A Look At Mayweather-Maidana II

On May 3rd the Boxing world focused it’s attention on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada when multi-division world champion Floyd Mayweather climbed into the ring to unify his WBC Welterweight world championship against WBA champion Marcos Maidana.  For some this was simply another fight in an illustrious career for Mayweather.  After all, in forty-five previous fights few fighters have been able to pose a threat to a fighter considered by many as the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Maidana however, was not awed by the event and after defeating previously undefeated three-division world champion and Mayweather protege Adrien Broner last December was out to prove that his victory was not a fluke.  What resulted when Mayweather and Maidana squared off was frankly one of the closest fights in Mayweather’s career in what was a fight of the year candidate. 

 

Maidana’s consistent pressure and his ability to throw punches at all angles while forcing Mayweather back on the ropes and smother Mayweather’s counter punches made the fight extremely close. In a fight where both fighters had their share of moments it was Mayweather’s ability to turn the momentum in his favor in the second half of the contest, using his lateral movement to partially avoid Maidana’s pressure, but also as the fight progressed increasingly being able to get his offense off first.

An extremely close fight where there was a healthy difference of opinion as to who won the fight. Although at the end of the twelve round unification bout, Mayweather emerged victorious via majority decision to earn his forty-sixth victory in as many fights, Maidana’s performance fueled demand for something that has only happened once before in Mayweather’s career, a rematch.

Readers might recall in my coverage following the first fight in May that I stated that it appeared certain that a second encounter between the two might take place. Maidana, who was able to land more punches on Mayweather than any previous opponent Mayweather has faced was more than deserving of a second opportunity after the performance he put forth, and to his credit Mayweather said after the fight that if the fans wanted to see the fight that he was open to a rematch.

The rematch between the two will be only the second rematch of Mayweather’s career. Many will remember Mayweather’s encounters against former WBC Lightweight world champion Jose Luis Castillo in 2002 when Mayweather was campaigning in the 135lb. Lightweight division.

Much like Maidana, Castillo applied consistent pressure on Mayweather in their first fight in April 2002 and his pressure along with a consistent attack to Mayweather’s body created a difference of opinion as to who won the fight. Although Mayweather earned a twelve round unanimous decision over Castillo in their first fight there was demand for a rematch. When the two met in December 2002 Mayweather would score a second twelve round unanimous decision over Castillo.

Unlike the first encounter, Mayweather’s lateral movement and quick hands were the story of the rematch as he kept Castillo off balance and unable to apply the pressure that was successful for him in the first encounter. Now twelve years later Mayweather will square off for the second time with Marcos Maidana on Saturday night in Las Vegas at the site of the first encounter the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

Although there is no question of Mayweather’s dominance throughout his career, there have only been four fighters who many fans and experts alike believe were able to create an element of doubt when they faced Mayweather. Jose Luis Castillo, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and now Marcos Maidana.

Maidana will now join Castillo as the only fighters to get a second fight against Mayweather. Will the Mayweather-Maidana rematch have a similar outcome as when Mayweather fought Castillo for the second time? There is no doubt that Floyd Mayweather possesses an extremely high Boxing IQ and has shown repeatedly throughout his career his ability to make adjustments during the course of a fight.

One question as this rematch approaches however, could be whether or not at thirty-seven years of age Mayweather can still utilize the kind of lateral movement that he was able to use to keep Castillo from being able to apply consistent pressure in the rematch twelve years ago. As I said following the first fight whether or not Maidana’s performance was an indication of age becoming a factor is a subject for debate. It is a subject however, that will probably continue to be a subject of discussion as long as Mayweather continues his career as a fighter.

The other question is whether or not Maidana will be able to make the adjustments necessary to maintain the success he had in the first part of the first fight in this rematch. Maidana was consistent in pressuring Mayweather throughout the entire fight, but Mayweather was able to make adjustments in the middle rounds and was able to get his punches off first throughout much of the second half the fight and was also able to counter effectively.

Although Maidana was consistent in his pressure of Mayweather in the first fight, he was not able to completely nullify Mayweather’s offense and was unable to keep Mayweather from using his lateral movement. It will be interesting to see if Maidana approaches this fight in the same way he did in the first fight.  Whether or not he will be able to maintain his offensive output and keep Mayweather on the defensive for the entire fight remains to be seen.

The first fight between the two was highly competitive and fueled the kind of demand that has resulted in an immediate rematch. Will the sequel be as close and competitive? We will find out Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Are Broner And Matthysse On A Collision Course?

The 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division has long been one of Boxing’s most competitive weight classes. The division currently features such names as undefeated unified WBC/WBA world champion Danny Garcia, IBF world champion Lamont Peterson, undefeated WBO champion Chris Algieri, Mauricio Herrera, Lucas Matthysse, and former three-division world champion Adrien Broner just to name a few. As has been the case over the years, there is certainly plenty of fighters in both the Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions that can raise discussion among both fans and experts alike as to potential fights that could be made.

With undefeated WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri moving up to Welterweight to challenge WBO champion Manny Pacquiao in November for Pacquiao’s world title, some might be wondering what may be in store in the near future in the Jr. Welterweight division. On September 6th both Adrien Broner and Lucas Matthysse competed on the same card at the U. S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio in separate bouts. Matthysse, who was fighting for the second time after losing a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision to Danny Garcia last September faced undefeated contender Roberto Ortiz.

There is simply not much to say about this fight as Matthysse brought an end to the contest by dropping Ortiz with a left hook to the body late in the second round. In a scenario that has been seen in the sport before, Ortiz seemed to misjudge the count administered to him by Referee Benjy Esteves and got up from the knockdown as Esteves reached the count of ten. It is certainly not the first time that a fighter has suffered a knockout loss by misinterpreting the count of a referee. This however, was not a controversial stoppage, in my opinion.

Esteves was in position in front of Ortiz and did both verbally as well as visually indicate his count. Although Ortiz did appear to get up right at the count of ten, it appeared as though he may have simply misinterpreted the count and that ultimately cost him the fight. The mild controversy notwithstanding, Lucas Matthysse certainly maintained his position as a top contender in the division with this victory.

The main event on this card featured Adrien Broner in his second fight since moving down in weight to the Jr. Welterweight division as he faced Emmanuel Taylor. Broner, who scored a ten round unanimous decision over Carlos Molina earlier this year in his first fight at 140lbs.  was looking to get back into the world title picture after losing his WBA world Welterweight championship in December of last year to Marcos Maidana. Broner would get a tougher test than most expected against Emmanuel Taylor.

Taylor, who scored a ten round unanimous decision over Karim Mayfield in July entered the fight with an impressive record of 18-2, with 12 Knockouts in twenty professional fights. Broner however, a former world champion in three weight divisions did have more experience at the elite level of the sport. 

The first six rounds of this fight can easily be described as “Swing Rounds” where both fighters were able to have their moments and there can be a healthy difference of opinion as to who won those rounds. This was due to Taylor’s aggression in being able to force Broner back to the ropes and maintaining a consistent work rate in punches thrown. Broner however, did have the edge and hand speed and when he was able to let his hands go and land punches in combination that appeared to be more effective.

Broner was able to take over in the second half of the fight by letting his hands go and keeping the fight for the most part off of the ropes. In contrast to the first six rounds, Taylor’s offensive activity and aggression seemed to decline as the fight progressed. Although Broner suffered a cut as a result of a clash of heads in the eleventh round, he closed the fight strong knocking Taylor down with a left hand in the twelfth and final round to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision.

Even though both Matthysse and Broner were victorious in fights that they were expected to win, this card may have set the stage for a showdown between the two at some point in the near future. For his part, Adrien Broner stated after his victory over Emmanuel Taylor that he wants to fight Matthysse in his next fight.

In terms of what this might mean for the landscape of the Jr. Welterweight division, both Matthysse and Broner are rated number two and three respectively in the World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings. It is unclear where the current WBC number one contender Viktor Postol will factor into a potential fight between Broner and Matthysse in terms of rankings, but it would not surprise me to see a fight between the two labeled as a world title elimination bout with the winner to challenge unified champion Danny Garcia.

Even though there might be some questions in regard to what may be in store for the winner of that fight should it be made, I believe that a fight between the two offers a classic scenario of a boxer against a puncher and it will be a fight that both fans and experts will want to see. How soon can the fight be made is a subject for debate, but clearly it is one of the biggest fights that can be made at 140lbs. 

Are Adrien Broner and Lucas Matthysse on a collision course? We will have to wait and see.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Reader Poll: Mayweather-Pacquiao

With recent speculation of future Hall of Famers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao potentially meeting in the near future in a showdown that has been much anticipated for several years, The Boxing Truth ® would like to poll our readers for your opinion.

Is a fight between Mayweather and Pacquaio still a fight that Boxing fans want to see?

Please cast your vote in our polling section as:

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Undecided

Please also feel free to comment in the comments section below.

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Stay Tuned “And That’s The Boxing Truth”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Trout Overcomes Adversity To Defeat Dawson

The sport of Boxing certainly has more than it’s share of interesting stories. Whether it be a fighter working his way up through the ranks in hopes of eventually challenging for a world title, a former world champion on the comeback trail looking to regain past glory, or a fighter who is considered an underdog simply looking to prove themselves against established favorites. One story that can happen in Boxing is a fighter going through both highs and lows.

For Jr. Middleweight contender Austin Trout he has experienced both highs and lows in the last two years of his career. After compiling a record of 25-0, with 14 Knockouts as well as earning interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Jr. Middleweight ratings, Trout had his most significant win in the eyes of many when he defeated former multi-division world champion Miguel Cotto in December 2012 in Madison Square Garden. Cotto, who has a sizable following and has headlined The Garden on several occasions was favored to win the bout. On that evening however, it was Trout who earned a hard-fought and close twelve round unanimous decision over Cotto.

In addition to defeating Cotto, Trout also broke Cotto’s New York undefeated streak becoming the only fighter to defeat him in Madison Square Garden. It was on the strength of that victory that Trout was able to secure a fight with Saul Alvarez in a fight that drew nearly forty thousand spectators in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas in April of last year.

Much like his encounter with Miguel Cotto, the fight with Alvarez was highly competitive and both fighters had their share of moments. The bout with Alvarez would result in the  first loss of Trout’s career losing a twelve round unanimous decision and also suffering the first knockdown of his career. Trout would go on to suffer another setback when he lost another twelve round unanimous decision to top contender Erislandy Lara in December of last year.

Although Trout suffered two setbacks after arguably the biggest win of his career against Miguel Cotto, Trout is still after all a highly skilled, world-class fighter who lost to two of the best fighters in a talent stacked Jr. Middleweight division. There have been many fighters throughout Boxing history who have dealt with setbacks after their biggest wins and were able to rebound and regain their standing among the sport’s elite.

The first step for Austin Trout came on August 22nd when he faced Jr. Middleweight contender and former world Kickboxing champion Daniel Dawson at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Trout, who entered this fight rated seventh in the world in the WBA’s Jr. Middleweight ratings faced a stern test from the fifteenth rated contender Dawson.

Dawson, who came into the fight with an impressive record of 40-3-1, with 26 Knockouts , had once challenged for a Boxing world title and was undefeated for nearly four years with a draw in his first fight with Virgil Kalakoda in 2011. Although considered an underdog leading up to the fight, Dawson clearly was not an opponent that most would consider to be a mere “tune up” for Trout in his first fight since suffering those losses to Alvarez and Lara. 

Trout made good use of his hand speed early on as he consistently got his punches off first and kept Dawson somewhat on the defensive. Dawson however, almost brought the fight to a sudden conclusion in round three as he dropped Trout with a solid counter right hand. Dawson would score a second knockdown of Trout later in the round with another counter right hand. Trout would survive the round, but Dawson had clearly made a statement to those who felt he had little chance of defeating Trout.

Although being knocked down twice in the same round may give the impression that a fighter was hurt, this was a tactical Boxing match and to his credit Trout was able to regroup and regained control of the fight. The primary difference in this fight was Trout’s ability to get his punches off first and outwork Dawson throughout. Trout would score his own knockdown of Dawson in round eight with a left hand and would go on to win a ten round unanimous decision.

Even though he was outworked by Trout throughout much this fight, Dawson did have his moments throughout and should be given credit for the effort he put forth in this fight. Although some might be tempted to say that perhaps Dawson could have finished Trout off if he had been more aggressive after scoring those two knockdowns, it is important to remember that Trout had the quicker hands.

A conundrum that can happen for fighters who are at a disadvantage in terms of hand speed is once they have hurt their opponent, if they go in for the finish recklessly there is always the possibility of being countered and caught by a punch that you may not see coming that can turn a fight around instantly. Dawson fought well in this fight and despite the loss, he proved that he was not a mere opponent for Trout.

It is certainly possible that Daniel Dawson will get another opportunity against another marquee opponent in the Jr. Middleweight division. Dawson has added his name to a division that is deep with talent and should be considered a threat to anyone in the division. As for Austin Trout, this fight did get him back in the win column even though it may not have been as easy as some may have believed it would be prior to the fight. Despite suffering those two knockdowns, Trout was impressive in showing his ability to regroup and overall gave a good account of himself.

As for potential future opponents, there are several fighters out there that might be possible options for both fighters. Names such as Joshua Clottey, Cornelius Brundage, Vanes Martirosyan, Jermell Charlo, Ishe Smith, and WBO champion Demetrius Andrade just to name a few each pose an interesting challenge for both fighters. 

In regard to Austin Trout, there is also of course the possibility that he may be able to get a rematch with either Saul Alvarez or Erislandy Lara at some point in the future. With the current unified WBC/WBA Jr. Middleweight world champion Floyd Mayweather preparing to defend his unified WBC/WBA Welterweight world championship in a rematch against former WBA champion Marcos Maidana next month, the landscape of the Jr. Middleweight division is very much open. It is quite possible that if Mayweather were to either relinquish or be stripped of his unified Jr. Middleweight championship that Austin Trout could find himself right back in the world championship picture.

Although he has experienced some setbacks in recent times, Austin Trout is still very much a factor in the division.  It will be interesting to see where both Austin Trout and Daniel Dawson go from here.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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