In a clash that lived up to its billing as “The Moment”, Floyd Mayweather Jr. retained his unbeaten record with a razor-thin majority decision over Argentina’s relentless Marcos Maidana on May 3, 2014, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The bout was far from a showcase for Mayweather’s usual surgical precision—it was a dogfight, one that tested the sport’s reigning tactician like no opponent had in years.

Coming into the ring as a heavy 12-to-1 favourite, Mayweather expected another night of defensive wizardry. Instead, he found himself cornered against the ropes by a charging bull in Maidana. The Argentine WBA welterweight champion came out swinging from the opening bell, launching an all-out assault that rattled the rhythm of the normally impenetrable Mayweather. For once, “Money” looked human.

Throughout the first half of the fight, Maidana’s volume punching and unorthodox angles disrupted Mayweather’s usual counterpunching clinic. In Round 4, a clash of heads opened a cut over Mayweather’s right eye—just the second time in his career he had to battle with visible damage. Despite that, the Grand Rapids native responded like a true veteran, adjusting his footwork and finding clearer lanes for sharp right hands and counter hooks in the later rounds.

Statistically, Maidana’s effort was historic. The Argentine threw more punches than any previous Mayweather opponent tracked by CompuBox—landing 221 of 858 shots. Mayweather, while less active, was far more efficient, connecting on 230 of just 426 punches at a stunning 54% accuracy rate.

The judges saw it a split affair: one scored it even at 114–114, while the others sided with Mayweather at 116–112 and 117–111. The verdict sparked controversy, with Maidana and his camp claiming injustice, but most experts agreed that Mayweather’s cleaner, more effective work told the tale.

Still, this wasn’t the typical Mayweather cruise. It was war. And while Mayweather walked away with his belts and his unblemished 46-0 record intact, Maidana walked away with something perhaps even more valuable—respect.

Talk of a rematch surfaced instantly, and for good reason. “The Moment” was exactly that—a fight that reminded fans why boxing, at its best, is about grit, willpower, and the constant pursuit of greatness.