THE SPORT NEEDS A REMATCH...:

Mayweather: 'I am the best fighter of this era' (Dan Rafael, 5/05/07, ESPN.com)

The pound-for-pound king still rules.

Perhaps it was more difficult than Floyd Mayweather Jr. expected it to be, but he used his speed and boxing ability to claim a split-decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya to win a junior middleweight title in one of the most heavily hyped fights in boxing history Saturday night, before an electric sold-out crowd of 16,700 at the star-studded MGM Grand Garden Arena.

"It was masterpiece of boxing," Mayweather said. "I showed you why I am the best fighter of this era."

Twenty years after Sugar Ray Leonard pulled an upset over Marvelous Marvin Hagler to lift the middleweight title, De La Hoya (38-5) tried to emulate Leonard's late-round flurries to steal rounds. It didn't work.

Judge Chuck Giampa scored it 116-112 and Jerry Roth had it 115-113, both for Mayweather, while judge Tommy Kaczmarek had it 115-113 for the Golden Boy. ESPN.com had it 116-112 for Mayweather (38-0). Had Roth judged the 12th round for De La Hoya, the fight would have ended in a draw.

...though whether Mr. De La Hoya should keep fighting is a different matter.

MORE:
Speed Beats Power In Vegas: Mayweather Tops De La Hoya in 12 (Tim Dahlberg, 5/06/07, Associated Press)

Floyd Mayweather wanted to give Oscar De La Hoya a beating. He had to settle for just getting a win.

Mayweather won one of boxing's richest fights ever Saturday night by using his superb defensive skills and superior speed to take a 12-round split decision and win the WBC 154-pound title in his first fight at that weight.

The fight was billed as one that would save boxing, and while it didn't do that, it was an entertaining battle between two proud champions who both fought hard from the opening bell through the final round.

The fight ended with the sellout crowd on its feet roaring and two fighters trading punches wildly at the bell.

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 6, 2007 6:55 AM