On Saturday, May 3, 2014 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas NV, Floyd Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) and Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) will take center stage as they engage in a 12-round world championship unification bout for their respective 147-pound titles.
This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks and while most people claim it will be another walk in the park for the pound-for-pound king, Mayweather himself insists that Maidana is a dangerous foe.
Maidana is looking to continue his hot streak after thoroughly defeating Mayweather’s “little brother” Adrien Broner late last year.
“The Moment” is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T and also features three intriguing undercard bouts.
In the co-main event, Amir Khan (28-3, 19 KOs) faces Luis Collazo (35-5, 18 KOs) in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title.
Both men are eager to show that they belong in the conversation for Mayweather’s next opponent and a convincing win could catapult either to the front of the line.
The undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien “The Problem” Broner (27-1, 22 KOs) as he tries to regain his swagger after suffering his first defeat to Maidana last December. Broner takes on Carlos Molina (17-1, 7 KOs) who has faced top-level opposition in Amir Khan.
The first bout of the televised pay-per-view is a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring Mayweather Promotions up-and-comer J’Leon Love (17-0, 10 KOs) vs. Marco Antonio Periban (20-1-1, 13 KOs).
The Showtime pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 pm, EST and 6 pm, PST.
Read on for Round By Round Boxing’s staff predictions for each bout.
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J’Leon Love
vs.
Marco Antonio Periban
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Brendan Montenegro, Sr. Corespondent
This fight in my eyes will be tough to judge, as we have J’Leon Love who has been taking baby steps up in competition vs. Marco Antonio Periban, a man whose last two fights have opened some eyes. Perbian lost a very close and tough decision to Sakio Bika for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight title and had a tough draw against Badou Jack for the NABF Super Middleweight title. This is the moment of truth for both young fighters and a win here will open many more doors and bigger fights for both each man. In the end, Love is in the TMT stable and Floyd Mayweather takes care of his fighters. He would not want any of his stable of fighters to lose on a night when they fight on an undercard he is headlining. With that being said, I have to go with Love in this fight as Mayweather, the king of ducking and handpicking guys, makes sure Love fights a guy that will make him look good in a tough fight. Love by split decision.
Prediction: Love
Lenin Acevedo, Photographer
This fight is a definite test for J’Leon Love. I think besides Gabriel Rosado, Marco Antonio Periban will be his toughest opponent as of yet. I would say that if this were two fights ago, Periban would’ve had a much better chance. After the Rosado fight, Love has sharpened up and if he has learned anything from Floyd Mayweather he should be able to capitalize on Periban’s aggression. Love by decision.
Prediction: Love
Juan Carlos Burgos, Contributing Writer
Marco Antonio Periban must be his high octane and volume punching self in order to beat J’Leon Love. Love, for his part, must handle the volume punching and not just cover up and wait to return fire. Periban may not let him do that. Love posses better skill, but Periban is no slouch and I am interested to see how Love will handle the pressure that Periban will bring. One thing Love may want to do is invest in the body. Periban–who has decent hand speed–needs to do what he does, which is throw punches from all directions, but also make sure he is not in chase mode. Since he is the longer fighter I think Periban can achieve this and I see him out punching and pounding out a victory.
Prediction: Periban
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
In the two highest-profile fights Marco Antonio Periban has been involved in–against Sakio Bika and Badou Jack–he has come out ready to fight. He’s not the most physically gifted guy, but he is tough and if J’Leon Love is not ready to fight, he could be in for a rude awakening. Floyd Mayweather says Love reminds him of himself when he was young–which is a completely asinine statement if you ask me–so let’s see if Love can show some of that talent. If Love is indeed on his way to the top of the division, he needs to impress and beat Periban soundly. I think Love will struggle in spots, but ultimately I think he is good enough to earn a decision victory.
Prediction: Love
Adrien Broner
vs.
Carlos Molina
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Gino Garcia, Contributing Writer
Adrien Broner vs. Carlos Molina should be a great fight. I would expect to see moments of strategy followed by some decent exchanges. This fight should go the distance on a split-decision victory for Broner.
Prediction: Broner
Jordan Echavez, Contributing Writer
This is somewhat of a “come back fight” for Adrien Broner since being exposed by Marcos Maidana in his last fight. On paper, Broner should be able to look good and rebuild the aura of invincibility he had before moving up to the welterweight division. Carlos Molina is the smaller fighter in this fight and I feel Broner’s size and power will be too much for him. However, we still don’t know how much the Maidana fight took away from Broner and Molina has an opportunity to take advantage of this. Still, I’m going to go with a knock out win for Adrien Broner in the middle rounds.
Prediction: Broner
Rob Anthony, Contributing Writer
Had someone not stepped in and swapped Molina’s at the last minute this fight could be a lot more competitive than it looks right now. John Molina gave Lucas Matthysse the fight of his life this past Saturday in Carson, CA. Al Haymon has seen one of his star pupils nearly take a loss to Paulie Malinaggi and get thoroughly beaten by Marcos Maidana so there’s no way he puts AB in a fight that he can’t win, especially since he’s on the platform of his first pay-per-view of his “big brother” and mentor’s Floyd Mayweather. This fight won’t be the easy pickins that the 135-pound division was for “The Problem,” but it certainly won’t be flying fists of fury like it was against Maidana either. Adrien Broner wins by a late TKO and gets back in the win column against Carlos Molina.
Prediction:Broner
Brendan Montenegro, Sr. Corespondent
Carlos Molina is a young, hungry fighter with a decent 17-1 record with his only loss coming at the hands of Amir Khan. But he is also not a heavy hitter with only seven wins coming by way of knockout. His one and only job in this fight is to make Adrien Broner look good and he indeed he will. Broner will get caught a little as Molina does have some boxing skills, but unlike Marcos Maidana, Molina is not knocking Broner down. This fight is to get Broner back into the public’s eyes after his huge loss to Marcos Maidana, who will be fighting the main event. In the end, its all Broner, the way he likes it, and being back to being a huge thorn in side. Broner by UD
Prediction: Broner
Lenin Acevedo, Photographer
Can you imagine how low Adrien Broner’s stock would fall if he were to lose this fight?. Don’t get too excited, he won’t. He might’ve slacked before the Marcos Maidana fight, but Broner ain’t no bum. His skill set and talents are far superior to that of Carlos Molina. I think Molina’s persistence will carry him into the middle rounds and he will essentially get out classed. Broner by decision.
Prediction: Broner
Juan Carlos Burgos, Contributing Writer
It will be interesting to see Adrien Broner step in the ring after the debacle against Marcos Maidana. Broner built himself as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and as Chino Maidana proved, that is not the case. Broner posses all the tools, but rebounding from a crushing loss will test his mental makeup. Good match making helps and in this fight we may not have all of our questions answered on May 3. I look for Broner to work off some early rust and settle down and comfortably beat Molina. In my opinion Molina does not really stand much of a chance against Broner.
Prediction: Broner
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
Adrien Broner needed an easy fight to get his confidence back after suffering a harsh beat down at the hands of Marcos Maidana last December. Carlos Molina will play the part of confidence builder, offering no real threat to Broner at 140–or any other weight for that matter. The biggest question here is will Broner have power at 140 and will he be able to knock Molina out? I say Broner earns a late-rounds stoppage of the ordinary Molina.
Prediction: Broner
Amir Khan
vs.
Luis Collazo
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Gino Garcia, Contributing Writer
Luis Collazo vs. Amir Khan will be another fight of strategy. It would appear that Khan would have the upper hand in technique alone, however in the end I think Collazo will overcome. I see this fight ending by seventh-round TKO in favor of Collazo.
Prediction: Collazo
Jordan Echavez, Contributing Writer
For this bout, I think Luis Collazo will be able to pull off the upset over Amir Khan. I hope Khan isn’t looking past his opponent and only thinking about a future bout with Floyd Mayweather. Collazo has hung in there with the elite fighters and has been on the bad side of decisions in many close fights. If Collazo can survive the early onslaught, he has a chance to capitalize and possibly put Khan away once he slows down usually later in the fight. With that said, I’m going to go with Collazo by late knockout.
Prediction: Collazo
Rob Anthony, Contributing Writer
I don’t believe Luis Collazo is as good as his knockout win against Victor Ortiz would have one believe. I don’t believe Amir Khan is as bad as many people try to paint him as. I thought Khan beat Lamont Peterson in DC and I believe he was winning on points when he was knocked out by Danny Garcia with a punch that appeared to hit him in the ear/neck area and messed up his equilibrium and balance. I believe if he takes that shot better, the course of boxing history would be much different right now. I also believe that Julio Diaz–his last opponent–is much tougher than most folks originally estimated when Khan won a fairly controversial decision to him last year. Since Amir Khan has changed trainers from Freddie Roach to Virgil Hunter I haven’t seen him put together any great performances that lead me to say he’s improved greatly. If there’s a time to put together that type of showing, it’s this Saturday when the boxing world and casual fans will all be watching and judging whether or not he is a credible future opponent for one, Floyd Mayweather. If Khan can use his long arms and quick hands to neutralize Collazo and keep his chin from sustaining any big shots, he can win this fight and at least stay alive in the Mayweather sweepstakes. If his chin gets exposed, then it could be tough sledding for Mr. Khan and he could kiss his Mayweather shot goodbye. I think Khan will win by split decision in a possibly controversial close decision.
Prediction: Khan
Brendan Montenegro, Sr. Corespondent
This is the fight I am waiting for, as Collazo will finally silence Khan and completely turn him into a has been. Yes, I am going with Collazo in this one, as many other writers and boxing personal that I know. It will not be an easy fight. It may resemble the Mosley vs. Collazo fight, but Collazo has grow as a fighter, he fell back in love again with this sport, and had trained like he never trained before. He will be ready for this fight and he will end up being Mayweathers opponent come September. Collazo by SD
Prediction: Collazo
Lenin Acevedo, Photographer
I’m liking Amir Khan to win this fight. I feel like he’ll control the tempo if he uses his speed and keeps Luis Collazo on the outside. On the other hand, Collazo is a very tricky boxer who can sneak a hook and hurt Khan. Ultimately, if Khan doesn’t get overconfident and try to go to war on the inside, he should win a close decision.
Prediction: Khan
Juan Carlos Burgos, Contributing Writer
This is your classic crossroads matchup. Luis Collazo coming off a blowout victory over Victor Ortiz will try to remain a player in the welterweight division. Amir Khan is long and rangy and should use those tools vs. Collazo. His hand speed and quickness will present a problem for Collazo as I don’t expect Khan to sit in front and back up the way Ortiz did. Collazo is as crafty as they come, but I think Khan’s hand speed and movement will carry the day vs. Collazo.
Prediction: Khan
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
This is definitely the toughest bout to call on “The Moment” card. I like Luis Collazo and the fact that inside and outside of the ring, he’s a fighter. His win against Victor Ortiz was very deserving and has landed him a huge shot against Amir Khan. Khan, who may or may not still be bothered that he’s not the one facing Mayweather, has a tough task ahead of him. Khan is moving up to Welterweight for the first time in his career and who’s to say he can hang at that weight? Collazo has always fought at either Welterweight or Jr. Middleweight so he will give Khan all he can handle. I really think this fight will come down to who can control the pace in the mid-to-late rounds. Khan might start fast, but I think the crafty southpaw Collazo will settle in and have Khan frustrated by the time the final bell rings.
Prediction: Collazo
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
vs.
Marcos Maidana
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Gino Garcia, Contributing Writer
Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana will be an interesting fight. I am curious to see how Maidana is able to handle the adjustments of the pound-for-pound king. In the end, I see this fight completely one sided as Mayweather will control the tempo and direction of each round. Mayweather wins by UD.
Prediction: Mayweather
Jordan Echavez, Contributing Writer
I’m going to go with a victory for Floyd Mayweather over Marcos Maidana. Between Mayweather’s intelligence, speed and stamina, Maidana will have a long night of trying to find his target. However, Maidana does have more than just a punchers chance of pulling off a huge upset. His awkward and relentless style can give Mayweather problems if he gives him an insane amount of pressure not letting his opponent have the chance to adjust. But, it takes more than pressure and relentlessness to take out the king. I’m going with Floyd Mayweather via unanimous decision.
Prediction: Mayweather
Rob Anthony, Contributing Writer
In 2013 Floyd Mayweather made mince meat out of Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez in two easy peasy fights where he was never challenged. Many pundits expect this fight to go the same way, but I don’t. Even if you beat Marcos Maidana, it’s never easy. If Floyd stands and trades with Maidana, he will be taking risks that could see his undefeated record disappear. Maybe Floyd is telling media he plans on trading with Maidana to sell tickets and pay-per-views or maybe he’s upset by the way Maidana violently destroyed his little bro, Adrien Broner. Either way, it’s not wise for him to be in the pocket if he doesn’t need to be. If Mayweather is defensively brilliiant as he normally is and keeps away on the outside and just counters Maidana with his precise and hard counter shots, he will cruise to victory. If he tries to please the fans and go toe-to-toe like he did with Miguel Cotto he will pay for that with his first defeat. I think Floyd takes more punishment than normal, but still comes out on top in a decision, eight rounds to four.
Prediction: Mayweather
Sarah Gruber, Contributor
Floyd Mayweather will strategically pick Marcos Maidana apart by moving in and out with lightning speed, which will make Maidana frustrated as well as setting him off balance and thus making him ridden with mistakes. I predict this fight will end in a Mayweather knockout victory over Maidana in the late rounds. Click here to read Sarah’s full breakdown.
Prediction: Mayweather
Brendan Montenegro, Sr. Corespondent
This is really a hard fight for Mayweather, as Maidana is RUTHLESS. Maidana is not your typical opponent, as he does not let his opponent get to his head. He will bring Mayweather to the brink in this fight, but hard nose, relentless aggressive attacks. This is not saying Mayweather will lose, as Floyd will adjust as he always does, but will take a lot of punishment in this fight. Maidana does have a punchers chance, and in his case, a HUGE Punchers chance, but it will only be one chance as Floyd again will adjust and show us why at THE MOMENT he is P4P #1, that’s until he takes on Pacquiao. Mayweather by SD
Prediction: Mayweather
Lenin Acevedo, Photographer
If you’re giving Marcos Maidana a chance of winning this fight solely on the fact that he beat Adrien Broner, stop it right now. Fact is that, Broner should’ve never been compared to Floyd Mayweather. There are no similarities in any department. I like Maidana, but what does he really bring versus Mayweather? Floyd has fought guys like this since day one. Stylistically speaking these types of opponents are his bread and butter. Mayweather is an artist in the ring and this fight will be a boxing masterpiece.
Prediction: Mayweather
Juan Carlos Burgos, Contributing Writer
Will this be the time that someone finally catches Floyd Mayweather? Marcos Maidana? Father Time? Or both? No. I can’t bring myself to pick against Floyd vs. 99.9 percent of fighters, let alone someone who went life and death with the likes of Victor Ortiz and Amir Khan. I suppose lightning could strike, but don’t count on it. If Maidana hopes to make history he has to throw caution to the wind and cutoff the ring, throw punches and don’t just aim for the head, but go to the body, arms and shoulders. Don’t make the mistake most boxers make vs. Mayweather and try to get cute and box. Maidana must go in and throw punches and not just wait and let him pot shot him all night. Mayweather will do what he does and I actually think it’s possible he could stop Maidana who can tire out. The most likely scenario is a slightly more competitive Mayweather vs. Carlos Baldomir.
Prediction: Mayweather
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
Floyd Mayweather’s fights are usually called the “Superbowl of boxing.” While the promotional portion is already in high gear, the fight itself hasn’t really captured the public’s imagination likely because it seems to be a big mismatch. This time around, the opponent is Marcos “Chino” Maidana who seemingly came out of nowhere to win the Mayweather sweepstakes when most signs pointed to Amir Khan getting the opportunity to face the pound-for-pound king. While Maidana was successful against Adrien Broner in his most recent bout, most of us can agree that fighting Mayweather will be a totally different task. Mayweather will feel out Chino in the early stanza’s and once he gets into a groove, he will break the hard-nosed Argentine down with well-placed shots to the body and head. If Maidana is in trouble–like he was with Josesito Lopez just two fights ago–look for Mayweather to close the show with a crowd-pleasing KO.
Prediction: Mayweather
