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In a perfect world, I would be writing this article about Floyd Mayweather Jr. taking on Manny Pacquiao in the next big pay-per-view showcase this spring.
Instead, I am here trying to convince myself and you, the adoring boxing public, that you should care about this match-up that Mayweather Promotions has set up.
Now, some of you might be feeling elated that Amir Khan wasn’t selected as the Floyd’s next opponent. Some of you might have seen Marcos Maidana’s masterful effort against Adrien Broner and you’re thinking he is a worthy opponent to face the best in the business right now.
Actually, the Broner win only proves that he is worthy of a match with a better opponent but it certainly doesn’t mean that he deserves a shot at the best fighter in the business.
Don’t get me wrong, this match-up is compelling for us boxing fans who are struggling with the state of the sport at the moment; there are not enough compelling fights out there.
We are living in a time when fighters who are up-and-coming stars like Gennady Golovkin and Danny Garcia are not getting the constant exposure that big names of the past, such as Sugar Ray Leonard or Oscar De La Hoya, use to have.
The problem is that fighters like Mayweather or Pacquiao are fighting maybe once or twice a year and that sets a precedent for other fighters, who take a cue from the future hall-of-fame fighters.
Promoters have opted for the formula where boxers fight once or twice a year and because of the big pay-per-view amounts generated by those bouts and the fighters go along with the promoters and chose to fight less often.
There are not enough compelling bouts in the boxing calendar and the rematch gimmick is over used in boxing [can anyone say Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV?]
Another issue that Boxing is going through is that the superstars of the sport are choosing to not face each other in the prime of their careers.
The blatant example would be Mayweather, at age 37, with a record of 45 wins with 0 losses with 26 knockouts, has avoided Manny Pacquiao in his prime. Another example is Sergio Martinez avoiding Golovkin and the list goes on and on.
Can you imagine if Oscar De La Hoya avoided Tito Trinidad or if Muhammad Ali avoided Joe Frazier?
The faithful boxing fans have been denied so many great fights in recent years due to a reluctance from fighters to tarnish their perfect records.
Recently, allegations have reportedly surfaced that Mayweather has purposely selected fighters that his training team has scouted and deemed easy opponents for “Money May”.
There is no doubt in my mind that Mayweather has avoided star fighters in their prime and has chosen to face fighters who are no threat to his fighting style.
But enough of the state of Boxing, let’s now take a look at Marcos Rene Maidana.
The hard hitting right-hander was born in Santa Fe, Argentina on July 17, 1983. Maidana won the Argentine National Amateur championship back in 2002 and 2003 and was a quarterfinalist at the 2003 world championships.
His nickname is “El Chino” and since his professional debut back in 2004, the welterweight menace has amassed an impressive record of 35 wins, 3 losses with 31 knockouts.
Recently, Maidana defeated Adrien Broner in spectacular fashion which had the boxing world a buzz. That victory now makes him the perfect contender for Mayweather, who is looking to collect a huge pay-day on the back of Maidana’s popularity.
This leads us to the question of whether “El Chino” Maidana deserve a shot at Mayweather?
Maidana is a formidable fighter and his stock is definitively on the rise. However, we have seen this story before. Just last year Mayweather faced Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a bout that was upheld as the first real test for “Money May” in years.
It didn’t turn out to be the fight we expected. Mayweather overwhelmed Alvarez, even after Oscar De La Hoya gave Alvarez the blueprint to beat Maywether [you may insert a laughter track here].
Going back to Maidana, I get the feeling that the only reason Mayweather took this fight is to protect his protégé Adrien Broner from the defeat he suffered from the contender.
Doesn’t it feel like big brother Mayweather is coming to the rescue? Don’t you think there is a bit of protectionism going on here by Mayweather?
What would happen if Maidana actually defeats Mayweather?
Well, in that case, the best scenario would be a rematch or it would be up to Maidana to prove himself and see if he can carve a name as an elite fighter in the boxing world. Something that is not easy to come by in this sport where fighters are easily forgotten.
Beyond what I put forward in this opinion piece, what really matters is that boxing fans are happy. This fight certainly piques more interest than a bout featuring Amir Khan as a challenger.
I hope that Maidana puts in a valiant effort against Mayweather or this fight is not going to live up to its potential.
To have another Mayweather fight fall short would be a detriment to our already fragile sport.
