This weekend as Floyd “Money” Mayweather struts down the MGM Grand walkway on his way to face Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, his ring walk music choice should be brought to us by none other than Mr. Magna Carta himself, Jay Z.
If you didn’t know by now, Mayweather (45-0-0, 26 KO) is boxing’s version of Hova. He’s a veteran and the best in the biz. Skillwise he’s on a level above nearly every other fighter in the game. Mayweather’s defensive skills are akin to Jay’s vernacular gymnastics – crisp, sound and nearly flawless after decades of perfecting his craft. Back to the ring walk, I can hear it now.
“I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell, I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well.” – Jay Z, “U Don’t Know”
This weekend’s fight, billed as “The Moment,” will once again cement Mayweather’s status as boxing’s best businessman. Each time I hear Mayweather, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer or Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbee talk about how Maidana (35-3-0, 31 KO) can end the fight in one punch, I chuckle guffaw.
Don’t be mistaken, Maidana certainly has power. You can’t compile an 88 percent KO rate without carrying thunder in those 8-ounce gloves. However, most of Maidana’s knockouts have come in the 140-pound division instead of the 147-pound weight limit where he’ll meet Mayweather. Maidana’s KOs have also been a product of his relentless and pressure-packed style. He throws powerful punches in bunches. The problem is, Mayweather’s speed and precision counter-punching will pick apart Maidana’s crude and technically unsound style.
Need proof? Look no further than Ricky Hatton, Carlos Baldomir, Robert Guerrero, Victor Ortiz and even Canelo Alvarez. Each of those fighters brought a slow, plodding, pressure style that Mayweather dissected and picked apart within the first few rounds. In many of the bouts, he counter-punched his foes into lethargy, in the others he made them pay dearly for each missed punch.
What about Adrien Broner, you say? Well, what about him? Though Broner was billed as the “next Mayweather” by HBO, he never quite fit the bill. Besides similarities in stances and trash talk, Broner and Mayweather’s fighting styles are very different. Broner is a very active offensive fighter but has always been vulnerable to get touched on the chin from time-to-time. He also leapfrogged two full weight divisions and won his WBA welterweight strap against the feather-fisted Paulie Malignaggi. Broner wasn’t ready for the power of a welterweight, even a blown up one.
Mayweather has been fighting between 147- and 154-pounds since 2006. Not that he gets hit very often with his impregnable shoulder roll defense, but we know he can take a punch. So if a strong punch is all Maidana brings to the table, game over. His chances are slim-to-none. Besides Broner, the last two skilled boxers Maidana fought were Devon Alexander and Amir Khan. Alexander chaperoned Maidana through a 12-round boxing clinic. Verus the china-chinned Khan, Maidana was outboxed early but came on strong in the latter rounds. He still lost on points after failing to send the speedy Brit to see the sandman. Mayweather’s boxing skills are head and shoulders above the others.’
As a fan of Maidana’s go-for-broke style, I’m glad to see him grab a nice payday against the Holy Grail of PPV. Golden Boy was nice enough to reward him for humbling Broner. The question though is whether I should be willing to go broke by throwing $75 at my TV for a bout to which I already know the outcome? Should you?
Whether I fork over the funds to watch in my man cave or venture out and about to a fight party, I’ll definitely be tuned in with the hardcore and casual fight fans. I suppose I’ll look at any money spent like a lottery ticket. Chances of a competitive scrap are not very high, but the profits will go to education – the education of Marcos Maidana.
My pick: Floyd Mayweather via decision.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk. Tune in to my weekly boxing Hangout, In the Clench Monday nights on Google+ or youtube.com/stlamericanvideo.
