By Jasper Sharp: Many if not most true fans of boxing questioned why it took so long for an opponent to be announced for Floyd Mayweather Jr’s fight this May. In the past, when it came to Floyd Mayweather Jr. announcing his next opponent, the usual timing was approximately 4 to 6 months before the fight.

Granted Mayweather Jr. had recently signed on as an employee of Showtime and CBS, but questions do indeed arise, as one would think someone as established as he claims he is would have the minute details of such things ironed out. After all he has been with Showtime / CBS almost two years.

So why did it take so long for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to announce an opponent? That’s the question I think deserves to be answered. It was a mere two months before the actual fight before Marcos Maidana was announced. In this article I will cover in chronological order the event’s that lead up to the final announcement.

According to Amir Khan, Floyd Mayweather Jr. promised him the fight over a year ago, but let’s delve deeper than that. Let’s see if what actually happened, backs up what Amir Khan said and go ”behind the scenes” if you will for a moment for ”The moment”.

Amir Khan does not seem like a dishonest person, but the fact of the matter is he did in fact mysteriously back out of a fight around June 2013 with Devon Alexander. The fight seemed to be all but made, but not only did Amir Khan decide to pull out he also decided not to fight anyone for almost an entire year. Amir claims it was because he was not only waiting for Floyd Mayweather Jr. but training exclusively for a fight with Mayeather Jr. Those are facts, and I feel they substantiate public declarations in multiple interviews where he vehemently claimed Floyd Mayweather Jr. and himself had been in constant incommunicado about an Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Amir Khan match for May 3rd 2014.

Team Amir Khan not only firmly stood by this, they went as far as saying that they were already had signed a contract although TMT completely denied the rumors. People say all sorts of things, they lie and unfortunately it takes time for newer fans of boxing than die hard fan’s (including boxer’s themselves) to understand boxing is more than a sport it’s also a business but nonetheless, Amir Khan also seemed very upset over these matters which one can only gather must have been true to spite TMT claiming the opposite.

But what happened. That’s the question and actual point I’d like to express clearly in this article. This is article is about the fan’s deserving the truth however, not Amir Khan being the one who deserved the fight. With certainty there were certainly more deserving opponent’s qualified by their own accomplishment’s in the ring (Sergio Martinez for example). In fact many seemed to scoff at the idea of Floyd Mayweather Jr. who qualified Amir Khan as a viable opponent, for several reasons one of which most fan’s believed Floyd Mayweather Jr. was trying to get the easier way out but, to a lesser extent that Amir had not only not fought in almost a year, but that he was also coming off recent losses.

If Floyd Amir Khan was Floyd Mayweather’s choice for last weeks bout at the MGM in Nevada, and the only person up to this point via video interviews he expressed the most interest in, what really happened?

Let’s take a look at some more fact’s.

In December 2013 Floyd Mayweather Jr. posts pictures on his twitter which would leave the fans to believe he had three opponent’s in mind. One was of the legendary Manny Pacquiao who I’m sure almost everyone knew by then, Floyd Mayweather Jr. had no intentions on fighting whatsoever. The other two photo’s rendered by an artist were of art Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana.

In February 2014 a mere three months before the fight was to take place in May, Floyd Mayweather Jr. creates a poll and ”says” he’d like the fans to choose who he fights next. The poll had two boxer’s from the fan’s to choose from Amir Khan or Marcos Maidana, and even though once again, there seemed to be absolutely no mention of Pacquiao even though Floyd seemed to suggest he was thinking of Manny Pacquiao as a possible opponent the poll seemed to create some relief amongst fans who had been anxiously awaiting the final announcement.

I believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. wanted to fight Amir Khan but Showtime / CBS during meetings kept bringing up Marco’s Maidana. Floyd in order to circumvent that and thought of the poll in order to prove to Showtime / CBS Amir Khan was established. Floyd knew Amir Khan would win the poll based on his larger following not only in the USA/UK but his substantial following of Muslim’s across the world.

March 2014, one month after Amir Khan won the OFFICIAL poll given to the fan’s by Floyd Mayweather complete silence and still no official announcement. Based on the timeline of event’s I believe there is only one thing that could be the reason. I believe SHOWTIME and CBS had issues with who Floyd Mayweather Jr. really wanted to fight, and that ”the silence” before ”the moment” was created when Floyd who is accustomed to getting his way, attempted to stonewall SHOWTIME / CBS execs who just could not stop bringing up two words ”Marcos Maidana”.

So, what was the real reason why Marco’s Maidana was to be announced officially as Floyd Mayweather Jr’s opponent.

After annihilation of Adrien Broner in December of 2013, Marco’s Maidana became a household name across the world, his performance literally sent shockwaves around the world and the ripple forced people who never heard of him to take notice of him across the oceans. But was Floyd Mayweather Jr. trying to avoid being caught up in that moment and dodge a moment where he knew he would have to face a force like Marco’s Maidana for a fight which ultimately was entitled ”The Moment” and if so why? Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been accused of dodging fighter’s in the past, though he claims it is not true, but just as the waves come unrelenting as they do upon the shore of the ocean and expose thing’s once hidden within I believe the truth will ultimately be revealed.

Sometimes time has a way of divulging things people were able to question and guess towards, but I believe the timeline of event’s concerning suggest there was no other possibility as far as this article is concerned. The only question remaining right now, is will Floyd Mayweather Jr. slowly excuse his way, or deny a second fight with Marcos Maidana. That is of course in light of what happened to him on May 3rd.

Did Marco’s Maidana leave a huge crack in ”The Mavinci Code”?, and if so was crack wide enough it will be easier for him to come in and solve what’s left to be unsolved? There is no question Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of boxing’s living greats, but what seemed to perplex many is that just as Marcos Maidana ”somehow” ”someway” found several way’s to expose Floyd Mayweather Jr. personal craft in boxing Floyd Mayweather Jr. ”somehow” ”someway” was able to get away with a decision. Perhaps, just perhaps the only way to solve this puzzle is if someone comes with the missing pieces of the puzzle now, but what’s for certain is whether that person will be Marco’s Maidana or not Marco’s Maidana is the one who exposed the fact that defeating Floyd Mayweather Jr. is definitely possible. I expect Floyd Mayweather Jr. will have issues about fighting Maidana again, but in the end I believe even though Floyd Mayweather Jr. claims he is his own boss, that the execs at Showtime and CBS will have the final word.