It was clear from the opening bell that Maidana wasn't beating Mayweather. He didn't attack Floyd the way he had before. Maidana tried to outbox a fighter with more hand speed and accuracy. His best chance to win was by mugging the better boxer and beating the hell out of him when he was cornered. When Mayweather felt his back against the ropes he quickly moved out of there. That is when he really threw his hands knowing Maidana was coming in on him. Floyd did what he needed to do in order to win, but as I watched him beat Maidana I could tell Floyd's skills were diminishing. It was clear that Mayweather is not the fighter he once was. He dominated the fight, but a B-level fighter like Maidana made Floyd look beatable.
Showtime's Brian Kenny was interviewing two fighters who hope to get the next shot at Mayweather. Keith Thurman and Amir Khan want to fight Floyd next. After the fight there was mention of the Pacquiao fight. We all know Floyd doesn't want to fight Pac-Man, but he owes one of these three men a shot in May. If he doesn't fight Thurman or Pacquiao I probably won't be purchasing the fight. I do believe that Khan could put up a good fight, but I think the other two could realistically beat Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather Dominates Rematch vs. Maidana
I thought Floyd dominated the hard hitting brawler, but why Maidana tried to box with Mayweather is beyond me. Instead of doing more of what made the first fight interesting, Maidana chose to box with a better boxer. Floyd made all the right adjustments. Maidana wasn't able to box with him and couldn't get him cornered like he did in the first fight. If the first fight had gone this way nobody would have been calling for a rematch.
Mayweather Claims Maidana Bit Him
I'm not really sure if he bit him or not, but Floyd kept holding him and putting him in headlocks. After the fight Floyd was favoring the hand and showing it to anyone who'd look at it. He said Maidana had bit the tip of his finger. If Maidana bit the fat part of the boxing glove with a mouthpiece in, well I really don't care. In all honesty it made Floyd look bad carrying on the way he did.
Full Round-by-Round Analysis
There wasn't that much to analyze. In my opinion Floyd won 10 of 12 rounds. There were only four rounds that were even close. I split those four rounds between them.
Floyd: 'We'll See What Future Holds' for Pacquiao Fight
In other words, he doesn't want to fight Pacquiao. At this point I've given up on a Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight. Floyd doesn't want to fight him. It's really that simple, because Pacquiao allegedly needs the money, and we all know about the two losses he's taken, so why would he not want it? Floyd says he has two fights left, and those two fights should be Pacquiao and Thurman. If he beats those two on his way out he would have to be considered top 5 all time. Without those two fights he won't be remember favorably. He'll be remembered for being a money maker who never fought the best fighters out there.
Amir Calls Out Floyd: 'Is He Afraid of the Speed?'
Amir Khan does have hand speed. However he has nothing after that. He would be a different challenge than Maidana, but no tougher to overcome. Khan is a grade B fighter with hand speed. This is probably the next fight Mayweather makes, because he doesn't want to have to face Thurman or Pacquiao.
Floyd: 'I Give Myself a C or C-, I'm Better Than That'
At one point in time he was better than that, but even in a dominating win I could see his skills diminishing. His legs carried him to victory over Marcos Maidana, but what would have happened with a better fighter? His defense didn't look as good as normal and he wasn't able to fire off a shot every time he needed to. He said he was going for a knockout, but he never got close to that. Maidana would have been better off to fight him the way he did the first time. It was more effective than trying to box with Floyd.
What Is Floyd's Legacy Now After 47-0?
Floyd Mayweather won't be remembered as highly as he thinks of himself. He never really fought the best fighters when they were at their best. According to Mayweather he'll fight twice in 2015 and then retire. If he can win the next two fights he'd tie Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record. It's impressive to remain unbeaten for an entire career, but it's also impressive to have battled the best regardless of the outcome. The heavyweight division was not loaded during Marciano's time, and even though he retired undefeated he isn't remembered as the best heavyweight ever. Mayweather fought in a loaded lightweight division and also in a loaded junior and welterweight division. He's taken guys on at 154, but not the best fighters at that weight. The best thing he could do is fight Thurman and Pacquiao as he retires. He would be remembered differently by just taking those two fights.
Is the Money Show No Longer Fun?
I enjoy watching talented boxers fight. I enjoy watching Mayweather fight. There are three fights out there for Mayweather, and if he doesn't fight Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao, or Amir Khan next, well I won't be purchasing the fight with whoever he chooses. I'm not 100% sure I'd buy a fight with Khan. If he wants to be remembered as the best ever he needs Thurman and Pacquiao next.
Mayweather has said he's carried boxing through rough times and he has to a degree. Boxing is pricing itself out of relevance. ABC's Wild World of Sports made boxing popular during the late sixties into the early eighties. In the era of Mike Tyson pay-per-view was created and that started the slow death of boxing. Mayweather has captivated Boxing fans with his speed and skill, and he's used the sport and the pay-per-view format to become rich. I'm not so sure Mayweather has helped boxing overcome the problems that are killing it, but he's made billions off of what's there.
Boxing is headed for tough times after Mayweather. They will be forced to make changes to the current product. The best rarely fight the best and they charge on pay-per-view to see it. The current format is not sustainable and has only survived this long because of Mayweather.
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