Photo by Stephanie Trapp
It’s fight day! Saturday, September 13, 2014 has finally arrived. Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana will engage in a 12-round championship rematch tonight, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.
Much has been made about Mayweather’s age and declining movement as well as Maidana’s alleged dirty tactics and the gloves he will wear.
But what are the keys to victory for each man?
Before Mayweather and Maidana step into the ring for the second time this year, RBRBoxing’s Staff Writer, Lou Catalano and Sr. Analyst, Gabe Rivas go head-to-head, breaking down two keys to victory for each man.
Let us know who you think will win this highly-anticipated rematch. Take the talk to Twitter and tag @RBRBoxing
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Key #1 for Marcos Maidana
Stamina
Marcos Maidana isn’t suddenly going to morph into Pernell Whitaker. There’s no chance of him outboxing Mayweather.
He’s got to fight the exact same way as he did the first time, with one major exception–if he wants to win, he’s got to bring that pain for 12 rounds. Not 6. Not 10. He cannot afford to take a second off in this fight.
He’ll need a “Baby Bull” style where he keeps up relentless pressure until the final bell sounds.
Maidana started out well enough the first time around, but his aggression waned in the second half of the fight, where Mayweather took over. The gap in talent is wide, but Maidana has youth and hunger on his side.
He has to impose his will and make this thing an ugly fight. If we’re seeing elbows, headbutts and nasty groin stuff, chances are Maidana is on the right track. The key here is that the artillery thrown Floyd’s way has to be unrelenting. If he can fire away for the entire fight, he’s got a shot.
Key #1 for Floyd Mayweather
Stay of the Ropes
By Gabe Rivas
Clearly, this is a no-brainer, but this is a lot easier said than done.
There are many factors to consider when looking at Floyd Mayweather’s movement in this fight. Will his age be a factor? Will Maidana’s awkward style be a factor?
If these aren’t factors and Mayweather “chose” to fight at close range in his first right, then he needs to stay off the ropes in his rematch.
Although he is sharp on the ropes and can deflect and duck many of Maidana’s punches, he can often have his countershots stifled by the closeness and awkwardness with which Maidana works on the inside.
Mayweather needs to jab to the head and to the body, move both ways and keep Maidana off balance so that he cannot land any hard shots.
Key #2 for Marcos Maidana
Effective Pressure
There is the right kind of pressure–see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. vs. pretty much anyone, and then there is the wrong kind.
If you’re looking for the wrong kind, see Canelo Alvarez vs. Floyd Mayweather. The stalking is a lot less fun when you’re getting tagged in the face every six seconds.
For Marcos Maidana, he needs to cut off the ring while throwing his fists. Simply following Mayweather around is a recipe for a shutout loss. Maidana alternated between effective pressure and ineffective pressure for much of the first fight.
Now, I realize it’s easier said than done against one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. But it’s not impossible.
Floyd uses his legs far less now than he used to. Maidana was frequently able to corner him for long stretches, and while he didn’t land a ton of clean shots, he did enough to give the impression that he was controlling the action.
He’s talked quite a bit about smothering his own punches the first time around, so we’ll see if he gives himself more room to work with. Either way, he has to be in Floyd’s face all night. If this thing stays in the center of the ring, it’s going to be an embarrassing loss for “Chino.”
The odds are pretty stacked against Maidana, but he did enough to score a draw on one scorecard in the first fight. It’s not inconceivable to think that he could make things a bit closer all around in the rematch.
He will need to have the fight of his life, where he combines relentless pressure with an indefatigable will to score the massive upset. Oh and he’ll need more dick shots.
Key #2 for Floyd Mayweather
Be First with the Straight Right Hand
By Gabe Rivas
In their first fight, Floyd Mayweather was more successful during and after Round 6, when he was in control by being first in the center of the ring.
Mayweather will need to do the same for the entire fight in his rematch with Marcos Maidana.
He cannot waste time and wait for Maidana in order to counter his punches because Maidana’s offense is often too ugly for him to counter effectively.
Instead, he should be first by landing the straight right or jab to the body as much as possible, which would make Maidana think a little bit more before stepping forward.
