Mayweather has much to prove — by erasing any lingering doubts from last fight
It’s coming down to the wire to fight time Floyd “Money” Mayweather, 47-0, 26 knockouts and 11-time world champion, vs. Marcos “Chino” Maidana, 35-4, 31 k.o.’s, part II.
And it’s turned into a fouled-mouth, profane trash talking contest.
Each is accusing the other of being a dirty fighter. Their last fight, May 3, 2014 was very close with many thinking that Maidana had won.
The decision was, 114-114, a draw, while the other judges voted, 117-111 & 116-112 for Mayweather, a majority decision win.
“Mayhem” Mayweather vs. Maidana #2, is set for Saturday, September 13, 2014, at Mayweather’s home away from home, the M.G.M. Grand Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During the only New York City press conference of both fighters at the Marriot Marquis Hotel, in Manhattan, it didn’t take long to realize that there was a long seething animosity between the 2 from the last fight.
Maidana stated that “when I was first picked to fight him, it was on a short notice for a fight of this magnitude, only 5 weeks. I was also at home awaiting the birth of my daughter and I did not want to miss it, causing more delays in my training. Actually, I was nervous.”
He further stated that “this time my trainer Robert Garcia and my personal strength coach prepared me well, with extra running drills, pulling weights uphill like a plow horse and studying films of the first fight. I realized now how easy it was to beat him .Yes, he is a good fighter, but his biggest talent is talking trash.”
Maidana then added that “the second time around with 9 weeks of preparation, my baby born, and having my son in camp with me, plus working on correcting the mistakes I made in the first fight, I am more comfortable now and ready to prove that I can knockout Mayweather”.
Maidana further stated that “Floyd accused me of being a dirty fighter, and yet he is also dirty, he hit me with his elbows, held me all of the time, and the referee only scolded me, how fair was that”?
Maidana additionally declared, “In terms of fair play and honesty Floyd would not let me use the gloves of my choice. He picked them for both fights, insisting that I use what he uses-his choice-that’s not fair either.”
So the war of words and accusations with the still bitter Maidana continues, to be resolved, on September 13, 2014.
Floyd Mayweather stated that, “the rematch is the only way for Maidana to redeem himself by trying to earn a victory over me which will be impossible, because he knows that I beat him. With experience like mine there is a way and a will to win, and I will win. The result will be the same, another victory for me, and I will remain undefeated”.
Many have speculated that the real reason for the 2nd fight is that since Maidana complained so much for a rematch, and the first fight was a pay-per-view financial flop, fighting Maidana again was the right course of action. The Mayweather management also realized that there were no other pay-per-view worthy candidates available except Maidana to guarantee a better financial box office success this time.
As Mayweather was finishing his remarks, he then addressed Maidana, directly, telling him, “You are the dirtiest fighter I have ever faced. You head-butted me cutting my right eye, and I have never been cut before. What was worse is that you hit me below the belt 20 times, hitting my dick, penis. You can’t do that because I need it to celebrate and have sex after I knock you out, o.k.?”
That remark caused Maidana to smile with no response.
Well, who is really the front-runner to win this mega battle?
Let’s explore the victory possibilities for each.
Floyd Mayweather, is a betting favorite to defeat Marcos Maidana. Could he really accomplish it? In the last fight, in which I was one of the few who felt Maidana won, but very close, and, I would’ve settled for a draw, I saw an “aging” Mayweather not able to control an aggressive bull-like fighter like Maidana.
He remained or actually was kept on the ring ropes for too long a time getting pummeled by Maidana whereas in other fights he would spin off the ropes and out-box his opponents.
In the center of the ring Mayweather’s strongest area of operation, he was actually out-jabbed by Maidana on several occasions, and no one in his past fights has been able to out-jab Mayweather.
I noticed this aging process when Floyd fought Miguel Cotto, May 5, 2012. Cotto kept him on the ropes many times, and also out-jabbed him.
I never gave it any thought until the Maidana fight that maybe age may have caught up to Mayweather, or maybe he took Maidana lightly after having successfully “destroyed” his biggest ring threat to date in Saul “El Canelo” Alvarez.
We must take note that Mayweather is a fanatical “junk food” eater even though he is a gym rat, is always in condition, and has added Yoga to his conditioning program.
Is that enough for a victory, being a gym rat with a 20 year career experience at 37 years of age, and not getting hurt, and also a super defensive boxer? Could eating junk food, be Mayweather’s, kryptonite?
Those questions will be answered on September 13, 2014, because the body goes through a transition of “wear & tear” even if your mind does not. The mind could “order” the body to do something physical and the body may not be able to respond.
That is what I fear could happen to Mayweather, the body not responding to mental commands, especially when he has to fight an over confident and rejuvenated superbly trained revengeful, Marcos Maidana.
In hindsight, Mayweather, the chess master of the ring may be playing coy having already figured out that Maidana will not change his style from the first fight and he could easily take him into the later rounds and out box him like he did to Cotto and Alvarez.
I don’t expect a knockout by either fighter in this rematch but, I expect to see a skillful boxing match by the master, Floyd Mayweather, over a confused Marcos Maidana, leading to a unanimous decision for Mayweather.
48 Tried and 48 Failed!
