Mayhem! Maidana Takes A Bite, Mayweather Wins The Fight. Is Pacquiao Next?
Mayweather Retains 147lb WBA Title
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (September 14th, 2014)–The main event Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Marcos Rene Maidana rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 13, 2014, was billed as ‘mayhem’. Maybe it was, but for only a brief moment. In the eighth round, time was called after it appeared Mayweather smothered Maidana’s nose and face with his left hand. To breathe, Maidana apparently took a bite out of Floyd’s left hand, rendering it useless for the most part from that point. Maidana denied biting Floyd after the bout, strangely claiming he won the fight.
Mayweather won a 12 round unanimous decision, mostly by jabbing, moving rapidly, and holding in clinches after every jab thrown by either himself or Maidana. It was only natural Maidana complained after the bout the referee did nothing about the holding, and instead the referee took a point away from him.
Mayweather, now 47-0, 26 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, appeared to win every round except the fourth and twelfth rounds. Although the bout was not close, Floyd was not the Floyd of old, who relied on speed and skill. Instead, Floyd countered with the left over Maidana’s right jab, kept moving out of range, and stayed off the ropes. This approach enabled Floyd to dominate both the power shots landed and overall punch count.
Maidana, now 35-4, 31 knockouts, Margarita, Argentina, boxed smartly, and did not appear bothered by Floyd’s change in style to more movement. However, Maidana failed to cut off the ring, and did not punch Floyd on the ropes with the volume of blows he did in their first contest. The second time around, Maidana just did not look hungry. Still, the three judges gave Maidana a few more rounds than he deserved to win.
Iron Mike Tyson was at ringside, and undoubtedly remembered his rematch in the same arena at the MGM Grand with Evander Holyfield in June 28 1997, when referee Mills Lane disqualified him in the third round for biting Evander Holyfield’s ears twice.
Floyd tumbled to the canvas in the first and tenth rounds, and Maidana lost a point for rough and tumble tactics, though the point deduction seemed a bit of a stretch. Maidana was elbowing Floyd below the neck to get untangled in the tenth round when Floyd went down.
Floyd rated his performance subpar, stating he felt in his first bout with Maidana he was far more effective as a boxer and puncher. Floyd essentially followed his father’s corner advice, Floyd Mayweather Sr., whose adage is to hit without getting hit. Floyd Jr. was ultimately successful by keeping on the move, and not offering Maidana a ring rope target. Maidana has no power whenhis opponent is not on the ropes. With Floyd in the middle of the ring, Maidana, lost all of his power, style, and game plan edge advantage.
After the bout, conversation still centered on a possible fight between Floyd and Manny Pacquiao in May 2015. As Floyd noted, Pacquiao has to concentrate now on the task at hand first, mainly, his upcoming WBO World Welterweight title bout with Chris Algieri.
For boxing historians, the World Boxing Council Welterweight and Super Welterweight titles were both on the line at the same time, the first such occurrence since Sugar Ray Leonard stopped Donnie LaLonde at Caesar Palace in Las Vegas on November 7, 1988, for the WBC Super Middleweight and WBC Light Heavyweight titles simultaneously.
Real Combat Media scored the bout 119-109 for Floyd in a bout which went the 12 round distance, but was not close. Perhaps Pacquiao or Amir Khan will do better than Maidana. After spending the 1.5 million he earned in his last bout with Floyd on a new house, car, a new horse and a new cow, Maidana won’t have to worry about feeding his horse when his latest paycheck for fighting the rematch with Floyd comes in.
Result: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Win 12 Marcos Rene Maidana (Second confrontation)
Mayweather retains the WBC World Welterweight and Super Welterweight titles
Mayweather retains the WBA Super World Welterweight title
Scoring: 115-112, 116-111, 116-111 for Mayweather. Referee: Kenny Bayless
Maidana lost a point in round 10 for wrestling Mayweather to the canvas
Mayweather warned for elbowing in ninth round, and for low blows in eleventh round
On the undercard, IBF World Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez Jr. lost his title by 12 round split decision in his sixth title defense to challenger Mickey Bey. Once popular light middleweight Alfredo Angulo, fighting at middleweight in the wrong weight class, reached the tenth round for the fourth consecutive fight, and lost his third straight, an embarrassing upset loss to James De La Rosa. Angulo’s once promising career is almost over. Angulo, fighting at middleweight, Angulo got dropped in the second round, and lost a point for an accumulation of low blows in the seventh round. Leo Santa Cruz scored a second round stoppage of challenger Manual Roman to retain the WBC World Super Bantamweight title. It was not a spectacular card of entertainment result. An 0-5-1 fighter drew with a debuting fighter to open the card, and an 8-0 prospect losing to another debut.
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