Undisputed boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather took a unique approach to announcing his next opponent. Mayweather used his Shots iPhone App to announce that he would be selecting Marcos Maidana as his next opponent in the ring.
The Shots app is a fun “hater free” feature that is similar to Instagram, but only contains “Selfie” photos. The App is only available for the iPhone and has some headline investors such as Mayweather and Justin Beiber.
Mayweather posted a selfie with the caption “I will be fighting Marcos Maidana May 3 on pay-per-view Showtime/CBS.”
Mayweather has been riding the social media trend lately. In early February, he posted on his Twitter and Instagram account that he would be letting the fans decide his next opponent in a poll on his Mayweather Promotions website. The two opponents would be British boxer Amir Khan and the Argentinan Brawler, Marcos Maidana.
There has been debate since the announcement if Mayweather really let the fans choose his next opponent. Khan claims in a statement after the decision that he won the poll by 57 percent and that Mayweather is taking the “easy option.”
Khan defeated Maidana in 2010 and says Mayweather should “walk-through” the fight.
Mayweather combated that by saying that he choose the “better man” as Khan is 2-2 in his last four fights and Maidana has some impressive wins as of late.
Maidana is coming off of his biggest win of his career against the former undefeated welterweight Adrien Broner. Maidana sent Adrien Broner to the canvas twice in his unanimous victory, claiming the World Boxing Association (WBA) Welterweight Title.
Maidana boasts an impressive 82 percent knockout rate and holds a 35-3 record with 31 knockouts.
Mayweather, on the other hand, who has been the hottest name in boxing for the last 17 years, touts a record of 45-0 with 26 knockouts.
Mayweather, who was the highest paid athlete in 2013 with earnings around $90 million, is coming off the biggest fight in pay-per-view history against Canelo Alvarez.
The fight generated $150 million in revenue in pay-per-view buys and had a sellout crowd at the MGM Las Vegas, generating more $20 million at the gate.
The fight with Alvarez may be a tough feat to top, but anytime Mayweather fights, people watch.
Mayweather is known for his arrogant tactics and flashy lifestyle. He prides himself with the nickname “Money” and has yet to touch the canvas in any of his fights.
Money is a skilled swift fighter, and none of his previous opponents have been able to break his impregnable defense. He rarely gets hit and claims he is not into taking any punishment while he is in the ring.
Mayweather proclaims himself as “TBE” – The Best Ever.
Mayweather has yet to take a defeat, but the striking and knockout power of Maidana could pose a threat. Maidana’s latest win over Adrien Broner is what makes the Mayweather and Maidana fight all the more interesting. Broner is in many eyes the closest thing to Mayweather, to where they have similar styles in the ring.
Mayweather has been a mentor to Broner and calls him his baby brother.
Broner tries to imitate the famous Mayweather “shoulder roll” technique, in which thrown punches are impacted by the shoulder and rolled off, making opponents’ offense less effective.
Maidana dissected Broner’s use of this defensive strategy, sending him to the canvas twice for the first knockdowns of Broner’s professional career.
Mayweather has also never been sent to the canvas. However, with him turning 37 last month, many wonder when his ability to evade punches will decrease.
He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down as many thought his last opponent, Canelo Alvarez, was thought to be the one to have the blueprint to defeating Mayweather.
Alvarez is similar to Maidana with his 70 percent knockout rate and strong punching power. However, in his fight with Mayweather, Alvarez hardly managed to touch him and lost, after being dominated through the majority of the fight.
As a fan of Mayweather, it is hard imagining him taking a loss. However, after watching the Broner-Maidana fight, the possibility is there.
Maidana is a relentless competitor and will not quit, no matter how the fight pans outs. Many of his victories have come after being bullied through the majority of the fight. His impressive knockout power gives him a chance to win until the final bell rings.
Nonetheless, Maidana will enter the fight as the underdog, as Floyd is undoubtedly the best fighter of his era. We will see who is the better man come fight night, because all it takes is one punch to make history.
But if I were a betting man, I definitely favor the odds of Mayweather going home with the victory.
