Mayweather is still best in the business, bar none

Another year off, a jail term and Father Time have not diminished Floyd Mayweather Jr. one bit.

Boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter dominated his challenger Robert Guerrero Saturday night, winning nine of 12 rounds on all three judges’ scorecards to keep his World Boxing Council welterweight belt at MGM Grand.

“Defense, continue to box and if the knockout comes, take it,” Mayweather (44-0) said in the ring after his brilliant showing. “I was looking for the knockout, could’ve had it, but hurt my right hand . . . somewhere in the middle rounds.”

Judges Julie Lederman, Jerry Roth and Duane Ford each scored the fight 117-111 for Mayweather.

Guerrero (31-2-1) was left frustrated by the 36-year-old technician, finding his attempts to hold and punch Mayweather shortened by referee Robert Byrd and his effort to catch Mayweather thwarted by the champion’s foot speed.

“He was barely sneaking by my punches,” Guerrero said. “That’s why he’s the unbeaten champion.”

Said Mayweather: “My defense was on point.”

Following a year’s layoff that included a nearly three-month jail term for a domestic violence crime, Mayweather subjected Guerrero, 30, to a slew of straight and counter right-handed punches. He connected on 60% of his power punches, to 28% for Guerrero.

He cut the challenger at his left eye by the eighth round, causing him to retreat, and chased the knockout with harder blows in the 11th.

“I helped bring back the defense, Floyd could’ve danced the whole night,” said Floyd Mayweather Sr., who reunited with his son as trainer for this fight. “I told him to steal him with the right hand, that was the shot [Guerrero] couldn’t see.

“I was hoping he’d have more hook behind his right hand, but he hasn’t fought in a year.”

The champion would circle Guerrero, then smack him with the right. He retreated when he had to, hugged when required and emerged unmarked.

“Floyd’s slick and quick and a little better than I thought,” said Guerrero, who was out-landed in total punches, 195-113. “He was on his game tonight.”

By the fourth round, it was clear Mayweather was secure in knowing he had a winning fight plan, and continued to execute its key points as frustration showed on Guerrero’s face when he couldn’t follow up on the pressure he was seeking to apply.

“I was really happy to be back with my father, I knew being with my dad would let me get hit less,” Mayweather Jr. said. “I’m 36, my defense hadn’t been as sharp as it could be [in my last fight]. I honed my skills.”

Mayweather’s next fight is scheduled Sept. 14, possibly against unbeaten super-welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico.

“We don’t need to make that fight right now,” Mayweather said. “Let me go home and rest.”

Also Saturday, Abner Mares of Hawaiian Gardens won a third division world title in as many years, scoring a ninth-round technical-knockout victory over fellow Southern Californian Daniel Ponce De Leon.

In the WBC featherweight title bout, Mares (26-0-1, 14 knockouts) confronted a larger man with a powerful left hand, but stood in and twice knocked Ponce De Leon down, in the second and ninth rounds.

“He didn’t know if I was boxing or if I was going to trade punches,” Mares said. “I changed up on him too many times and he got confused.”

Lincoln Heights’ Leo Santa Cruz (24-0-1, 14 KOs) battered former world super-flyweight champion Alexander Munoz to win a fifth-round technical knockout.

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lance.pugmire@latimes.com