Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana will fight once more, after a splendid clash of styles made their for an exciting first encounter. While some have wondered whether Maidana deserves the rematch at all, what isn’t questionable is that the Argentine bull gave a better fight than expected, and a better fight than most that had gone before him in front of boxing’s pound for pound best.
Given that there will be intense press tours, worldwide promotion and end-to-end coverage, is the Mayweather vs. Maidana rematch worth it? In a word, yes. Why? Read on for the top 3 reasons why.
The best available option
The welterweight division is crowded with potential Mayweather suitors, but exactly how suited they are is still up for debate. Shawn Porter is a new alphabet world title holder, Keith Thurman is in need of further seasoning and Amir Khan is a bigger fight down the line; not now.
Given the current situation, Maidana fits the bill. Granted, we’ve seen this fight before, but Maidana pushed Floyd harder than any other recent opponent of his. The idea that Mayweather took it easy on Maidana to ensure crowd’s entertainment is an illusion – he genuinely found it hard to figure out Maidana’s awkward lunges. Maidana earned this rematch the hardest possible way; by physically proving he belonged in the ring with Mayweather.
Intrigue
It’s hard to imagine Mayweather struggling with the same guy twice. He did a better job on Jose Luis Castillo the second time he fought him (although the scorecards actually came in closer), so it’s fair to assume he could do the same here. However, Maidana’s style is unconventional, un-repeatable and will always be hard to fathom. Thus, I believe this rematch will still present difficulties for Mayweather.
Added to this, there was controversy around Maidana’s selection of gloves last time out, at least in Team Mayweather. Maidana seems to feel that using his favored gloves will give him an edge, increased power, or both, all of which would potentially make this an even tougher fight for Mayweather. [Editor’s Note: It’s still unclear how the glove situation will be resolved in the rematch].
The alternate way of looking at their first fight and the struggle Floyd had subduing his slugging challenger is to consider the aging process eating away at Mayweather’s athleticism. He is 37 years old, after all, and there will always be a danger when fighters of his ilk start to slow down. Should physical decline have set in already, this rematch could be a grueling one for him.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Maidana has certain gifts, but when push comes to shove he fights a specific way, and that isn’t going to change. He will come forward with crude swings, a body attack, and rough inside instincts that would make underground wrestlers sweat. Mayweather is going to get hit in this fight and that agrees with a lot of boxing fans, both fanatic and casual.
On the other hand, Mayweather is the greatest boxer of his generation, and arguably one of the best of all time. His inexorable rise to the pinnacle of the sport has not just been built on savvy marketing, but quality performance. He has punctuated his career with moments; demolishing Diego Corrales, out-pointing the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, picking apart Ricky Hatton, rematching Castillo and taking Canelo Alvarez to school.
Maidana gave Floyd fits in their initial fight, but there’s a high chance Mayweather will pull out a first rate display of boxing that would please the purists. Everyone’s a winner.
