Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s majority decision victory over Marcos Maidana in May was questionable to most for a variety of reasons. Some felt Mayweather deserved to win by a wider margin, while others felt Maidana's aggression, coupled with his ability to land several flush punches on the normally unhittable champ, was enough to give him the win.
The second time around, on Saturday, Mayweather left no doubt. Maidana attempted to employ his jab more often, and relied less on wild pressure. It didn't go well, as Mayweather was able to avoid being trapped on the ropes. He counterpunched accurately and refused to let Maidana corner him. It was a less exciting affair than the first go-round, and there certainly will not be a third bout.
Mayweather now has two fights left on his Showtime contract-these are the top five opponents possible for him.
Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO)
Pacquiao must get by Chris Algieri in November, but at this point in time he's by far the biggest name Mayweather could face. This matchup was boxing heaven around 2010, when Pacquiao was rising up in weight classes and viciously knocking out much larger foes.
These days Pacman has lost some luster-he lost controversially to Timothy Bradley in 2012 and then was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in his next fight. He has rebounded since with three straight dominant wins, but his power at 147 lbs. seems to be gone. The quickess and activity is still present, however, and if Mayweather slows at all in his advancing age, it's conceivable for Pacquiao to eke out a close decision.
Amir Khan (29-3-0, 19 KO)
Khan's the second biggest name on the table for Mayweather, and he brings a U.K. fanbase with him that would serve as an imitation of the fanfare attached to Ricky Hatton way back in 2007.
Khan's still unproven at welterweight with just one win over Luis Collazo at 147 lbs., but he's always been big for junior welterweight. He has also clamored for some time about fighting Mayweather, touting his fast hands as the remedy for his defense.
It is true Mayweather hasn't fought someone as quick-handed as Khan-and the boxing public has many examples of him outclassing bigger, more powerful foes. Despite questions about Khan's chin and resume, he could be one of the few viable options remaining for "Money."
Miguel Cotto (39-4-0, 32 KO)
Yes, Mayweather's already beaten Cotto, but the Cotto that won the WBC middleweight title from Sergio Martinez in June was a different fighter than the man Mayweather defeated in 2012.
Cotto's footwork was better than ever against Martinez in his second fight with Freddie Roach as his trainer; his defense was tighter, and the focus on body work that made him elite had returned.
Of all the conceivable opponents Floyd Mayweather could battle next, Cotto stands the best chance of actually handing the pound-for-pound champion his first loss. The problem would be weight. Cotto was under the 160 lb. weight limit for the middleweight division, and is very small for that weight class, but he's still probably too large for welterweight anymore.
The amount of weight he'd have to shed to reach 147 lbs. could sap him of the power he displayed vs. Martinez, and remove his size and power advantage. He'd still have his excellent boxing ability, but despite his greatness Mayweather's still got him beat in that regard.
Gennady Golovkin (30-0-0, 27 KO)
Golovkin is arguably the most exciting fighter in boxing today because of his knockout streak (17 KOs in a row), and that makes it extremely unlikely he would get the opportunity to face Mayweather.
That is no shot at Mayweather, though. Golovkin is a natural middleweight with extreme power for that division, so Mayweather's unlikely to take him on even at a catchweight. Golovkin's name hasn't risen to top draw status, so as the top name by far in the matchup Mayweathr would most likely require Golovkin to drop weight all the way down to welterweight.
Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez has said he's willing to do that for a Mayweather fight, but his focus is on unifying the middleweight division. At this point Golovkin vs. Cotto is much more likely than either facing Mayweather.
Danny Garcia (29-0-0, 17 KO)
The other names on this list are either welterweights, or fighters larger than that. What about an elite challenger from a lower weight class rising up? Garcia is unbeaten with little left to prove at 140 lbs. He's already defeated the likes of Khan, Lucas Matthysse and Erik Morales at junior welterweight; all that's really left is a unification bout with Lamont Peterson in which he would be heavily favored.
Garcia would probably be a major underdog against Mayweather, but he has the zero in the loss column, plus some high-profile wins to boost his case. He also has a trainer, his father Angel Garcia, with a mouth big enough to make the prefight buildup exciting.
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