Floyd Mayweather Jr. wins 12-round bout over Shane Mosley ..

When Shane Mosley landed a devastating right hand in the second round, he had a brief window of opportunity to do something that 40 other opponents had not been able to do - hand Floyd Mayweather Jr. his first professional loss.

But Mayweather survived the round and that window slammed shut quickly. Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) went on to pitch a shutout over the next 10 rounds, winning a lopsided, 12-round unanimous decision over Mosley in a highly anticipated welterweight showdown before a capacity crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night.



Mayweather controlled the fight from the third round on and never let Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs), the WBA welterweight champion, get any rhythm after that second round. Mosley's WBA belt was not on the line because Mayweather said he didn't want it. "I came here tonight to give the fans what they wanted to see, a toe-to-toe battle," Mayweather said. "It wasn't the same style for me, but I wanted to be aggressive and I wanted to do it."



Judges Adalaide Byrd and Dave Moretti each scored it 119-108, while judge Robert Hoyle scored it 118-110 - all for Mayweather. The Daily News scored it 119-109 for Mayweather, giving Mosley just one round - the second.



Mayweather had spent the weeks leading up to the fight talking trash about Mosley and proclaiming himself the best boxer the sport had ever seen - better than Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali, in his estimation. Ali was at ringside, perhaps to see for himself.



It all served to hype the match and inflame the passions of boxing fans who wanted to see Mosley put Mayweather in his place. Mayweather, who was guaranteed $22.5 million, was hoping it would be enough drama to drive the match pass the record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys that he generated in a bout with Oscar De La Hoya in 2007. With his incentives on the PPV upside, Mayweather stood to earn as much as $50 million if his fight with Mosley, who was guaranteed $6.7 million, surpassed that record. He kept up the money theme by entering the ring preceded by the O'Jays singing their hit "For the Love of Money."



The fight was the result of negotiations breaking down between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao over the issue of Olympic-style drug testing. Mayweather wanted it and Pacquiao didn't. Both men went their own way, with Pacquiao beating an overmatched Joshua Clottey in Dallas and Mayweather moving on to Mosley, considered the No. 3 pound-for-pound best behind Pacquiao and Mayweather.



With that as a backdrop, Mayweather-Mosley became the most highly anticipated welterweight matchup since Sugar Ray Leonard stopped Thomas Hearns in the 14th round in 1981. Mayweather-Mosley wasn't the classic that Leonard-Hearns became because it didn't end with a stoppage. But it nearly did
Mosley rocked Mayweather in the second round with a right that caught Mayweather flush on the jaw and buckled his knees, nearly sending him to the canvas. It sent a shock wave through the crowd, which roared and then began chanting "Mosley! Mosley! Mosley."




"It is a contact sport and you're going to get hit, but you have to suck it up and keep on fighting. That's what I did when I got hit with that shot," Mayweather said afterward.



It woke up Mayweather, who came out in the next round intent upon picking up his offense. He seemed angry that Mosley had gotten to his chin so easily. Mayweather returned the favor in the fourth round, landing his own big right on Mosley's chin, backing up the three-time welterweight champion.



Mosley holstered his offense through the middle rounds, refusing to even throw his jab. Mayweather decided to take full advantage. He merely loaded up on the right hand, with little resistance from Mosley. Even if the punches weren't causing damage, they allowed Mayweather to pile up points.



After eating right after right, Mosley looked winded in the seventh round, the pounding taking its toll. Mosley became frustrated in the eighth round and hooked his arm under Mayweather's arm in a clench and appeared to try toss Mayweather to the ground. He received a warning from referee Kenny Bayless for the wrestling move.



At the end of the ninth round, Mosley took a slow walk back to his corner with a look of resignation on his face. Nothing that he had tried since the second round seemed to work against the brilliant defense of Mayweather. Mosley looked like a beaten man. NYdailynews.com