So continues our marathon coverage of one of the biggest bouts of 2014, Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana, on May 3 on Showtime Pay-Per-View. Previously: the basics of Mayweather-Maidana; TQBR Radio on Mayweather-Maidana. Next: keys to the fight.
Damn son, that koala looks as high as a Mayweather Promotions fighter. Is that a low blow? I’m not sure — they always do seem to be testing positive for one thing or another, be it marijuana or diuretics or testosterone (not that diuretics or testosterone get you high). There sure are a lot of them fighting this weekend, too, because it’s the big man’s big week. The quality of his undercard isn’t amazing (and it’s certainly not much of an extra incentive to part with 75 of your hard earned dollars), but perhaps we were spoiled by the goodness that was Danny Garcia vs. Lucas Matthysse on the undercard of his last fight, against Canelo. Then again, maybe we should expect more from the biggest, most expensive events in boxing. Let’s take a look.
Floyd Mayweather Vs. Marcos Maidana Undercard
- Amir Khan vs. Luis Collazo. Though I doubt anyone thinks this is going to be a war, it’s a very intriguing welterweight fight. Khan has never looked his lighting-quick best since his knockout loss to Danny Garcia and Collazo seemed revitalised in his knockout win over Victor Ortiz. Collazo (35-5, 18 KO) isn’t a devastating puncher or anything, but it’s not like you need to be against Khan. The veteran might have just enough tricks up his sleeve to get Khan (28-3, 19 KO) to give up his reach advantage long enough to nail him once or twice. And once Khan gets tagged, he tends to fight. On the other hand, if the Englishman can be disciplined, than he can almost certainly out-fence his foe. It will, I believe, go to a decision, but if I told you I knew what it was going to look like or who would win, I would be a liar.
- Adrien Broner vs. Carlos Molina. This one? Much less intriguing. Adrien Broner (27-1, 22 KO) needs an easy bounce-back fight after getting his arse handed to him by the man fighting Mayweather at the top of the bill. Molina (17-1-1, 7 KO) is a tough dude, but he can’t crack at all and is badly undersized at junior welterweight. He’s here to make Broner look good, and he’s going to do just that. I hope he has good people in his corner.
- J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. This, too, is an interesting fight, though perhaps at more of a Friday Night Fights level than a PPV undercard. Super middleweight J’Leon Love is a foster father to 10 kids, which makes a lot more sympathetic than we just knew him as a potential drug cheat who should have got beaten by Gabe Rosado. He might have his hands full with Periban (20-1-1, 13 KO), who’s a bit slow, but a pretty good boxer from the outside. I think the idea for Love should be to take it in close, where Periban isn’t as comfortable as Rosado was. He’ll probably come off with the decision, whether he deserves it or not.
The Rest Of The Week’s Boxing Schedule
- Robert Garcia vs. Victor Cayo, Thursday, ESPN2, Hialeah Fla. Friday Night Fights maintains its Thursday spot this week, with a welterweight bout between Texas’ Robert Garcia (34-3, 22 KO) and the Dominican Republic’s Victor Cayo (32-4, 23 KO). Neither of these guys is ever going to set the world on fire, but that doesn’t mean that between Garcia’s come-forward style and Cayo’s lanky-ness and willingness to mix it up they can’t make a fun fight. Unfortunately Cayo’s tendency has been to get… Cayoed against better opponents, the question is whether Garcia really qualifies as such. I think he’ll be just durable to stop Cayo late.
- Ishe Smith vs. Ryan Davis, Friday, FS1/Fox Deportes, Las Vegas. Mayweather’s fighting, so all Mayweather’s proteges get to fight as well! Boring junior middleweight Ishe Smith (25-6, 11 KO) is in a boring mismatch with Ryan Davis (24-13-3, 9 KO), so let’s not talk about that. Lightweight Mickey Bey (19-1-1, 10 KO) takes on Alan Herrara (32-5, 21 KO) on the undercard, a fight that doesn’t really do much for me. Herrara is slow and ponderous, and Bey will keep him on the outside and pick him apart. The most interesting (if that’s what you want to call it) bout on the card is between once feted featherweight prospect Rico Ramos (23-3, 13 KO) and Argentine Jesus Marcello Andres Cuellar (23-1, 18 KO). Cuellar is a fearsome South American puncher, almost in the Maidana mould but with a little more technique and timing. I think his loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux might have ruined Ramos a little bit, and he won’t be able to afford any lapses against Cuellar.
- The rest. Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #5 junior flyweight contender Johnriel Casimero (19-2-1, 11 KO) fights Mauricio Fuentes (16-2, 10 KO) on Saturday in the Philippines… Meanwhile, the other Chavez son, Omar, fights in Mexico if anyone cares.
