It is Tough at the Top for Floyd Mayweather Jr

By Robbie Bannatyne - 04/27/2014 - Comments

floyd03By Robbie Bannatyne: They say it’s tough at the top, and judging by the torrent of abuse aimed at Floyd Mayweather Jr over his apparently scandalous decision to fight Marcos Maidana on May 3rd, it obviously is in boxing.

Floyd Mayweather could be forgiven if he fails to understand how he has incurred the wrath of the boxing world by wanting to unify the welterweight division when he takes on the murderously powerful Maidana on May 3rd. The hard hitting Argentine is now one of the hottest properties in the sport after destroying Adrien Broner on his way to winning the WBA welterweight title, which is his 2nd world title- he was also a champion in the 140 lb weight class.

Sure, we all know Adrien Broner is an imposter in borrowed robes, but Maidana is the real deal. He has earned his shot at Mayweather, and is fully deserving of the career defining fight and pay day against the sports undisputed Pound for Pound champion. Of course Maidana is a massive underdog, but everyone is an underdog against the genius of Mayweather Jr.

The only fighter who would have had a 50-50 chance against Mayweather was Manny Pacquaio of 2009. Still, half a decade and countless ridiculous demands later, the fight is yet to materialize. Forgive me, I digress.

I apply a conflict analogy from the Middle East to explain the gulf between Mayweather and his normally hopelessly over matched opponents. Mayweather is like Israel, and his opponents are Palestine: it is a wholly unfair fight from the outset. Mayweather is a boxing outlier, a man who already possessed hall of fame talent and ring intellect before the 1st bell sounded in his professional career. For he marries his supreme god given gifts with a prisoner of war type work ethic and an obsessive dedication to his craft, which means he is as close to pugilist perfection as we are ever likely to see. However, maybe Maidana’s power could be the equalizer- the nuclear weapon Palestine would need to even up the fight with Israel.

Apart from the much anticipated fight with Pacquaio, Floyd Mayweather is fast running out of opponents. But, with regards to the Pacquaio fight, I will dare to be an optimist and say they will fight at least once in 2015. So for now, Maidana is as good an opponent as any. He is a legitimate champion in the most talent deep division in the sport, yet people are outraged that Mayweather wants a unification fight with him! It beggars belief, but it is a clear sign of the deep rooted frustration many feel towards Mayweather for his reluctance to make the Pacquaio fight happen.

Still, it is hard to fathom the condemnation Floyd Mayweather has been subjected to over his decision to fight Maidana. He has been accused of ‘cherry picking’ Maidana. But the Argentine has as good a chance as most fighters against Mayweather. Admittedly his chances are slim to none, the same as all of Mayweather’s previous 45 opponents- barring, of course, the 1st fight with Jose Luis Castillo, which Mayweather lost despite getting the decision.

It is doing Maidana a massive disservice to write off the fight as a complete mismatch. The naysayers, such as Bob Arum, who called the bout ‘nonsense’, insist Mayweather the matador will embarrass Maidana, the crude, raging bull with his boxing skills and technical brilliance. This brutal assessment may in fact be bang on the money: Maidana could be exposed for being a limited brawler. But, sometimes, the raging bull rag dolls the matador against all the odds. So whilst it is highly improbable that Maidana will emerge victorious on May 3rd, it is not mission impossible for Maidana. He has a ‘punchers chance’.

Maybe the fountain of eternal youth the ageless Mayweather feeds on will finally run dry on May 3rd. Or, perhaps, one of the many precision bombs which Mayweather’s perfect timing turns into near misses, Maidana can make a direct hit right on the target of Floyd Mayweather’s chin. Is it improbable? Yes. Is it impossible? No, definitely not.

Maybe, just maybe, Marcos Maidana will be able to show Floyd Mayweather Jnr how tough it really is at the top on May 3rd.

Thanks for Reading.

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Find me on: http://robbiebannatyne89.wordpress.com/

Boxing News 24 Fans: Can Maidana pull off a miracle and beat Floyd Mayweather Jr?

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