Countdown to Mayweather vs Maidana II: Why Maidana’s Mission Could Be Mayweather’s Downfall

08/31/2014 Vivek Wallace

(Note: Countdown to Mayweather vs Maidana II is an EastSideBoxing exclusive by resident scribe Vivek “Vito” Wallace who will take provide a glimpse into the epic showdown each week on Sunday, with a final prediction/analysis piece to be published on the day of the fight)

Floyd Mayweather’s resume boast a laundry list of formidable talent, yet each of those men carried one very flawed trait; one which Maidana has never owned or known. That one trait? Fear. The UK’s, Ricky Hatton also lacked fear, yet inadequate size blunted his best chance at achieving an upset. Oscar De la Hoya and Miguel Cotto were arguably the only fighters in Mayweather’s recent history with adequate size who didn’t enter the ring afraid, yet both made the mistake of trying to box, failing to realize that you can’t try to beat a master at his own game. Going into their initial showdown, fans and media alike viewed the Maidana matchup as a “classic case of Mayweather targeting a tailor-made opponent”, who had “no shot”. Less than a minute into the bout, that perception was far from the reality.

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Mayweather: Nobody’s going to knock me off this throne

08/31/201408/31/2014 Rob Smith

WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr (46-0, 26 KOs) says he’s not ready to be knocked off his throne by challenger Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) in their fight on September 13th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Indeed, Mayweather doesn’t see anyone knocking him off his throne, be it Manny Pacquiao or anyone else.

Mayweather is fighting at a too high of a level and he doesn’t see anyone out there that can pose any problems for him.

“Nobody’s going to knock me off this throne. I’m going to stay at the top and do what I want to, how I want and when I want to,” Mayweather said on All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2. “They think they good. I know I’m great.”

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Video: All Access Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Full Episode #1

09/15/201608/30/2014 Jeff Sorby

Showtime will be televising the first episode of the ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 episodes at 9:30 pm ET/PT on Sho. The episode will chronicle the buildup to the Mayweather-Maidana 2 rematch on 9/13 on Showtime pay-per-view. Floyd Mayweather Jr (46-0, 26 KOs) and Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) will be seen preparing for their all-important “Mayhem” rematch from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Despite the closeness of their previous fight, few boxing fans are giving Maidana much of a chance of beating Mayweather in the rematch. The belief is that Mayweather intentionally dumbed down his game last May to give Maidana a handicap to make it interesting for boxing fans to watch it. It’s like a great chess player handicapping himself against a novice to let the game go longer rather winning the match in the least amount of moves.

Maidana and Mayweather will be seen tonight on All Access getting ready for their fight. Maidana is trained by Robert Garcia, who believes that Maidana can win this fight if he’s able to throw nonstop punches for 3 minutes of every round.

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Roach: Mayweather is shot, but we want Pacquiao to fight him

08/30/2014 Rob Smith

At Thursday’s media day with Manny Pacquiao at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, trainer Freddie Roach continued with his mantra that WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr is a shot fighter due to Roach believing that he can’t move around the ring like he used to.

The interesting thing is Roach still wants Pacquiao to fight Mayweather even though Roach sees Mayweather as being shot. If Roach thinks Mayweather is shot, then why does he want Pacquiao to fight him?

“We’ll [Pacquiao] fight Mayweather at whatever weight he wants to fight at,” Roach said via Fightnews at the San Francisco Giants media day. “He’s [Mayweather] shot. He’s done. His legs are gone based on his last two fights. He says he doesn’t move in order to make it more exciting for the fans. Bull [expletive].”

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Bob Arum on Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao: “All signs seem to point to the fight happening early next year”

08/29/201408/29/2014 Vitali Shaposhnikov

While the majority of the boxing community has never accepted the idea that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will ever face Manny Pacquiao, some people held on to their belief and their undying hope. I happen to be one of those people, but not because of hope, instead I am convinced that money has a hold on everyone, including both Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao.

Like it or not, but this fight is already in the bank, and always has been if you ask me. This is a guaranteed paycheck, no matter when they decide to cash it. Be it tomorrow, or in 5 years, the fight would sell out the same.

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The Mayweather-Pacquiao Business Paradox

08/27/201408/26/2014 Bill Barner

In 1964 Walter Neale presented the Louis-Schmeling paradox. Named after two World War II-era heavyweight champions, the Louis-Schmeling paradox describes sports business as different from any other business when it comes to the potential benefit of a monopoly.

Generally speaking, monopoly is the ideal market position of any given business. Under a monopoly, competition is either comparatively weak or non-existent. This position allows the dominant business to absorb the lion’s share of potential customers. However, the same position is detrimental to a prize fighter. As the old adage “it takes two to tango” implies, Joe Louis could not sell out a big fight venue without formidable competition such as Max Schmeling.

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Maidana: I hope Mayweather will stand and fight like a man

08/27/201408/26/2014 Rob Smith

Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) met with the media earlier today to talk about his upcoming rematch against WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr (46-0, 26 KOs) next month on September 13th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Maidana took credit for forcing Mayweather Jr to fight off the ropes last May instead of Mayweather electing to do so in order to make it interesting for the boxing fans. Maidana says he forced Mayweather to fight that way, yet in the same interview, Maidana says he wants Mayweather to stand and fight him this time like last time.

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Earlier Start Time Set for Mayweather vs Maidana 2

08/26/2014 Showtime Boxing

In a move designed to enhance the viewing experience, SHOWTIME Sports®, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions have scheduled the “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” pay-per-view event, headlined by the rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana, to start at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT instead of the traditional 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The earlier start time is another innovative step SHOWTIME Sports is taking to improve the television viewer’s experience for live boxing events. Viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones, which make up nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population, won’t have to stay up as late as usual in order to witness the conclusion of the event.

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Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Mayweather/50 Cent Beef, Kell Brook, & More!!!!

08/25/2014 Vivek Wallace

Kalvin N. (Washington, DC): I’ve watched this whole Mayweather/50 beef and as an African American man who has sacrificed a great deal, I think it’s absolutely sad to witness. I’d like to know, what are your thoughts, culturally, and personally, on this topic?

Vivek W. (ESB): I think the term “sad” is a major, understatement. It’s a very troubling sight to watch unfold, and although some don’t want to hear this, I’m gonna be very pointed in my assessment that it’s not only distasteful, but it’s a kryptonite that’s only present in one cultural demographic, and it speaks for why that demographic continues to fall apart. This may not be a popular position to some, but I’d rather be hated for being honest than loved for lying. These words need to spoken, and today, I’ve volunteered to be the messenger.

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Maidana plans on using Everlast Powerlock gloves for Mayweather fight

08/24/201408/24/2014 T.Baker

In an effort to avoid any problems with his gloves getting approved by WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr (46-0, 26 KOs) in their rematch on September 13th, Maidana plans on wearing the same gloves – Everlast Powerlock – that he used in his first fight against Mayweather last May when Maidana lost a 12 round majority decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Maidana has been using the Powerlock gloves and has gotten used to wearing them. Whether Mayweather will say yes to Maidana wearing them a second time is unclear, but there shouldn’t be any reason why Mayweather won’t accept them a second time if they’re truly the same gloves as before.

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