Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the highest-paid athlete in the world, and reigns as the pound-for-pound king of boxing. He is set to face Marcos "El Chino" Maidana on May 3, and will walk into the ring as a heavy favorite. It won't be the first time Maidana come in as a big underdog, though, and he says he's got a plan to put the first L on Mayweather's record.
Paulie Malignaggi thinks Mayweather vs. Maidana is a great matchup
"With [Adrien] Broner, everyone thought that I couldn't win unless I knocked him out, but I'm prepared to go 12 rounds with him if necessary," said Maidana. "I am preparing to hurt him every time that I throw punches, and if the knockout comes, then great. But I am preparing myself to win up to 12 rounds."
Indeed in his last bout Maidana pummeled Broner, a Mayweather protégé who had been billed as a "clone" of his big bro because he employs a shoulder roll defense. Maidana was able to conquer that with sheer aggression; that may backfire vs. Mayweather though, who is far more seasoned than Broner and capable of adjusting and counterpunching.
Miguel Cotto picks Mayweather to shut out Chino
Maidana's trainer Robert Garcia thinks his fighter will be too determined to be thrown off by Mayweather's defense. When it was brought up that Floyd's biggest knockouts were all against hard-charging opponents, Garcia said Chino is different.
"I guess that it's true about those who have tried to come forward against Floyd. But the fact is that Floyd never has faced a fighter with the power and the heart and the determination of Maidaina, who is one of those guys who is not worried about who is front of him."
Many fans will be behind Maidana, but the biggest opponent Floyd ever fought, Oscar De La Hoya, seemed reticent about Maidana's chances.
"He's just slippery. Slippery to hit," said De La Hoya. "This is my experience, and I'm just talking for myself, obviously, with me being a competitor and having a fighting spirit. If I was younger, I would have beaten him, but that's just the way that I feel."
Make you pick! Mayweather or Maidana on May 3 @SportsWN
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