Last week, Boxing 411 caught up with two time world champion and talented young fight promoter Jesse James Leija to analyze the upcoming super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Marcos Maidana, which is slated to be broadcast on Showtime PPV on May3rd, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The knowledgeable fight trainer and former world champion recognizes the gifts that both fighters will bring to the ring and examines the tumultuous fight style of “El Chino” Maidana versus the seemingly impervious defensive technique of “Money” Mayweather.
“I expect to see a great, great fight on May 3rd and a tough, tough fight for both fighters,” observes the budding young boxing promoter. “Mayweather brings intelligence, speed, and experience to the ring, and Maidana is so brutally tough that he’ll give you everything you can handle on fight night.”
“You’re not going to knock Maidana out. If you knock him down, he’s just going to get upset. So I’m expecting a great fight that the real fans of boxing will enjoy.”
Although Floyd Jr. has been able to support his claim as the pound for pound best leading into this highly anticipated match-up, the biggest name in the sport hasn’t fought a fighter with such an unpredictable and reckless style in quite some time.
“Maidana is so tricky, you really don’t know what to expect from his punches,” insists Jesse James Leija. “Maidana was in Broner’s face the entire night when they fought in December on my fight card in San Antonio. He took away his speed and rhythm by smothering him and throwing punches from strange angles throughout the entire fight.”
“Maidana’s such a strong fighter and a hard puncher who hurts you with every punch that he lands. Expect him to try and do the same thing versus Mayweather.”
Despite seeing the obvious dangers in facing the current WBA Welterweight Champion, the experienced former titlist can’t help but favor the best defensive fighter in boxing on May 3rd.
“Broner merely takes a step back while trying to roll away from a punch, and Floyd is capable and experienced enough to use the entire ring. He doesn’t depend on being flat footed to throw punches like Broner, so he can use the entire ring when trying to keep his opponents at a safe distance. He’s so smart and experienced in the ring, you just can’t bet against Floyd in this fight.”
“The Moment: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” a 12 round world championship unification bout form Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147 pound titles, is promoted by Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’reilly Auto Parts, and AT&T. The event will be produced and distributed live by Showtime PPV with a start time of 9PM EST/6PM PST, and is the third fight of a lucrative six fight deal with CBS/Showtime Networks, Inc.
