Let's keep all the discussion/banter/stupidity in here and not flood the boxing thread.
As a reminder, don't ask for links or you'll get banned and this will get locked.
Also, this PPV starts at 8PM ET instead of the normal 9PM ET.
Here is the full schedule:
Five keys for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Five keys for Marcos Maidana.
As a reminder, don't ask for links or you'll get banned and this will get locked.
Also, this PPV starts at 8PM ET instead of the normal 9PM ET.
Here is the full schedule:
At Las Vegas (Showtime PPV): Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos Maidana, rematch, 12 rounds, for Mayweather's WBC/WBA welterweight title and Mayweather's WBC junior middleweight title; Leo Santa Cruz vs. Manuel Roman, 12 rounds, for Santa Cruz's WBC junior featherweight title; Miguel Vazquez vs. Mickey Bey, 12 rounds, for Vazquez's IBF lightweight title; Alfredo Angulo vs. James De La Rosa, 10 rounds, middleweights; John Molina Jr. vs. Humberto Soto, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Andrew Tabiti vs. Caleb Grummet, 6 rounds, cruiserweights; Damian Sosa vs. Armando Lopes, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Junior Benjamin vs. Alim Jumakhonov, 4 rounds, featherweights; Fabian Maidana vs. Jared Teer, 4 rounds, welterweights; Kevin Newman vs. Shakee Williamson, 4 rounds, super middleweights
Five keys for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Fresh off his closest victory in 12 years, pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. enters just the second rematch of his career on Saturday.
Mayweather-Maidana II
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
TV: Showtime PPV
Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) faces Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (Showtime PPV, 8 p.m. ET) in a rematch of their May showdown, which Mayweather won by majority decision.
Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs), who came surprisingly close to solving Mayweather's riddle, will need to amp up the pressure even more in order to get a victory in the rematch.
Should Mayweather, 37, hope for a second straight victory against the Argentine slugger, he should follow these keys to victory:
Wide-open spaces
0It's no secret that Mayweather does his best work in the center of the ring, where his advantages in speed and technique are better showcased. Against Maidana in the first fight, he found himself cornered or trapped against the ropes more often than just about anyone anticipated. Regardless of the reasons why it happened, Mayweather made clear midfight adjustments to limit such occurrences in the second half of the fight. He should have a much easier time in the rematch if he prepares for a track meet and circles away from Maidana. Utilizing his lead right hand will be a key for Mayweather to intercept Maidana's advances.
Keep calm and counter on
1Mayweather has 12 full rounds under his belt dealing with Maidana's awkward rhythm and unorthodox punching angles. But despite surprising Mayweather early with corkscrew right hands and helicopter hooks, Maidana was rarely able to land flush to Mayweather's head as the fight progressed. Floyd did well while under attack to keep his composure and he'll be much more comfortable in the rematch identifying the punches if he remains calm and looks to counter.
Jab to the body
0A distinct advantage in speed allows Mayweather, although being a natural counterpuncher, to get off first against Maidana whenever he needs to. Utilizing his quick jab to the body will be a major factor for Mayweather to avoid finding himself trapped in the rematch. While Maidana is a straight-ahead fighter who never relents in his pursuit, Mayweather was able to offset his rhythm in their first fight by touching him downstairs and forcing him to reset. Much of Maidana's success is built upon volume punching and anything Mayweather can do to curb that will help him in the long run.
Play to your strengths
0Mayweather has preserved himself remarkably well for a fighter who is 37. He's reaping the benefits of a life spent devoted year-round to his craft. But one of these days his advanced age will show itself in the ring. In fact, some question whether it already has, which might explain why Maidana was so competitive in the first fight. Maybe it was simply that Mayweather took his opponent lightly and was caught off guard by Maidana's relentless and awkward style. Either way, "Money" should avoid taking any chances in the rematch and would be smart to focus exclusively on boxing. Attempting to stand and trade in order to make a statement might sound enticing, but Floyd's safety-first style has gone a long way in helping him hold off Father Time.
Eyes on the prize
1It's fair to at least suggest that Mayweather wasn't himself in the buildup to their first fight. He was emotional in many of his public appearances during fight week and often referred to his career in the past tense. He was also dealing with the aftermath of a very public breakup with his ex-fiancée Shantel Jackson. How much did that affect his performance? You can draw your own conclusions. But drama has continued to follow Floyd entering the rematch, including a social media feud with former confidant 50 Cent. Mayweather needs to focus on giving Maidana his full attention on Saturday despite what is going on around him.
Five keys for Marcos Maidana.
Argentine slugger Marcos Maidana was the driving force behind Floyd Mayweather Jr. producing one of the most exciting fights of his career when the two met for the first time in May.
Mayweather-Maidana II
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
When: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
TV: Showtime PPV
But despite pushing the pound-for-pound king to the limit in Mayweather's toughest fight in 12 years, Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) was unable to pull off the upset despite coming so close. His performance, however, created enough demand for a rematch that Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) agreed to a second fight for just the second time in his career.
Maidana, 31, will get his shot at redemption when he faces Mayweather in Saturday's rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (Showtime PPV, 8 p.m. ET).
Does the exciting fighter have enough in the tank to hand Mayweather, 37, the first defeat of his career? It wouldn't hurt his chances if he considered these keys to victory:
Even more pressure
0It might seem ridiculous to ask more of Maidana in this area after he relentlessly stalked Mayweather in a way no other fighter outside of Jose Luis Castillo has been able to do. But clearly the more intense Maidana's pressure was in their first fight, the more effective he became in cornering Mayweather and preventing him from taking the offensive. Maidana has talked about coming in leaner for the rematch and increasing his volume of punches thrown in favor of setting up one big shot. Taking his foot off the gas -- even a little -- will allow Mayweather room to make his adjustments. Maidana needs to enter in the best shape of his career with a willingness to empty the tank each and every round.
Jab your way in
1As much as Maidana had success cornering Mayweather and mauling him with wild punches from unpredictable angles, he had little success hitting Floyd flush to the face. Mayweather should have an easier time picking up Maidana's frenetic rhythm in the rematch with 12 rounds of experience in his back pocket. Maidana likely won't be able to take as much advantage of dirty tactics this time around either after a change in referees from Tony Weeks to Kenny Bayless. All of these factors lead back to Maidana's heavy jab, which he didn't throw often enough in their first fight, as being crucial to his success. "Chino" has a way of disguising it well and when he crouches down low and releases it from an unorthodox position. He should use it as much as a weapon as he should to set up his right hand over the top.
Hit what's open
0Maidana found out first-hand how difficult it is for any opponent to hit Mayweather clean to the head with more than one punch. Simply put, there's a reason why Floyd has been able to remain on top for so long. But Mayweather's ability to preserve himself upstairs does open up room for his opponents to land to the body, provided they can catch him. Thanks to his constant pressure, Maidana is the right type of fighter. After proving able to take Mayweather's best shots in the first fight, Maidana shouldn't hesitate to drop his hands and go for broke with hard hooks downstairs. It could pay major dividends by slowing down Mayweather's legs late in the fight.
Straighten things out (just a bit)
0Mayweather is an absolute master at figuring out his opponents' style and using his advantages in speed, smarts and technique to neutralize their best weapon. So it's fair to argue that a great deal of Maidana's success against Mayweather was due to his unorthodox style, which features looping punches thrown from unthinkable angles. It would appear asking Maidana to refine his style would make him more of an ordinary fighter, playing directly into Mayweather's hands. Despite trainer Robert Garcia's success in helping Maidana use his raw qualities to his advantage, a commitment to mixing in straighter shots in key moments could go a long way toward surprising Mayweather with a big punch.
Throw caution to the wind
1Maidana is at his absolute best when he fights like there is no tomorrow. It has gone a long way in making him one of the most fan-friendly fighters of this decade. He gets the most out of his ability, fights at a terrifying pace and doesn't shrink on the big stage. But as good as he performed in the first fight against Mayweather, the odds are against him duplicating that effort in the rematch thanks to a variety of factors. To overcome that, Maidana will need to leave it all in the ring and take as many chances as he needs to pull off the upset. Only one other fighter in Mayweather's 18-year career has been given a second chance at defeating him. Maidana needs to be sure he has no regrets of any kind when the final bell is rung on Saturday.
