Mayweather has vanquished 45 attempts to depose him.
[BoxingGlove Notes].
On Saturday, May 3rd at the M.G.M. Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, we will bear witness to the 3rd leg of Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s victory parade of mega fights before retiring.
The selectee, after rejecting Amir Khan the people’s choice by an over whelming vote margin, is Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, 35-3, 31 knockouts, and current W.B.A. Welterweight Champion.
El Chino Maidana-called “Chinaman” because of his Asiatic looking eyes-was the fortunate candidate to fight Mayweather because as Mayweather explained it: “I know my fans picked Khan as my next opponent, but if you look at the last 4 fights that each fighter has had, Maidana is the best challenge, and I only want to fight the best.”
Mayweather’s explanation makes sense since Khan has lost 2 of his last 4 fights, 1 by knockout, and Maidana has won his last 4 fights, 3 by k.o., defeating Adrien Broner by a unanimous decision, and winning the W.B.A. 147 pound Crown.
Many skeptical fight experts are not accepting Mayweather’s reasoning. They feel that he would have an easier fight with Maidana a hard hitting slugger from Argentina because he is slow footed and predictable, while Khan is a speedy hard- to- hit moving target, who comes at you all of the time, and is taller; plus, they surmise Maidana, is a better money gate attraction.
Who is correct? I really couldn’t say because Mayweather has beaten all of his opponents. Fortyfive tried and 45 failed; all of them of many fighting styles.
What has to be understood is that Maidana has been under the tutelage of top trainer Robert Garcia in his last 4 fights and he has actually improved and corrected his fighting mistakes. Is that enough to upset Mayweather? Your guess is as good as mine, because Mr. Floyd Mayweather, W.B.C. 147 pound Champ, 45-0, 26 knockouts, always finds the “antidote” to a fighting style and wins.
This championship fight on pay-per-view is a unification of the W.B.A. & W.B.C. 147 pound titles, which will also feature an interesting semi-final championship fight.
Who is Marcos Maidana? Chino Maidana is simply the quiet man from the Argentine farm land of just hunting and fishing, who shocked the boxing world when he thoroughly beat and embarrassed then undefeated Adrien Broner by a unanimous decision, almost knocking him out.
Just like his countryman Lucas Matthysse whom he defeated 3 times in amateur competition, Maidana packs a hard punch.
He is also a quiet family man who doesn’t like the spotlight but was thrust into it because of Floyd Mayweather’s selection. When he was first brought here to the United States, to face the future Golden Boy, Victor Ortiz, a few years ago, he expressed annoyance because he knew he was only supposed to be just an opponent for Ortiz, but, as he recalls “I knocked him out”.
“I finally felt that I got my respect back when I beat Broner, but I wonder if Mayweather respects me because he chose me instead of Khan, the people’s choice”, says. “We’ll see about respect come May 3rd. In the meantime I am training very hard to win, that is my goal.”
Can he defeat Mayweather? Well, every fighter, especially Maidana who is a hard punishing fighter has a puncher’s chance to win, and could possibly defeat Mr. Pound for Pound Icon, Floyd Mayweather.
In his last press conference Floyd Mayweather who was once profiled by Robin Leach’s T,V, series, “Life styles of the Rich and Famous”, said very confidently, “I am conditioned to see what my opponent is going to do by his body English because boxing is like a chess match, and I am boxing’s Bobby Fisher.”
Mayweather further added, “I have the ability to make A-Level and B-Level fighters look ordinary, and that comes from having a sharp mind as well as pushing myself in training so when it is time to fight everything is easy. I have been doing this for years since my amateur fighting days.”
Despite his pedigree in boxing many boxers want to fight Floyd Mayweather because they realize that he is the “King Midas of Boxing”, since they also make a lot of money, even in losing.
Is this over confident braggadocio by Mayweather? No, this is a man that from infancy has lived the boxing life, thanks to his father Floyd, Sr. and uncle Roger, and more importantly he has studied the game like a College course from a Bachelor’s Degree to a Masters to a Doctorate, and has graduated with honors at the top of his class every time.
You read it here first: Floyd Mayweather, by decision, over Marcos Maidana, a deja-vu, Saul “El Canelo” Alvarez’ boxing lesson. A knockout possibility, Maidana for sure, but it has to be early.
Again the promoters, Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions have gifted us with quality fights supporting this mega combat.
Veteran former world champ Luis Collazo, 35-5-, 18 knockouts, will fight Amir Khan, 31-3, 19 k.o.’s also a former world champ, but more importantly, the Floyd Mayweather reject. They will compete for the Vacant W.B.C. Silver Welterweight Title.
Collazo a born again Christian, father and grandfather, from Brooklyn, N.Y., credits the Lord for all of his present good fortune in being selected to fight Khan in this global fight card. “I was on top of the boxing world when I beat Jose Rivera and won the W.B.A. 147 Pound Crown in 2005, then I was robbed of my title when I fought Ricky Hatton, and I could not get a rematch.”
From then on Collazo stated that he felt “used and taken for granted” as just “a fill-in”, journeyman fighter also losing close fights to Shane Mosley, and Andre Burto. When he got the opportunity to fight Victor Ortiz, he sensed that this was a new blessing God had given him, and he was going to take full advantage of it, as he scored a 2nd round knockout.
“I am now on the threshold of success fighting Amir Khan, and I will take full advantage of it because if I lose, it is back to the drawing board, and I don’t want to go back,” declared Collazo.
Another fight of big interest is the comeback of former world champ, Adrien “The Problem” Broner, 27-1, 22 knockouts, fighting Carlos Molina, 17-1-1-1, 7 k.o.’s, and finally, a Money Mayweather protégé, J’ Leon Love, Super Middleweight, 16-0, 9 knockouts vs. Mexican k.o. artist, Marco Antonio Periban, 20-1, 13 k.o.’s.
Periban and Love by strange amateur fighting coincidence, both fought and defeated, Shawn Porter the current I.B.F. 147 Pound Champion who just last week k.o.’d, Paulie Malignaggi.
So my dear Black Star readers, from the top to the bottom, this May 3rd fight card especially the main event, will be packed with fistic excitement and maybe some unexpected surprises.
