as the other two did), you pretty well have to state that he had more Ring Generalship.
Well, he had it for about the first minute, but not really much after the 90 second mark.
Metcalf and Moretti: 10-9 Mayweather
Ross: 10-9 Alvarez
Me: EVEN ROUND. Just not much to it.
Round 2: Lots of stalking, no throwing. That’s going to play right into Mayweather’s hands. First real popping jab hit by Mayweather about 50 seconds into the round. Another minute of “just not much to it” to start the second round.
You’re struck by Mayweather’s ability to back out of range so quickly. You think Alvarez has a punch, but Mayweather is long gone out the back door before it has a chance to consummate. You’d think, after 45 fights, someone would at least be able to teach a counter to that speed, but the problem is that he’s not going side-to-side, but backwards. You can’t cut off the ring. You’d almost have to swarm him and hope he doesn’t bury you.
It’s almost the 21st century version of the Rope-a-Dope, and defense IS supposed to be a factor in scoring, but is it defense or does it look like he’s running from Alvarez?
Not much here either. Just not much. Now, finally, in the last minute, Mayweather is beginning to move Alvarez backward again.
Metcalf: 10-9 Alvarez. 19-19
Ross: 10-9 Mayweather. 19-19
Moretti: 10-9 Mayweather. 20-18
Me: 10-9 Mayweather. 20-19. This is one of the rounds that I felt Alvarez might’ve won. I was wrong. It was looking like another even round before the last minute, when Mayweather was able to get Alvarez to go backward again, like he did in the first round. Without a response within the round from Alvarez, in generalship or offense, Mayweather wins the round.
Round 3: Better trade to start the round, Alvarez beginning with initiative.
It’s a Mayweather fight. A tactical affair, and all the buzz surrounding the fight was that it wasn’t going to be so technical. A technical fight like this gets the result you saw on the bloggers’ cards. Mayweather is the best technical fighter in the world, so you have to find another way to beat him.
Ever so little by little sometimes, you see, over the course of the round, Alvarez going backward. Again, absent an answer, that’s going to lose rounds.
Some of the ESPN people literally said it was like fighting “a giant shoulder”. He almost looks like a wimp doing it, but that’s part of Mayweather’s defense. He’s not squared-up, and he doesn’t give you a large target to work with.
On the other side of the equation, he’s not going on the offensive that much, and the result is that this is not a very compelling start to this mega-fight. Mayweather establishing control of where the fight is taking place, but I’m struck by how few punches are being THROWN, much less landed, in the first three rounds.
Two good Mayweather rights to the face with about a minute to go. Even when Mayweather is right near the ropes, he’s in control of where he is at all times. Alvarez is NOT. However, this does lead to Alvarez getting some initiative in the latter stage of the round.
Moretti: 10-9 Alvarez 29-28 Mayweather total.
Metcalf: 10-9 Mayweather 29-28 Mayweather.
Ross: 10-9 Alvarez 29-28 Alvarez
Me: I’d point at this round as a good indication of the pre-determination of the result of the fight. I didn’t see Alvarez land ONE CLEAN SHOT the entire round. It’s not that Mayweather landed many more than zero, but he did land a couple. End of the day, he does have the control of the ring on Alvarez, and, absent anything else, that’s enough: 10-9 Mayweather, 30-28 Mayweather total.
Round 4: Mayweather almost in a more conventional Rope-a-Dope, but it’s without Alvarez throwing anything to deal with it. I think another way I would say that this thing is pre-determined is: if you’re going to lose, what’s the harm in trying to win and getting knocked out? The alternative being ran around the ring, made to look like an idiot, and losing a lopsided decision.
Couple of hard clinches in the first 30 seconds. Again, not much else. And now, Mayweather beginning to find the range, connecting with about four punches in the second half of the first minute.
And then Alvarez bonks Mayweather low on the break. Should’ve been a point deduction, frankly, but the biggest thing is that Alvarez, then, should’ve turned the fight into a street brawl. He’s not going to out-box Mayweather, so he has to try to find a way to get his punching power into play, as he hasn’t even TRIED to do that for nearly 3 ½ rounds now.
And then Mayweather on the bicycle, and almost no punches being thrown at all! Mayweather now getting the range somewhat, Alvarez is not. Couple of Alvarez jabs may have grazed Mayweather about a minute to go. And now, Mayweather providing almost no target to hit, and then jab-jab-jab to back Alvarez up.
All three judges scored it 10-9 for Mayweather. Moretti and Metcalf have it 39-37 Mayweather. Ross has it 38-38.
Me: Not only is that a 10-9 round for Mayweather, it’s borderline 10-8, for two reasons. One, Alvarez should’ve been docked a point for the low blow on the break. Two, Alvarez did NOTHING in that round and Mayweather was beginning to tee off. It’s not that Mayweather has that much real power for Alvarez to be afraid of, but it’s four rounds into the fight, and Alvarez is a power guy who weighed in on fight night at 165, 13 pounds over the catch-weight. Throw a fucking punch, or get run out of the fight! 40-37 Mayweather.
Round 5: You can talk about defense all you want, but you gotta swing the bat/be aggressive with the ball/shoot the ball/punch your opponent -- and Alvarez is not doing it!
Brief slight initiative to Alvarez, but back to more of the same. Just a lot of jabbing, the occasional follow-up, but nothing that indicates any real danger or any real attempt to break down that defense of Mayweather. It’s now 13 minutes into the fight, and I can’t think of a meaningful punch Alvarez has hit yet!
Alvarez backs Mayweather to the ropes, but he’s got to be like “stink on shit” at that moment, and Mayweather just weasels out in a move that would make Bobby Heenan proud. Alvarez might have gotten one about halfway through the round, but that’s all you can say -- mights and maybes don’t defeat Floyd Mayweather.
The action picks up briefly thereafter, including probably Alvarez’ best punch of the fight, a stiff jab that did basically nothing… Then Alvarez gets popped about 45 seconds to go in the round, as Mayweather is, by far, the busier man. Five seconds later, a looping left nails Alvarez, and Mayweather is in control.
For the first real time in the fight, even though Mayweather is leading comfortably, you get the sense that Alvarez does not belong in the ring with this man. He’s taking several stiff shots without much of an answer. It’s not wobbling Alvarez or making him in any danger of a knockout or knockdown, but it’s clear who wins the round…
All three judges and me scored it for Mayweather, 10-9.
Moretti and Metcalf, 49-46 to Mayweather.
Ross, 48-47 to Mayweather.
Me: 50-46 to Mayweather.
Round 6: Five rounds into the fight, and the power guy has landed maybe one stiff jab the entire fight.
Alvarez finally pressing with some urgency in the start of this round. 2:26 left in the sixth, Alvarez lands his first power shot of the night, and even that seemed deflected/short/less than full power. Just misses with another decent shot 15 seconds later, but at least some oomph with Alvarez.
First half of the round would have to go to Alvarez, but a quick left to the chin by Mayweather suffocates some of the advantage. Alvarez then hits Mayweather illegally on the break again, drawing a warning from the official. And now it’s getting personal…
If only Alvarez actually had meant to do something to Mayweather the entire evening sans fouling him.
Alvarez finally trying to break through. The only problem with that, Mayweather IS breaking through. Again, not really much to buckle the legs or to think the fight might end early, but enough to rack up the points with the judges. Mayweather teeing off, to a decent degree, later in the round.
Mayweather might have landed about eight decent shots to Alvarez in the last minute of that round. Alvarez got nothing in response.
Another sweep for 10-9 Mayweather.
Moretti and Metcalf, 59-55
Ross has it 58-56
Me: 60-55, all to Mayweather
Round 7: Another sequence of rough stuff punctuates another segment of successful Ring Generalship by Mayweather, putting Alvarez into the corner before a rough break.
It does, however, look that Mayweather is willing to cede more of the initiative to Alvarez in this round. Perhaps it’s that he knows he basically has nothing to fear, even though Alvarez should, realistically, feel the same way.
A decent shot by Alvarez appears to wake Mayweather up to take some of the initiative back as the first minute of the round ends. However, about 1:45 left, the first good combination of the fight for Alvarez (and even that’s a matter of perspective). And then the fight begins to lull people to sleep again.
Mayweather begins to assert initiative again about a minute to go, and a looping right is followed my Mayweather’s best punch of the fight: a right on the button set up by several exploratory jabs.
And now Mayweather is almost taunting both Alvarez and everybody wanting to see Floyd lose -- he’s got Alvarez in the corner and Jerry is just toying with Tom right now. Then, Alvarez finally seems to throw a punch with significant malice for the first time in the fight… missing badly.
I’m almost expect Mayweather and The Money Team to break out the “NYAH! NYAH! NYAH-NYAH! NYAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” any time now.
Another clean sweep for 10-9 Mayweather.
Moretti and Metcalf, 69-64
Ross, 68-65
Me, 70-64, all Mayweather.
Round 8: Has Alvarez hit FIVE meaningful punches in seven rounds? Not damaging, just meaningful…
Again, Mayweather cedes early advantage to Alvarez, without any real effect or consequence. So does it really mean anything that Mayweather does this?
Alvarez definitely pressing, but nothing being thrown. The thing being, though: If you do it for Mayweather, you have to do it for Alvarez too -- Ring Generalship.
Decent body shot for Alvarez about half-way, but he’s taken several blows from the elusive Mayweather in response. For about five seconds, shortly thereafter, Alvarez appears to finally have a range on Mayweather against the ropes, but, rather than Alvarez hitting him, Mayweather just escapes unscathed.
It is about at this point in the fight that I have publicly resigned it to another Mayweather scripted production with a willing opponent just willing to collect a paycheck from The Money Team.
Another bout on the ropes early in the last minute of the round has the fighter on the ropes (Mayweather) landing the more effective blows (two to the head) than Alvarez (who might’ve gotten a body-shot in).
Three more popping shots for Mayweather putting Alvarez’ head back, and it’s Mayweather in control, almost taunting his detractors with Rope-a-Dope, The 21st Century Version.
Moretti and Metcalf both gave Mayweather another 10-9 round, for 79-73.
Ross gave the round 10-9 to Alvarez for 77-75 to Mayweather.
Me: What the fuck round were you watching, C.J. Ross? I’ll admit that there was probably about a minute and a third to start the round that Alvarez could well have won the round had he continued, but he took a number of shots in the second half of the round that made it another easy round at the office for Mayweather. 10-9, for 80-73.
Round 9: Again, Mayweather willing to concede advantage, but on his terms. It’s clear he can dictate where he goes, pretty much any time he wants to.
There is some urgency in Alvarez, but it’s less than previous rounds. Mayweather looks far fresher and in control.
Alvarez slightly more active, but nothing landing really at all, either way, first minute of round 9.
It’s a minute and 20 seconds into the round before Alvarez lands a body shot, and he gets two to the head in response. Alvarez is the more active of the two, but with almost no results.
Now, about a minute to go, Mayweather finding the range again, like several previous rounds. There is the occasional punch with malice, but Alvarez hasn’t hit Mayweather with more than maybe a half a dozen (maybe one or two more) meaningful punches in nine rounds.
Metcalf, another round 10-9 for Mayweather. 89-82 total.
Moretti gave the round to Alvarez, 10-9, feeling he was the busier fighter. 88-83 Mayweather.
Ross also gave the round to Alvarez, 10-9, for 86-85 to Mayweather.
Me: I can see the argument. At the end of the day, you have to hit something meaningful. There’s two major problems with giving Alvarez the round: Mayweather looks, far, the fresher fighter, and nothing Alvarez is doing has any real meaning at the end of the day in the first place. What Alvarez is getting is what Mayweather is giving him, rather than anything Alvarez is taking.
As a result, give me another 10-9 for Mayweather, and that’s 90-82.
Round 10: Again, as in several of the previous rounds, Mayweather cedes early advantage, as if (and he probably does) he knows that won’t mean anything in the final analysis.
By now, Alvarez is the busier fighter. He is throwing more punches, but he isn’t hitting any of them.
A minute in, Mayweather backs Alvarez to the ropes, and then just pops him twice. Probably the first two landed punches of the round for either man.
What follows is an extended sequence of Mayweather pressuring Alvarez on the ropes and making Alvarez his bitch.
Metcalf scored the round for Alvarez, though, 10-9 for 98-92 Mayweather.
Moretti and Ross scored the round 10-9 for Mayweather. Moretti now also has it 98-92, Ross 96-94.
Me: That sequence in the middle of the round was telling. When Alvarez is punching, it doesn’t really mean anything. When Mayweather is in control, he basically can tell Alvarez where to go and where to get hit. Another round for Mayweather, 100-91 total.
Round 11: Same drill to start. Almost so little action, the referee has to prompt for some…
Alvarez at least pressing for position, but not much else in effect.
Mayweather then gets busy in the middle of the round, and it’s the same song, the next verse.
I honestly do not believe that, 10 ½ rounds into the fight, Alvarez has landed ten meaningful shots.
Alvarez does get two meaningful ones in about a minute to go on the ropes, but Mayweather gets out of it.
You see, Mayweather is on the ropes because he wants to be there. Alvarez hasn’t put him there, can’t keep him there (even though he’s 15 pounds heavier and should be able to muscle Mayweather around if he chose!)
Metcalf gave the round to Mayweather for 108-101.
Moretti and Ross both gave the round to Alvarez. Moretti is at 107-102 for Mayweather. Ross is at 105-104 Mayweather.
Me: Tough round to score. The real problem with openly giving Alvarez the round with open arms is that any Ring Generalship was given by Mayweather and not forced by Alvarez. By this time, “Money” is counting his money, almost in the ring while doing so, and he still probably got the more meaningful exchange mid-round. 10-9 Mayweather for 110-100.
Round 12: I’ll tell you right now, all three judges scored this round for Alvarez, and that gave you the 116-112 (Moretti), 117-111 (Metcalf) majority decision for Mayweather with Ross’ 114-114 abortion for a draw.
At this point, the scripted production is fully on. One of the things that pisses off people so much about Mayweather is, if he’s so much better, knock the guy the fuck out and get out of there.
That said, he has no intention: He’s going to make his haters suffer for twelve… interminable… rounds…
To give you an idea of just how ridiculous this all got: Try to count the number of punches thrown in the first minute of the 12th round.
I counted NINE. Five for Alvarez, four for Mayweather. NOTHING LANDED.
Another 12 (8 for Mayweather) in the next 30 seconds…
Another 10 (5 and 5) the next 30.
Two minutes of the final round, 31 punches thrown, and I can’t find a single meaningful landed shot.
Finally, Alvarez pops him in the face for the first landed punch of the round by either guy, about 50 seconds to go in the fight.
Action picks up, as you’d expect in a scripted fight, for the “go home” moment at the end in the last 40 seconds or so, but, again, nothing threatening at all and very little lands by either guy.
So do you give the round to Alvarez for one landed punch?
Me: No. Even round, because nothing happened. My final card is 10 rounds Mayweather, 2 rounds even. 120-110.
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