What was touted to be one of the most explosive fights of the year ended in an anticlimactic manner, as Floyd "Money" Mayweather hacked out a 12-round decision win over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on Saturday night.

Hydrating up to 165 pounds, Canelo sought to make use of his size, a fifteen-pound advantage over the 150-pound Mayweather. While both fighters were undefeated, Canelo, at 23, is at a relatively young stage of his career. Mayweather had the look of a grizzled veteran who had pretty much seen it all, and it showed in Saturday's fight.

Throwing feints and faking left hooks, Mayweather sneaked in a right cross before receiving one of Canelo's own, throwing him off-balance. As the strongly pro-Mexican crowd chanted Canelo's name in the third round, the 23-year-old landed a flurry of punches that had "Money" retaliating with some sharp jabs. At that point, most scorecards had it tied.

The turning point came in the fourth round, when Canelo tagged Mayweather with a low blow and refused a glove-tap from his opponent. While Canelo had some confidence going into the same round, Mayweather alternated between caution and bravado, getting just the right combination of confidence and defense to frustrate Canelo's attack. They had a tussle at center ring, with Mayweather grappling Canelo under his arm, almost sending them both down to the canvas. Later in the seventh, Mayweather finally landed a big one -- a right uppercut that sparked a series of combinations. Declining to take advantage of the situation, Mayweather reserved his strength for the final rounds, confident of a win.

As the final bell sounded, the verdict came in: 114-114, 116-112, and 117-111, with Mayweather winning by majority decision. Where the 114-114 came from, many don't know; Mayweather was far too dominant for the fight to be even considered a tie. In fact, the only thing missing was a knockdown, but it was a superb display of tactical fighting for the American nonetheless.

Mayweather, speaking after the fight, was all praises for Alvarez. "He is a true champion. He can take the loss and bounce back."

A visibly frustrated Canelo was also effusive in his praise for the champion: "I did not know how to get him. He is very intelligent, very elusive."

With Canelo being only 23, perhaps a rematch is in the works. Maybe not. Maybe he is waiting for the result of the Pacquiao-Rios bout, or waiting for a chance to take on Timothy Bradley.

We all know one thing for sure, though: At 36, Mayweather is still money.

Another thing: The reports of boxing's death are grossly exaggerated. With a projected record-high $132 million in pay-per-view earnings, boxing is alive -- and punching.