Maidana CANNOT Be Better This Time Against Mayweather

Published

10 years ago

September 13, 2014

It’s the oldest, but also the truest cliché in the sport of boxing. “Styles make fights.”

And if we take it a little further it can be said that styles also determine the outcome of most fights. In boxing you have fighters who fight as boxers/technicians, boxer/punchers, counter-punchers, swarmers/maulers and sluggers.

This weekend welterweight Floyd Mayweather 46-0 (26) will fight a rematch with former junior welterweight title-holder Marcos Maidana 35-4 (31). When they last tangled four months ago, Mayweather won a 12-round majority decision which in reality should’ve been unanimous. After eight rounds Maidana was getting the better of it against Mayweather. Maidana’s non-stop reckless aggression was suffocating Mayweather and totally nullified his ability to move, box and counter-punch. Floyd was under duress and didn’t have the time or needed space to box or set any traps for Maidana. In the main, Mayweather, in-spite of tagging Marcos with some big shots, was basically fighting for his life and just hoping to fight Maidana off of him with the intent of stabilizing the action and tempo.

In essence, Maidana was fighting his fight almost to the letter. His aggression was effective and because of it along with his unorthodox mauling tactics, Floyd was out of his comfort zone. That said, Maidana was paying a price and getting nailed with some of Mayweather’s Sunday best in the process. And as much as Maidana was dictating the pace and had Mayweather uncomfortable, he wasn’t physically strong enough to break his will or shut down his skill. Even after getting worked over for the better part of eight rounds, Mayweather was able to box and pot-shot Maidana during the last third of the bout because Marcos needed a breather after trying to sustain his all-out assault. And once Maidana was forced to take his foot off the gas a little so he could conserve his energy in order to make it through the final four rounds, that was all Mayweather needed to fight his fight and pick his spots and go on to win three of the last four rounds to seal the decision in his favor.

Think of it like this: as long as Maidana was fighting full throttle and wide open, you could say he more or less got the better of it. But he’s just a man and is only so strong. Asking him to fight all out for 12 complete rounds is not realistic for anybody. He recently said that he did tire and was forced to conserve his energy during the final third of the fight. And this was against a version of Mayweather who I believe took him a little lightly and didn’t train and prepare with the needed urgency he will in training for the rematch.

What many have missed regarding their last fight is how much it took out of Maidana physically hitting Floyd and trying to beat him up. And if you’re honest, as hard as Maidana hit Mayweather, he never really had him in real trouble or badly shaken during the entire bout. Again, this was against Mayweather who didn’t go into the fight on alert mode and who probably viewed Maidana as nothing more than a crude and unorthodox mauler who he could side step and counter at will. This time Floyd will be much more focused and purposeful. I also believe that like it was the case when he fought Miguel Cotto, Mayweather held his ground a little more than usual and wanted to prove he could beat the rough and tough aggressor at his own game.

Obviously, what Maidana did during the last fight worked, but not enough for him to leave the ring as the winner. Marcos Maidana is an attacker/swarmer. His style and pressure are only effective when he’s forcing the fight and pushing his opponent back to the ropes or into one of the corners. As long as he had Mayweather on the defense, he was in the fight. Nothing bothers a boxer or technician like being cut off and forced to fight and trade. However, there is a price to pay if you’re the attacker pushing the fight – and that is you are walking directly into the firestorm. If the boxer cannot hurt you, then it’s worth the price so you can get inside and work him over……But if he’s cable of blunting and stunting your pressure, you’ve got to be more judicious with your aggression if you’re the attacker. And we saw during the first fight, Maidana did pay a price for taking it to Mayweather, and eventually it slowed him down right at the point to where the fight was being decided.

Maidana also said that you have to respect Floyd’s punch, which is really code for saying Mayweather hits hard enough that he can’t just go at him like he’s handcuffed and unload the kitchen sink on him. He’ll be reminded of this when Mayweather catches him real good for the first time in the rematch. Couple that with Maidana tiring during the last fight because he was worn down by the constant strain of trying to force the fight on the inside, which will more than likely be the case against a more focused Mayweather.

If you’re Marcos Maidana, what adjustments can you realistically make in order to tilt the rematch in your favor? The only way he can be effective is if he can turn the bout into a street fight. I’ve heard some say he has to jab and be more measured this time in order to set up his power shots. To that I say – yeah, in the cookbook world that sounds plausible. But in the ring it won’t be so easily applied. Mayweather is the boxer, there’s nothing he’d love more than for Maidana to try and wait and react to what he does. In that scenario Maidana would get off second and lose every exchange during the fight. If Marcos tries to fight measured, that’s not who he is. He has one advantage over Floyd if you discount that he’s a few years younger, and that he is the bigger puncher. The problem is, he can’t deliver his punch to where he needs to if he’s watching and waiting to see what Mayweather is going to do. Furthermore, we saw that even his Sunday punch didn’t detonate enough to drop or stop Mayweather. If he waits there’s much less of a chance of him ever landing anything consequential because if Floyd isn’t fighting for his life, despite Maidana’s unconventional delivery, Mayweather will see everything Maidana lobs at him.

Conversely, Mayweather can change a little stylistically like he did versus Jose Luis Castillo in their rematch. This time Floyd will try to keep Maidana more in ring center and look to get off first while there’s a lull in the action. He’ll also look to get off first instead of countering this time because he knows Marcos can’t handle the effects of continuously getting tagged and stunned on the way in. And once Maidana starts to think and become slightly hesitant with his aggression, it’s over.

Attackers have to attack and go for the knockout three minutes a round to be effective. That’s the only way their style works. If Maidana tries to all of the sudden be a thinking fighter, he’ll be a fish out of water against a sharp assassin like Mayweather. Think of it this way, what if Joe Frazier waited and reacted to Muhammad Ali, or if Roberto Duran didn’t bring it to Sugar Ray Leonard? Under that scenario, both Joe and Roberto would be second every time thus they’d lose every exchange and probably never land a meaningful punch because they’d be fighting more as a boxer or counter-puncher. Well, Mayweather would love for the fight to come down to speed and reflexes, because without pressure, his superior speed and reflexes will shine.

The bottom line for Mayweather-Maidana II is, Floyd can adjust a little or fight the same style he did last time and win. As opposed to Maidana, who can only hope to bring a little more of what didn’t work the last time but still gives him his only chance to win. Maidana must go for the knockout from bell-to-bell as long as he can. Either he goes all out and stops Floyd, or he runs out of gas and maybe gets stopped in the process. However, it’s better to fight your fight and give yourself the best chance to win and getting stopped, than it is just watching Floyd waiting for the ideal time to cut loose. If Maidana’s been convinced that he can do better this time by boxing and fighting more measured, Mayweather will eat him up and never experience one close call during the fight and will win going away.

There’s a reason why if the better boxer or technician beats the attacker the first time, the rematch is usually a rerun of the first meeting. Fighters who adopt the mauling/swarming style like Marcos Maidana do so for a reason, and that’s because they can’t box and be effective. Maidana’s only chance to beat Mayweather is for him to fight like he always does and hope that Freddie Roach was right when he suggested that Floyd’s legs are gone and he’s showing physical signs of a fighter on the decline.

That, I wouldn’t bet on. No, not this weekend.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

Photo credits:Stephanie Trapp/Mayweather Promotions

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Frank Lotierzo

Avila Perspective, Chap. 281: The Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia Show

Published

22 hours ago

April 18, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-281-The-Devin-and-Ryan-Show

Over the years bouts between old foes such as Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia tend to be surprising.

Yes, both are only 25 but have known each other for many years.

When undisputed super lightweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) steps into the prize ring at Barclays Center to meet challenger Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, April 20, fans will be witnessing the continuation of a feud that began more than a decade ago.

And though the champion is a heavy favorite, familiarity is Garcia’s best weapon heading into their fight on the Golden Boy Promotions card that will be shown on PPV.COM with Jim Lampley and friends. DAZN pay-per-view is also streaming the card.

In many ways Haney and Garcia have ventured down the same path. From amateur sensations to fighting in Mexico while teens to asking for the biggest challenges available.

“Whichever version of Ryan shows up on April 20, I will be ready for him. Ryan Garcia is just another opponent to me,” said Haney who holds the WBC super lightweight title after his win over Regis Prograis.

The first time I saw Haney as a pro he battled the dangerous Mexican contender Juan Carlos Burgos at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. It was an impressive performance against a fighter who fought three times for a world title.

Haney was 19 at the time.

My first look at Garcia as a pro was in his first bout in the U.S. when he met Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Cruz at the Exchange in downtown Los Angeles. The Boricua looked at Garcia and tried intimidating him with stares, taunts and the usual patter. During the fight both swung and missed until the second round when Garcia zeroed in and took him out.

Garcia had just turned 18, the legal age to fight in California.

Both fighters did not have the Olympics credentials that lead to fame. But their talent has allowed them to fight through the dense smoke that is professional boxing.

Haney has defeated numerous world champions such as Prograis, Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., while Garcia has stopped champions Javier Fortuna and Luke Campbell.

As amateurs, Garcia and Haney battled six times with each winning three.

“They know each other very well,” said Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. “Ryan is going to beat Devin Haney.”

Haney has a buttery-smooth style with one of the best jabs in boxing. He’s very adept at keeping distance and not allowing anyone to fight him inside. His reflexes are outstanding, yet he seldom fights inside. That’s his weakness.

Garcia fights tall and has superb hand speed and a lightning quick left hook. Though his defense lacks tightness his ability to rip off three-punch combinations in a blink of an eye pauses opponents from bullying their way inside.

“These guys always just look at me and look at me like I don’t know how to box,” said Garcia on social media. “Why was I one of the best fighters in the amateurs. Why was I a 15-time National champion…why did I beat everyone I came across.”

Haney is a strong favorite by oddsmakers to defeat Garcia. But you can never tell when it comes to fighters that know each other well and are athletically gifted.

When Sergio Mora challenged Vernon Forrest he was a big underdog. When Tim Bradley fought Manny Pacquiao the first time, he was also the underdog. And when Andy Ruiz met Anthony Joshua few gave him a chance.

Haney and Garcia have history in the ring. It should be an interesting battle.

PPV.COM

Jim Lampley will be leading the broadcast on PPV.COM for the Haney-Garcia card at Barclays and texting with fans on the card live. He will be accompanied by journalists Lance Pugmire, Dan Conobbio and former champion Chris Algieri.

The PPV.COM broadcast begins at 5 p.m. PT. and is available in Canada and the USA.

Other News

MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will be holding a media day event on Friday, April 19, at NOVO at L.A. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Diaz and Masvidal will be boxing against each other in a grudge match on June 1 at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The two MMA stars met five years at UFC 244 with Masvidal winning by TKO over Diaz due to cuts.

This is a grudge match, but under boxing rules.

Fight card in Commerce, Calif.

360 Promotions returns to Commerce Casino on Saturday April 20 with undefeated super lightweight Cain Sandoval leading the charge.

Sandoval (12-0) faces Angel Rebollar (8-3) in the main event that will be shown live on UFC Fight Pass. Also on the card are two female events including hot prospect Lupe Medina (5-0) versus Sabrina Persona (3-1) in a minimumweight clash.

Doors open at 4 p.m.

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Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round

There were few surprises when co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren and their benefactor HE Turki Alalshikh held a press conference in London this past Monday to unveil the undercard for the Beterbiev-Bivol show at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 1. Most of the match-ups had already been leaked.

For die-hard boxing fans, Beterbiev-Bivol is such an enticing fight that it really doesn’t need an attractive undercard. Two undefeated light heavyweights will meet with all four relevant belts on the line in a contest where the oddsmakers straddled the fence. It’s a genuine “pick-‘em” fight based on the only barometer that matters, the prevailing odds.

But Beterbiev-Bivol has been noosed to a splendid undercard, a striking contrast to Saturday’s Haney-Garcia $69.99 (U.S.) pay-per-view in Brooklyn, an event where the undercard, in the words of pseudonymous boxing writer Chris Williams, is an absolute dumpster fire.

The two heavyweight fights that will bleed into Beterbiev-Bivol, Hrgovic vs. Dubois and Wilder vs. Zhang, would have been stand-alone main events before the incursion of Saudi money.

Hrgovic-Dubois

Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 13 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) fought on the same card in Riyadh this past December. Hrgovic, the Croatian, was fed a softie in the form of Australia’s Mark De Mori who he dismissed in the opening round. Dubois, a Londoner, rebounded from his loss to Oleksandr Usyk with a 10^th-round stoppage of corpulent Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller.

There’s an outside chance that Hrgovic vs. Dubois may be sanctioned by the IBF for the world heavyweight title.

The May 18 showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has a rematch clause. The IBF is next in line in the rotation system for a unified heavyweight champion and the organization has made it plain that the winner of Usyk-Fury must fulfill his IBF mandatory before an intervening bout.

The best guess is that the Usyk-Fury winner will relinquish the IBF belt. If so, Hrgovic and Dubois may fight for the vacant title although a more likely scenario is that the organization will keep the title vacant so that the winner can fight Anthony Joshua.

Wilder-Zhang

The match between Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is a true crossroads fight as both Wilder, 38, and Zhang, who turns 41 in May, are nearing the end of the road and the loser (unless it’s a close and entertaining fight) will be relegated to the rank of a has-been. In fact, Wilder has hinted that this may be his final rodeo.

Both are coming off a loss to Joseph Parker.

Wilder last fought on the card that included Hrgovic and Dubois and was roundly out-pointed by a man he was expected to beat. It’s a quick turnaround for Zhang who opposed Parker on March 8 and lost a majority decision.

Other Fights

Either of two other fights may steal the show on the June 1 event.

Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) meets Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round featherweight contest. New Jersey’s Ford will be defending the WBA world title he won with a come-from-behind, 12th-round stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov in an early contender for Fight of the Year. Liverpool’s “Wrecking” Ball, a relentless five-foot-two sparkplug, had to settle for a draw in his title fight with Rey Vargas despite winning the late rounds and scoring two knockdowns.

Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow unbeaten Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-0, 11 KOs) in a 12-round middleweight match. East London’s Sheeraz, the son of a former professional cricket player, is unknown in the U.S. although he trained for his recent fights at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym in California. Riding a skein of 13 straight knockouts, he has a date with WBO title-holder Janibek Alimkhanuly if he can get over this hurdle.

The Forgotten Heavyweight

“Unbeaten for seven years, the man nobody wants to fight,” intoned ring announcer Michael Buffer by way of introduction. Buffer was referencing Michael Hunter who stood across the ring from his opponent Artem Suslenkov.

This scene played out this past Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Hunter’s second fight in three weeks. On March 23, he scored a fifth-round stoppage of a 46-year-old meatball at a show in Zapopan, Mexico.

The second-generation “Bounty Hunter,” whose only defeat prior to last weekend came in a 12-rounder with Oleksandr Usyk, has been spinning his wheels since TKOing the otherwise undefeated Martin Bakole on the road in London in 2018. Two fights against hapless opponents on low-budget cards in Mexico and a couple of one-round bouts for the Las Vegas Hustle, an entry in the fledgling and largely invisible Professional Combat League, are the sum total of his activity, aside from sparring, in the last two-and-a-half years.

Hunter’s chances of getting another big-money fight took a tumble in Tashkent where he lost a unanimous decision in a dull affair to the unexceptional Suslenkov who was appearing in his first 10-round fight. The scores of the judges were not announced.

You won’t find this fight listed on boxrec. As Jake Donovan notes, the popular website will not recognize a fight conducted under the auspices of a rogue commission. (Another fight you won’t find on boxrec for the same reason is Nico Ali Walsh’s 6-round split decision over the 9-2-1 Frenchman, Noel Lafargue, in the African nation of Guinea on Dec. 16, 2023. You can find it on YouTube, but according to boxrec, boxing’s official record-keeper, it never happened.)

Anderson-Merhy Redux

The only thing missing from this past Saturday’s match in Corpus Christi, Texas, between Jared Anderson and Ryad Merhy was the ghost of Robert Valsberg.

Valsberg, aka Roger Vaisburg, was the French referee who disqualified Ingemar Johansson for not trying in his match with LA’s Ed Sanders in the finals of the heavyweight competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Valsberg tossed Johansson out of the ring after two rounds and Johansson was denied the silver medal. The Swede redeemed himself after turning pro, needless to say, when he demolished Floyd Patterson in the first of their three meetings.

Merhy was credited with throwing only 144 punches, landing 34, over the course of the 10 rounds. Those dismal figures yet struck many onlookers as too high. (This reporter has always insisted that the widely-quoted CompuBox numbers should be considered approximations.)

Whatever the true number, it was a disgraceful performance by Merhy who actually showed himself to have very fast hands on the few occasions when he did throw a punch. With apologies to Delfine Persoon, a spunky lightweight, U.S. boxing promoters should think twice before inviting another Belgian boxer to our shores.

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Anderson Cruises by Vapid Merhy and Ajagba edges Vianello in Texas

Published

6 days ago

April 14, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Anderson-Cruises-by-Vapid-Merhy-and-Ajagba-Edges-Vianello-in-Texas

Jared Anderson returned to the ring tonight on a Top Rank card in Corpus Christi, Texas. Touted as the next big thing in the heavyweight division, Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) hardly broke a sweat while cruising past Ryad Merhy in a bout with very little action, much to the disgruntlement of the crowd which started booing as early as the second round. The fault was all Merhy as he was reluctant to let his hands go. Somehow, he won a round on the scorecard of judge David Sutherland who likely fell asleep for a round for which he could be forgiven.

Merhy, born in the Ivory Coast but a resident of Brussels, Belgium, was 32-2 (26 KOs) heading in after fighting most of his career as a cruiserweight. He gave up six inches in height to Anderson who was content to peck away when it became obvious to him that little would be coming back his way.

Anderson may face a more daunting adversary on Monday when he has a court date in Romulus, Michigan, to answer charges related to an incident in February where he drove his Dodge Challenger at a high rate speed, baiting the police into a merry chase. (Weirdly, Anderson entered the ring tonight wearing the sort of helmet that one associates with a race car driver.)

Co-Feature

In the co-feature, a battle between six-foot-six former Olympians, Italy’s Guido Vianello started and finished strong, but Efe Ajagba had the best of it in the middle rounds and prevailed on a split decision. Two of the judges favored Ajagba by 96-94 scores with the dissenter favoring the Italian from Rome by the same margin.

Vianello had the best round of the fight. He staggered Ajagba with a combination in round two. At the end of the round, a befuddled Ajagba returned to the wrong corner and it appeared that an upset was brewing. But the Nigerian, who trains in Las Vegas under Kay Koroma, got back into the fight with a more varied offensive attack and better head movement. In winning, he improved his ledger to 20-1 (14). Vianello, who sparred extensively with Daniel Dubois in London in preparation for this fight, declined to 12-2-1 in what was likely his final outing under the Top Rank banner.

Other Bouts of Note

In the opening bout on the main ESPN platform, 35-year-old super featherweight Robson Conceicao, a gold medalist for Brazil in the 2016 Rio Olympics, stepped down in class after fighting Emanuel Navarrete tooth-and-nail to a draw in his previous bout and scored a seventh-round stoppage of Jose Ivan Guardado who was a cooked goose after slumping to the canvas after taking a wicked shot to the liver. Guardado made it to his feet, but the end was imminent and the referee waived it off at the 2:27 mark.

Conceicao improved to 18-1 (9 KOs). It was the U.S. debut for Guardado (15-2-1), a boxer from Ensenada, Mexico who had done most of his fighting up the road in Tijuana.

Ruben Villa, the pride of Salinas, California, improved to 22-1 (7) and moved one step closer to a match with WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas with a unanimous 10-round decision over Tijuana’s Cristian Cruz (22-7-1). The judges had it 97-93 and 98-92 twice.

Cruz, the son of former IBF world featherweight title-holder Cristobal Cruz, was better than his record. He entered the bout on a 21-1-1 run after losing five of his first seven pro fights.

Cleveland southpaw Abdullah Mason, who turned 20 earlier this month, continued his fast ascent up the lightweight ladder with a fourth-round stoppage of Ronal Ron.

Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) put Ron on the canvas in the opening round with a short left hook. He scored a second knockdown with a shot to the liver. A flurry of punches, a diverse array, forced the stoppage at the 1:02 mark of round four. A 25-year-old SoCal-based Venezuelan, the spunky but out-gunned Ron declined to 14-6.

Charly Suarez, a 35-year-old former Olympian from the Philippines, ranked #5 at junior lightweight by the IBF, advanced to 17-0 (9) with a unanimous 8-round decision over SoCal’s Louie Coria (5-7).

This was a tactical fight. In the final round, Coria, subbing for 19-0 Henry Lebron, caught the Filipino off-balance and knocked him into the ropes which held him up. It was scored a knockdown, but came too little, too late for Coria who lost by scores of 76-75 and 77-74 twice.

Suarez, whose signature win was a 12^th-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Aussie Paul Fleming in Sydney, may be headed to a rematch with Robson Conceicao. They fought as amateurs in 2016 in Kazakhstan and Suarez lost a narrow 6-round decision.

Photo credit: Mikey Willams / Top Rank via Getty Images

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