Robert Garcia, presumably with a straight face, suggested on a recent conference call that the fighter he trains, Marcos Maidana, owns an advantage over Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their rematch tonight in Las Vegas because Maidana is diverse enough to do different things this time around.
Garcia also said, rather audaciously, that Mayweather can?t do “much more things” than he did during their first fight May 3 in Las Vegas.
The respected trainer?s answer was almost as comical as it is untrue. Mayweather, though 37, is the one with the diverse skill set that has left most boxing experts expecting the sport?s pound-for-pound king to pick up right where he left off during the second half of their 12-rounder four months ago.
Once Mayweather made the appropriate adjustments to the Argentine slugger?s awkward aggression, wild ways and borderline-dirty tactics in the first five rounds, the undefeated five-division champion took complete command of the fight and clearly won. One judge ? Michael Pernick ? scored it even (114-114), which left Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) with a majority decision win and a somewhat legitimate reason to pursue just the second rematch of his 18-year pro career at MGM Grand (8 p.m., Showtime Pay-Per-View, $74.95).
The other two judges, Burt Clements (117-111) and Dave Moretti (116-112), scored Mayweather a comfortable winner. Like the brilliant businessman he is, Mayweather gladly signed a contract that?ll pay him a minimum of $32 million for a fight that he should win relatively easily.
Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) claims he?s better prepared for this fight because he spent eight weeks with Garcia at his trainer?s gym in Oxnard, Calif. He worked with Garcia for just five weeks before their first fight because Maidana spent additional time in Argentina after his fianc?e, Mariana Zilli, gave birth to their second child, daughter Emilia.
“This time around I?m training to win,” Maidana said. “I know what to expect. I know Mayweather now, his style, what he brings to the table. I?m coming to win. I have more concentration, no excuses whatsoever.”
He has a different agenda as well.
“The first fight, I think that my attack, the pressure, was very good,” Maidana said. “But I didn?t do well with my distance control. I think I smothered a lot of my punches. I wasn?t able to really catch him with good, solid shots ? and that?s one of the things that I?m working on.
“Because I smothered my punches, I don?t really think I ever hurt him. But this time around if I get him with good, solid shots, work my distance control, I think I can hurt him.”
While lawsuits, domestic violence incidents and other questionable behavior have harmed his image outside the ring, no opponent has hurt Mayweather enough to truly have a shot at knocking him out. Shane Mosley came the closest in the second round of their May 2010 fight, yet that only made Mayweather mount an emphatic comeback on his way to dominating their 12-round welterweight title fight.
The Grand Rapids, Mich., native also outboxed Jose Luis Castillo in the first rematch of his career, seven months after an April 2002 fight some contend Mayweather should?ve lost on the scorecards to Mexico?s Castillo. Mayweather, an 8-1 favorite, doesn?t envision anything different unfolding against Maidana.
“I know I?m sharp; I know he?s sharp,” Mayweather said, playing the promoter. “I was able to make the adjustments in the first fight and we?ll see if he can make the adjustments this time.”
Twitter: @Idecboxing
