As the rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Marcos Maidana draws closer, Robert Garcia (Maidana’s trainer) spoke to ThaBoxingVoice regarding some of the revelations that have recently come to light concerning the fight.
The bout, which is scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, was originally meant to be for the WBA Super and WBC welterweight titles. Now the WBC light-middleweight crown is also at stake and although Garcia seemed unperturbed by the news, he had his own views to offer as to why it may have occurred; “I’m not sure, I read something about that, but if it is then Maidana is going to win two titles. But I don’t know what Mayweather’s reason for doing that is. Maybe he wants to wear ten ounces, I don’t know.”
Garcia is alluding to the fact that in bouts contested at 154 lbs and above, boxers are generally required to wear ten ounce gloves as opposed to the eight ounces gloves worn in fights sanctioned at 147 lbs and below.
All who were following the build up to the last fight between Mayweather and Maidana in May earlier this year will be familiar with the ‘glove-gate’ situation, where Mayweather insisted that Maidana wear a pair of gloves that had a generous amount of padding around the knuckle area in preference to a pair that would favour a heavy puncher. It seems that there are signs again this time around that Mayweather is still wary of the power ‘El Chino’ brings in to the ring, perhaps even more so now that he has spent a good portion of twelve rounds on the receiving end of it.
Garcia also appeared satisfied with the preparations he and his fighter have been going through this time around, citing less than ideal circumstances going in to the first fight; “We’re going to have the rounds of sparring that I need, the rounds of mitt work that I need……..the last fight I only had five weeks [with Maidana], this time I have the full eight weeks and it should make a big difference.”
It is astonishing to think that Maidana was able to give Mayweather his toughest outing in quite some time with only half a training camp behind him. With his wife awaiting the birth of their first son, Maidana began getting ready alone before heading to meet Garcia in Oxnard, California, this time there will be no bumps on the road to Vegas and Garcia is certainly confident that it will be a different result at the second time of asking.
