Mayweather says Maidana no pushover

Unbeaten champion acknowledges Argentine slugger has puncher's chance

All the signs indicate that five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will comfortably extend his unbeaten record when he faces Argentina's Marcos Maidana on Saturday - though the American is not expecting a pushover.

Mayweather, who has a 45-0 record with 26 knockouts, is an overwhelming 11-1 favorite for the WBC/WBA welterweight title unification bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mayweather's minimum guarantee for the fight is $32 million, while Maidana will earn a minimum of $1.5 million.

Not only is the experienced American widely regarded as one of the best defensive fighters of all time, he is a natural welterweight.

Many critics believe Maidana moved up too quickly from the 130-pound level to the 147-pound division.

"Everybody thinks he's just going to be a pushover, but I don't think so," Mayweather, 37, said during his final media scrum before the showdown. "That's why I'm training hard and I'm pushing myself to the limit every day.

"If he brings his best, maybe he will be the first guy that actually makes me dig into my bag of tricks and pull out my 'A' game.

"Hopefully he will make me bring out my 'A' game because my whole career all I've had to use was a 'D' or 'C' game to beat every guy."

Maidana, who won his most recent bout in December with a unanimous decision against heavily favored American Adrien Broner to claim the WBA welterweight title, is known for his all-round skill and blistering power.

Asked what he thought the Argentine slugger did best in the ring, Mayweather replied: "Well, he has an 80 percent knockout ratio, so he punches extremely hard.

"That's obviously his best attribute, but a lot of times when a guy's swinging a lot of big shots and they're not landing, you get fatigued.

"I might be the hardest puncher he ever fought. He hasn't been hit by me yet, so we'll just have to see if he's the hardest puncher."

Mayweather, who outboxed Saul Canelo Alvarez in his most recent bout in September to take the Mexican's WBA and WBC super welterweight titles, has repeatedly spoken about the need for patience against Maidana.

"Maidana is hungry, he's ready and he has a great knockout ratio," said the brash American, who is nicknamed "Money" for his flamboyant and often extravagant lifestyle.

"It's all about keeping composure and sticking to the game plan.We're going to take our time, go out there and if the guy leaves an opening on his face, we're going to take it. If he leaves an opening on his body, we're going to take it.

"But we can't just say we're going to go in there and everything is going to go to the body. We're going to take our time and pick the guy apart. I'm naturally the bigger guy because I've been at 147 almost 10 years now."

Maidana, 30, has an impressive record of 35-3 with 31 knockouts and oozed confidence while readily conceding he's a big underdog.

"I know people think I'm going to lose, but I come to win and I'm not afraid of anybody or anything," said the Argentine. "I have the support of the Latino people."

The fight, scheduled for 12 rounds, will unify the WBC welterweight title held by Mayweather and Maidana's WBA welterweight crown.

(China Daily 05/03/2014 page11)