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Floyd Wasn’t Brilliant, And Maidana Helped Him, So He Didn’t Have To Be
![](https://cdn.ib.tv/thesweetscience/images/Mayweather-MaidanaII-913.jpg)
Jose Luis Castillo should’ve been awarded the decision over Floyd Mayweather when they fought the first time in 2002.
So much so that HBO house/company judge Harold Lederman scored it 115-111 Castillo and only gave Mayweather four of the 12 rounds the fight went.
Miguel Cotto, albeit it 10 years later, roughed him up and gave Mayweather one of the hardest fights of his stellar career, but Floyd earned in the ring the unanimous decision he was awarded by the judges.
Two years later almost to the day, Marcos Maidana was giving Mayweather perhaps the second toughest fight of his career, but Floyd staged a furious rally during the last third of the bout to seal the majority decision he won.
Then came September 13, 2014 and Mayweather 47-0 (27) fought Maidana 35-5 (31) again in what’s only the second time he’s fought the same opponent twice as a pro. On this night, Maidana was fighting three opponents at the same time and lost to all of them. His first opponent was Mayweather, who was much more focused and purposeful during the rematch than he was during their first confrontation four months ago. The second opponent Maidana was fighting was referee Kenny Bayless, who didn’t allow any inside fighting to evolve, which is as much a part of boxing as body punching is. He constantly made Floyd and Marcos separate whenever they were tied up or in a clinch. And lastly, Maidana was fighting himself being that he was far less effective stylistically this past weekend then he was when they first met in May.
This past Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather looked listless and his combinations didn’t appear to be as strikingly accurate and blunting as they did as recently as his fight with Saul Alvarez a year ago. His offense seemed to lack a big threat and for a notably fluid guy, he has become recognizably brittle. Mayweather seems to have reached the point in his career when whatever natural talent he has starts to work against him. He’s got a first rate boxing brain, but still uses it without quite realizing that he doesn’t have the body to back up some of the things he wants to do. Floyd’s punches looked to lack their usual sting and his combinations were void of their usual imaginative repertoire. This wasn’t one of Floyd’s better nights aethetically and he even said so during his post-fight interview.
Mayweather won a 12-round unanimous decision over Maidana by the scores of 116-111, 116-111 and 115-112. I scored it 10-2 in rounds or 118-110 on points for Mayweather. Floyd controlled the action throughout the bout and was only shook once during the fight. And that came when Maidana landed his best punch of the fight, a right hand to the chin as the bell rang to end the third round. Mayweather was really rocked but his great conditioning enabled him to come out for the fourth round showing no signs of being hurt, and he quickly resumed control of the action.
Here’s more of my takeaway from the fight.
Mayweather looked outstanding for most fighters but it was a little below par for him. As was said here before the fight, Floyd would move a little more this time and he’d get off first with his quick one-twos and right leads. He kept Marcos turning in the corners, and whenever Maidana appeared to be set to either jab or get off, Floyd would either cut loose with a few shots or pull him in, thus forcing Maidana to reset and start over. However, I come away much more disappointed in Maidana than anything else, which really isn’t surprising. It was frustrating watching Maidana standing right in front of Mayweather like a fencer trying to time and calculate his next move, or when it was the right time to advance. That’s called the wait and react game and the slower, less accurate fighter loses the game of tag every time.
Maidana made it easy for Floyd to pick his spots and move to his left or right in order to avoid his sporadic rushes and futile attempts to get close and inside on Mayweather. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Marcos even tried to jab with Floyd without pushing the fight with his feet. Sure, the jab can help him get inside, and that’s where he needed to be in order to turn the boxing match into a fight. The problem was, Maidana left too much space between him and Floyd. This left him a sitting duck and opened the path for Mayweather to get in and out or change directions during the exchanges and that was exactly what Floyd needed to control the fight the way he did.
Either Maidana just isn’t strong enough to force the fight the way he needs to or his corner never let him know that every second you’re not moving your feet towards him, you’re losing. I think that Maidana is a very limited fighter. I got the sense that Robert Garcia was giving him the right instructions in the corner, but that Maidana couldn’t make things happen. It seemed that part of the problem is that he’s not a really physically strong guy. He’s a nice puncher, but he’s not big enough to push people around. But as we saw, he does have enough strength to push Mayweather around, but he was leery of that because doing that is what drained his battery during the first eight rounds of their first fight.
Maidana was really caught in a style conundrum going into the Mayweather rematch. If he fights like a caveman, he can make Floyd uncomfortable and dictate that Mayweather is forced to fight under duress instead of boxing. Only he can’t keep that up for 12-rounds because it takes too much out of him. His other choice was to dial back some of his aggression and pressure. That’s the route he chose for the rematch and that enabled Mayweather to eat him up during the many lulls of the bout. I’m not saying Maidana would’ve won if fought more aggressively and applied more pressure. What I am saying is Mayweather was there to be pushed to the edge of the cliff but Maidana didn’t go about trying to do it the right way strategically. The last thing Floyd wanted was a rough and tumble bout. Sure, Maidana tried to make it ugly with his rough-house tactics. But he wasn’t persistent enough in his aggression, and when he did pick it up in spurts, he was too reckless and wild. He seldom nailed Mayweather with punches he didn’t see.
It’s easy to say if Maidana was more aggressive he might’ve won the fight. But that’s cookbook logic. It sounds great in theory and words, but that’s not application. Had Maidana been more aggressive and caveman like, he probably would’ve been in the fight more. Then again he just may have been knocked out. At his best Marcos Maidana can compete with Floyd Mayweather, he just isn’t good enough to really come close to beating him. And it wouldn’t matter if Freddie Roach or Nacho Beristain were his trainer. The only thing that can be said with certainty is Maidana’s choice of ring strategy dramatically lessened his changes to stay with Mayweather let alone beat him.
Floyd is not quite the maestro he once was, but more than anything else it was Maidana’s poor execution and strategy that paved the way for Mayweather’s resounding one sided victory.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
![Niyomtrong-Proves-a-Bridge-Too-Far-for-Alex-Winwood-in-Australia](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/knockout.png)
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
![Avila-Perspective-Chap-295-Callum-Walsh-Pechanga-Casino-Fights-and-More](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/avila.png)
Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
![60-Years-Ago-This-Month-the-Curtain-Fell-on-the-Golden-Era-of-TV-Boxing.jpg](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TV.png)
The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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