Photo edit by John Garita/Round By Round Boxing
It’s official! Floyd Mayweather announced tonight that he will be facing Argentine slugger Marcos Maidana on May 3, 2014.
I will be fighting Marcos Maidana May 3rd on Pay-per-view Showtime/CBS http://t.co/mtj7H8WVxu pic.twitter.com/Rc2N87zcjP
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 25, 2014
After months of deliberation, Mayweather decided to choose Maidana over Amir Khan, likely because of Maidana’s big win over Adrien Broner this past December.
Khan has not beaten a notable opponent since Zab Judah back in 2011, which could have affected his credibility as an opponent and sales for the May pay-per-view.
According to ESPN (via Twitter) the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is not a lock to host the mega fight. The Barclays Center in Brooklyn is also in the running.
Mayweather-Maidana a 147-pound unification fight on Showtime PPV, held at MGM Grand or Barclays Center http://t.co/9dEF5anjdg
— SportsCenter Alerts (@ESPNSCalerts) February 25, 2014
Mayweather had the following to say regarding his pick of Maidana (via Yahoo Sports):
“Marcos Maidana’s last performance immediately brought him to my attention. He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring. I think this is a great fight for me and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him: Beat me.”
Expect undercard fights to be announced in the coming weeks.
Who is the early favorite between Mayweather and Maidana?
