Mayweather said before the fight that De La Hoya would fade as the fight went on, and it seemed as though he did. He used the jab more early, but got away from it from the eighth round on, giving Mayweather an easier shot at him with right hand leads.

Mayweather had predicted he would dominate De La Hoya and give him a beating, but De La Hoya took his best punches and came back with enough of his own to keep it close. De La Hoya appeared staggered by a right hand with 20 seconds left in the fight, but finished with a flurry as the crowd erupted in delight.

Actually, the crowd cheered wildly every time De La Hoya got Mayweather on the ropes and flailed away. But the punches mostly missed, and Mayweather hopped away, often giving De La Hoya a parting shot to the head.

Mayweather was a 2-1 favorite when the fight was made, but money poured in on De La Hoya and he was a 3-2 underdog by fight time. Still, there was no doubt who the favorite was among the crowd of celebrities and high rollers who paid $2,000 for ringside seats to watch the spectacle.

De La Hoya was the aggressor throughout, managing to get through Mayweather’s defenses in the early rounds as Mayweather moved away and counterpunched without great effect. Every time Mayweather went near the ropes, De La Hoya tried to trap him there and land a flurry of punches to the body and head.

De La Hoya wanted to get Mayweather into a brawl, but he was having no part of it, content to pick his spots. In the fifth round, however, the fight seemed to shift into a different gear as Mayweather stood his ground and landed some hard combinations to the head.

“He’s getting tired. He’s getting tired,” Mayweather’s trainer and uncle, Roger Mayweather, told his fighter after the round.

It was a night of ebb and flow, with both boxers fighting in flurries and both having their moments. The pro-De La Hoya crowd roared loudly anytime he threw a big punch, while Mayweather smiled at his opponent every time De La Hoya landed a punch that got any reaction from his fans.

In the end, though, Mayweather’s hand was raised in victory. His father got in the ring with him and they embraced.

And boxing had survived for one more night.

MORE FROM OTHER SPORTS

Other sports Section Front

In Pacquiao, a fighter like no other   Video: WBA champion says he's no Ali yet Choosing poker over college pays off for Cada Assault charge dropped against wrestler Kurt Angle Horse of the Year Azeri brings $2.25 million R.I. girls’ high school soccer game ends in brawl Chestnut wins meatball-eating competition in Vegas   Slideshow: Top 20 fighters in the world Slideshow: Ugliest uniforms in sports World of Adventure Sports on NBC Other sports Section Front   Add Other sports headlines to your news reader: