Despite a 21-month layoff, Floyd Mayweather Jr. earned a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden, improving his perfect record to 40-0 as he fights back from retirement.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) had a large advantage over 130-pound Marquez (50-5-1), who moved up two weight classes in 18 months to face Mayweather in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He was knocked down in the second round and stood no chance against the resurgent Mayweather.
"He's a great small man," Mayweather told ESPN.com of Marquez. "Don't forget, I came from a small weight class too, so I know when you're in front of a great fighter. I think he brought his best tonight."
Mayweather weighed in at 134 pounds and was penalized $600,000 for missing the bout weight of 144 pounds.
By the end of the matchup, he had landed 290 of his 493 punches (59 percent) and only allowed 12 percent of Marquez's punches to land.
"I've been off for two years, so I felt like it took me a couple of rounds to really know I was back in the ring again," Mayweather told ESPN.com. "I know I'll get better."
Mayweather last stepped in the ring against Ricky Hatton in December of 2007.
Marquez was overmatched from the opening bell on, which could be attributed both to Mayweather's size and skill set.
"He surprised me with the first knockdown," Marquez told the Web site. "He hurt me in that round, but not any other time. I don't want to make any excuses, but the weight was the problem. He's too fast."
