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By Jackie Kallen
First off, I have to admit to the Boxinginsider.com readers that I was wrong about this fight. It was far more exciting than I ever thought it would be. Like many others, I was expecting another ho-hum, one-sided Mayweather romp. It was a much different animal than that.
Photo: USA Today
From the very beginning it was apparent that Maidana was not intimidated by Mayweather and was there to fight. He realized that opportunities like this don’t come along every day and he intended to make the best of it. He came out slugging.
The look on Floyd’s face seemed to say, “Hey, did I bite off too much here?” He seemed as surprised as everyone else (except the Argentinian fans) that Maidana was right in front of his face winging punches.
Maidana had rehydrated himself up to a solid 165 pounds by fight time and had a 17 pound weight advantage. He made it his mission to use that extra weight to muscle Mayweather every chance he had. There were times in the early rounds when Floyd’s expressions told it all: Frustration and discomfort. It dawned on him that this may not be as easy as he thought it was going to be.
However, Mayweather did not get to be the P4P best fighter in the world by accident. He knows how to turn things around and he knows how to do enough to win rounds. His punches are sharp, accurate, and well-placed. He is a master in the ring.
One of the biggest shocks here was the number of punches that Maidana threw, Who knew that this man would end up landing more punches than any of Floyd’s other opponents? He was relentless and gained an army of new fans just by fighting his heart out for 12 rounds.
When Mayweather got cut in the fourth round due to an accidental head butt, it could have been a game-changer. He has never been cut in a fight before. But although Mayweather claims it effected his vision for a couple of rounds after, his cutman did a great job sealing it and it was never a factor.
Mayweather’s superior skills prevailed and he did enough to win. It wasn’t a spectacular win, but it was a satisfying one for the viewers. Of course, Maidana felt he won, and one of the three judges saw it as a draw. Which certainly brings up the question of a rematch. Do the fans want to see another Maidana/Mayweather fight in September?
With Manny pretty much out of the picture and Amir Khan committed to Ramadan this summer, the list of viable opponents is shrinking. Miguel Cotto faces Sergio Martinez next month. The winner of that fight would certainly provide a worthy foe. So, Floyd and his team will sit back, enjoy the millions they just made, and ponder the future.
I believe a lot of boxing fans would like to see a rematch. Maidana showcased himself admirably and proved to be a deserving adversary for the champ. Whether it’s this next fight in September or the one after, I hope Maidana gets another shot. He certainly proved me wrong.
