By B.G.B: There has been speculation surrounding the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Marcos Maidana 2 fight since it’s announcement and questions that were being asked of Mayweather Jr with regards to the first fight have resurfaced. Is this the right fight for Mayweather? Is this an easy fight for Mayweather? What can Mayweather prove? Is Mayweather cherry picking?
It seems that the majority of fight fans as well as uneducated haters (in relation to the sport of boxing) believe Mayweather is protecting his own unique selling point, his 0 losses record.
This belief not only discredits Mayweather as the world’s best boxer, but disrespects Marcos Maidana as a competitor. Marcos Maidana is absolutely a valid and worthy opponent as showcased in the first fight. He was competitive throughout the entirety of the fight and showed true grit and toughness are enough to unsettle Mayweather at least, something which has seemed close to impossible throughout his entire career. There is a reason why no man has ever given Maidana a rematch. He is truly a fierce and feared competitor.
The first fight was a compelling contest that lived beyond expectation in terms of how close a fight it was. Mayweather emerged the victor and rightly so. His excellent conditioning allowed him to adjust to Maidana’s relentless and somewhat awkward attacks and saw him earn another victory. The question is why a rematch? What can Marcos Maidana do to improve upon an already brilliant performance on his part? Can he improve at all? The answer is yes.
This rematch will again not just live up to any expectation, it will surpass them. The basis of this assumption is derived from what all fights eventually come down to. Styles. Floyd Mayweather is the world’s best counter puncher and perhaps one of the greatest defensive fighters ever as all fight fans are aware of. Marcos Maidana is a relentless brawler that does not possess the speed of foot to box defensively. He is there to be hit and is indeed willing to take shots in order to land his own.
On paper it would seem Floyd Mayweather should easily defeat any fighter with the same style as Maidana. However, Maidana is unique. He throws barrages of hurtful power shots to the head, arms, shoulders, body, back of the head, kidneys even the legs at times! He is renowned for pushing the boundaries of the rules and shows little if any respect for the man standing in front of him. This aspect of Maidana’s game is essential when facing a fighter that is as composed as Mayweather. In order to break Mayweather down you must beat him mentally, something that no fighter has ever achieved (hence Floyd’s 0 losses).
You don’t beat Mayweather by boxing him. You don’t beat Mayweather with timing. You beat Floyd with and exhausting pressure and no respect. The first fight showed that Maidana frustrated Mayweather physically and mentally. We saw Floyd complain to the referee, we saw him continue those complaints in his corner, and now we have seen him further those complaints into the build up of the rematch. Indeed Maidana is battling with Mayweather mentally in a way that other fighter’s have not achieved. They have faltered under the mental pressure; they have shown the respect that Mayweather has demanded; they fought not only against Mayweather in the ring, but the legend that is Mayweather outside of it. Maidana has not done this. Of all of Mayweather’s recent fights Maidana is already alone in this achievement.
Maidana will not change his game plan. He will simply up his work rate. Forget points, the referee can take as many as he likes it will not alter Maidana’s determination or mental state. He is going for the knockout and that’s all that matters. The only way to stop Maidana’s fouling will be with a disqualification something Mayweather will certainly not want. Mayweather wants the Knockout. He hasn’t KO’d an opponent since catching a stupidly foolish fighter in Victor Ortiz who seemed too busy in making friends with Floyd rather than frustrating him. Mayweather will not run.
In fact Mayweather is not a runner. He uses the other fighter’s energy against them and counters effectively. His ring craft is second to none. He relaxes in the ring and moves majestically into the next best position. He does not run like Erislandy Lara did against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez or Andre Dirrell in his fight with Carl Froch. This is why this rematch promises fireworks. Using the energy of other opponents is a risky way of fighting depending on just how much pressure the opponent exerts. Maidana will exert perhaps the strongest and most driven pressure that Floyd has ever faced. Because of this, it is possible that Mayweather’s perfected style may backfire.
Mayweather won’t run, he will move but Maidana, rarely may it be, at some point will catch him. He will unload on him. He will never give up. He will take Floyd’s shots to land his own. In retrospect, Mayweather will load up more on his shots. He will land more flush shots both to the head and body. He will look for the knockout. This is what makes this rematch a genuine match up which honestly has the potential to shock the boxing world. Here we have a rugged warrior that has never been stopped, against a man that has never lost, each looking for the knockout. Mayweather knocking out a man that has never been stopped is another aspect that can be added to his legacy. He’s already beaten Maidana on points so this time points is simply not enough. If Floyd wants to win on points then expect him to try and fight in the same way Alexander and Kahn did; constant combinations with constant movement. A young man’s fight. Mayweather is not a young man. He is 37 years old and I do not expect him to replicate this style. Mayweather will wait as he always does but this time when he smells blood he will go for the kill.
Relentless pressure against a defensive wall that wants a KO and you’ve got an engaging, exhilarating fight that will deliver in a way that will shock casual and fight fans alike. I may be the only one who truly believes Maidana has a better chance this time around than he did before but I stand by what I say. Do I expect Maidana to win? No. Can Maidana win? Yes. Does Maidana have a better chance this time around? Yes. A hungry determined world class fighter with nothing to lose has been offered a rematch. If Maidana continues the success in the mental battle, which is such a major aspect of fighting Mayweather, then we could indeed see the breaking down of the most composed fighter of a generation for the first time. This fight is severely dangerous territory for Floyd and I for one give him absolutely full credit for taking this fight. Expect fireworks folks. Somebody is getting knocked out!
Comments are closed.