A preview for next May
Most rematches go the same way as the first fight but with the winner enhancing their dominance. Mayweather now knows, if he didn’t before, what Maidana will bring to the table and he should therefore have a better understanding of how to negate this. If “Money” underestimated the Argentine first time around he will not make that mistake again. Floyd defeated Jose Luis Castillo more clearly in their return, having modified his expectations and prepared accordingly. So Mayweather could look better, more dominant and possibly even more explosive in the Maidana rematch. Which should build anticipation pretty effectively for his next fixture, in May 2015, when he will be facing, one assumes, a higher profile opponent.
We get to see Floyd
Plenty of people are complaining about this match but would any of them rather Mayweather took a year off and not come back until next May? This writer would prefer to watch Floyd win a one-sided contest than disappear from the scene for an extended period. Even if this show fails to match his recent Pay-Per-View figures, Mayweather remains the sport’s biggest star and any fight involving him becomes a huge event. No other fighter can command the amount of mainstream press coverage he attracts. Boxing’s prosperity can not be measured by audience figures alone; anything that sells the sport outside its natural audience should not be dismissed. Furthermore, getting to watch Floyd’s sublime skills is a bonus in itself, considering how inactive he already is. I’d pay to watch him spar.
It’s an incentive
What is better than a career-best payday to appear on the sport’s biggest stage? Two career-best paydays to… you get the idea. Yes, beating a living legend should be enough of a carrot to any fighter with ambition, but knowing that by actually taking risks one can push him to the limit and at least garner a lucrative rematch, may well encourage more Floyd foes to gamble more. Most observers would favour both Robert Guerrero and Saul Alvarez to vanquish Maidana, but no one is begging to see either “The Ghost” or “Canelo” have another pop at the champ. That is because they failed to seize their opportunity in the same way Maidana did and so they must stand on the outside looking in as an inferior operator gets a second slice of a great fortune. The lesson for future Floyd foes is clear: don’t leave anything in the ring.
