MARCOS MAIDANA, the heavy-hitting Argentinian who won the hearts of boxing fans with his do-or-die style, has officially retired from boxing.
Many will be sad to see him go, but ‘Chino’ has left us with some fond memories. Here, we take a look at five of his greatest fights.
5. l pts 12 Floyd Mayweather (2014)
FEW gave Maidana much chance when the masterful Mayweather picked him out of a long line-up to be his May 2014 foe. Though undoubtedly strong and dangerous, Maidana was deemed too crude to be able to trouble Floyd.
After a dispute over gloves threatened to derail the fight, Maidana ended up rattling Mayweather’s diamond-encrusted cage just as much as Jose Luis Castillo did way back in 2002.
The ever-defiant slugger bulled into Mayweather from the opening bell, drawing blood and troubling him for spells over the 12 rounds. Though Floyd looked to have produced enough sharp counters and laser-beam right hands to nick a decision, it seemed surprisingly close at the final bell. Scores were 114-114 and 117-111, 116-112 both in favour of Mayweather.
He may have lost, but Maidana earned himself another massive payday in an immediate rematch.
4. w pts 12 Erik Morales (2011)
Morales, though undoubtedly brave, was seen to be past his best when offered up to a rising Maidana. However the legendary Mexican produced one more great performance to push Marcos incredibly hard over 12 glorious rounds.
Consider that Morales’ right eye was all but closed with swelling by the end of the fight, and his heroics become even more impressive. However it was Maidana who was the busier, and harder, puncher in there and he once again showed how he is always value for money.
3. l pts 12 Amir Khan (2010)
Before he went to war with Morales, Maidana was involved in the 2010 fight of the year when he rose from a sickening body shot in round one to come tantalisingly close to upsetting Khan.
The punch which doubled him over looked like it was enough to keep him down, but Maidana somehow sucked enough air into his lungs to find his feet – and then give Khan absolute hell. He had the Bolton star reeling at times and even came close to forcing a stoppage late in the fight, though Amir did extraordinarily well to rack up enough points to earn the decision.
It was a second career loss for Maidana – after Andrey Kotelnik had controversially outpointed him in 2009 – but he had proven his unwavering resilience.
2. w pts 12 Adrien Broner (2013)
Maidana achieved cult status when he found the solution to ‘The Problem’ in 2013. Broner, unbeaten at the time and viewed as a villain by most, would swiftly be knocked off his perch and thoroughly embarrassed by the marauding Argentine.
A left hook sent Broner to the canvas for the first time in his career in the second round, and his legs did a peculiar jig at several moments in the fight as his senses failed to stand up to Maidana’s power. To his credit, Broner came through some torrid moments and did stun Maidana late in the fight.
However Marcos, with some legendary goading (a mid-fight pelvic thrust and pretending to comb Broner’s hair after the fight), became everyone’s hero when he sent Broner packing.
1. w rsf 6 Victor Ortiz (2009)
The ultimate Maidana performance. Floored in the first, he then dropped Ortiz with the first punch he landed after rising, before visiting the canvas two more times in the second round.
However, Maidana was impossible to put away. He rallied, impossibly brave now that he’d grown accustomed to Ortiz’ power and fired back everytime the highly-touted contender put him under pressure.
A barrage sent Ortiz over in the sixth and when he rose, his face a bloody, swollen mess, the ringside doctor called the fight off. Having never fought in America before, Maidana introduced himself to the masses in the most vicious of ways and triggered a rollercoaster journey which would thrill fans for years.
