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| Courtesy of resumensports.com |
Opportunities don’t often come around twice. The saying “the chance of a lifetime” signifies
a rarity that reflects an extremely difficult task, but also one that is very
hard to come by. These are the special moments in life that
usually define ourselves or our legacy.
The opportunity to be graced with the presence of Floyd
Mayweather Jr. in the squared circle can be defined as the ultimate prize. He’s become a symbol of prominence in
boxing. Every ascending fighter in the welterweight
division strives for a shot at the champ.
Marcos Maidana’s been awarded this chance of a lifetime twice.
Through all the debate surrounding the first fight, one
thing is clear; Mayweather was challenged.
The 12-1 underdog gave Floyd all he can handle and the consensus believe
Maidana was ahead in the fight through six rounds.
Marcos Maidana showed us all that while Floyd Mayweather Jr.
had defined dominance against many a foes, he is human. Some believe Floyd is on the down side of his
career while others think his performance was merely a ploy to give the fans a
show. Regardless of what any fight fan chooses
to believe, Marcos Maidana came closer to taking away Mayweather’s most prized
possession [his undefeated record] then any fighter in the last decade. It was a chance at history… but at the end of
the day, he failed.
So how does Maidana follow up such a valiant effort that
resulted in defeat? Does he truly
believe he can beat Floyd?
“I can win by decision or KO… need to make a few adjustments, work on
my distance control… I smothered too many punches in the first fight…” – Marcos
Maidana
The Argentine brawler expended a ton of energy in the first
half of their first fight by bombarding Floyd with punches from obscure angles. It was a strategy that worked and didn’t
allow Mayweather any sense of comfort in his most comfortable habitat. Unfortunately, Maidana’s stamina couldn’t
sustain such a vicious attack and opened the door for Floyd to create
distance.
“Conditioning is key… in the first fight I let him box… [this time] I’m
not gonna get tired… I’m preparing for anything… if he runs like a little
bitch, I’ll have to chase him…” – Marcos Maidana
Though Maidana will walk into the MGM Grand on September 13th
a heavy underdog, he’s opened the door of possibility for history to be
made. A door that was once sealed shut
with only the likes of Manny Pacquiao offering a key or a battering ram.
Has he cracked the “May-Vinci Code”? Maybe not, but he
definitely scratched the surface.
It takes a perfect gameplan by the right fighter to compete
with a defensive marvel like Floyd Mayweather Jr. Fighters can’t outbox him because they never
seem to be able to land enough punches to be successful. It’s extremely tough to knock him out because
he doesn’t give fighters the opportunity to land clean flush shots. But Maidana proved that if you make the fight
ugly, rough and rugged, you can throw Floyd out of his comfort zone…. and once
Floyd’s uncomfortable, anything is possible.
“[I’m gonna] hit him on the shoulders, arms, everywhere.. [Floyd will be] so tired that he won’t be
able to defend himself…” – Marcos Maidana
History tells us that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will use the next
twelve rounds to paint a clear picture of why the first fight with Marcos
Maidana was a mere aberration. A fight
fan’s imagination opens up the slight possibility that maybe Maidana can
capitalize on his former success and finally overcome the greatest fighter in
boxing today. The intrigue is built
within from the foundation of the first bout.
Questions will be answered and legacies defined. For Maidana, it’s a chance at history… for
the second time.
Follow me on
Twitter: @RLMalpica
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