Mayweather vs. Maidana Is Not a Lost Cause for Maidana:
Now that we know who Floyd Mayweather will be fighting, you may already be assuming that he will pick up yet another easy win. But not so fast. There are still reasons why all is not completely lost, as there is actually still hope for Maidana and the fans. Let’s be clear, maybe not a ton of hope. But there is hope.
Here are the top 5 reasons Maidana could upset Mayweather.
1. Maidana’s Heart
Maidana will fight through anything, and he epitomizes the word “warrior.” That’s the main reason why this fight was the better option than Khan — we’re more likely to see a 12-round fight with at least a hint of drama, as opposed to a one-sided 5th round knockout. Maidana will give it a chance and try to crack the defense of Mayweather and it should be fun watching him attempt to do so. Even if Maidana is losing on the scorecards late, he won’t give up, and will still be pushing for the knockout.
2. Puncher’s Chance
Maidana is one of the heaviest hitters in the sport, with more than enough pop in his gloves. It’s rare that Mayweather gets caught flush with a big shot, but if he does it could leave Floyd looking like his buddy Adrien Broner. No one thought Antonio Tarver could land the one-hitter-quitter against Roy Jones years back, but he did. In boxing, you can never be sure. Maidana will have to be persistent, and find his opportunity to land a big shot. He should watch some of his predecessors such as Shane Mosley and Zab Judah, who both happened to hit Mayweather with some big shots early on in their fights.
3. The Role of the Underdog
Every fighter is an underdog when taking on Floyd Mayweather, but Maidana relishes the role. He lets the others do the trash talking, while he gets it done in the ring. Maidana beat up on the heavily favored Victor Ortiz early in his career and has done so to others on multiple occasions. His biggest upset came in his last fight when he battered Mayweather’s supposed heir. He’s shown that some of the stuff that Mayweather brings to the table during a fight’s buildup doesn’t work on him.
4. He’s Earned the Fight
Maidana is a proven veteran, and actually has one of the better resumes in the sport in recent years. He has the experience needed for an opponent like Mayweather, but is also not out of his prime. He did it the right way through the merits of hard work and winning fights, not just expecting the fight by name recognition. Maybe a battle-tempered vet like Maidana is a better candidate than a more-talented fighter who doesn’t have the mettle.
5. New Trainer, New Mindset
Coming off a tough loss to Devon Alexander, and being 2-2 in his last 4 fights, Maidana sought a new trainer to help him improve upon his craft. In most of his prior fights he was able to get away with being a one-dimensional fighter with overwhelming power. But the defeat to Alexander exposed him as a fighter who could be easily outboxed.
Then Robert Garcia took the helm, and it has paid dividends. Maidana has not lost since and he has improved upon his footwork, and uses more movement to get inside on fighters. Some of these small adjustments have had a substantial impact. Maidana will look to take these improvements with him and pull out the win. The camp is confident after stringing together four victories in a row. They look to make it five on May 3rd.
