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ROBERT DRANE writes:
Ar first take I had Mayweather winning by a point. I thought Oscar could definitely have won. Whenever he even looked like coming in behind the jab, he was good. But he opted instead to pin Pretty Boy Floyd to the ropes and throw these strange flurries that didn’t even look technically correct - they looked more like bursts of impotent rage. Maybe Oscar felt that, with Floyd’s speed, it was all he could do to catch him.

Funny, I actually felt that the speed of some of Oscar’s single punches matched Floyd’s. But Oscar’s moves always had one major shortcoming. It showed him up today, and it showed him up against Pernell Whitaker 10 years ago: He needs to be set before he throws a punch. Considering he only has one hand to look out for - the left - this made it all too easy for Floyd.

However, this decision could have gone Oscar’s way. Mayweather’s punches had plenty of snap late in the fight, when it counted, but De La Hoya’s arm defence was very effective. Floyd rarely got through. Therefore, one or two late rounds that went Floyd’s way could have been drawn changing the final totals. Early on, Floyd was hesitant, and lost enough rounds to put the outcome in jeopardy.

DAVE WELLINGS writes:
I’m surprised they only gave Mayweather a split decision. To my eye Floyd outboxed Oscar, and the stats of punches landed, heavily favoured Floyd. Perhaps they were Oscar’s judges.

MIKE RYAN writes:
Like most of the watchers in the Grand at Mornington I was cheering for the man in the red shorts, the 35 year old Golden Boy. Oscar De La Hoya went forward, he "made the fight." When at one point he hit Pretty Boy a succession of nine left rips in the liver; when he frequently looped short rights over the left shoulder of the stooping Mayweather and they seemed to connect, we thought it was Oscar’s afternoon.

A big right in Mayweather’s moosh in the closing seconds of the 12th round brought a huge roar of delight. (Next morning’s newspaper pictured a big right in De La Hoya’s moosh).

This should be made plain: dependant upon one small tv screen high up above a crowd, when you can’t even hear the commentator (did we miss anything?), the viewer cannot be sure how many of those punches broke through or were blocked by expert arms and red or black gloves.

DENIS BUCHANAN writes:
Mayweather won the fight, but not by much - say, one point. The Golden Boy was a little ring rusty, he would win a re-match. Mayweather defends like Hagler, all elbows and shoulders. Looks to be hit but rides and slips and when they do land the sting has gone. There will be a re-match. The rappers will see to that.