Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Odds: Updated Vegas Fight Lines for Title Rematch
One of the perks to being 46-0 as a boxer is that you will never enter the ring without a lot of support from the oddsmakers and fans. Floyd Mayweather is used to being the favorite, so his second bout with Marcos Maidana on September 13 will be nothing new in more ways than one.
Of course, just because you are the betting favorite doesn't guarantee anything. The University of Connecticut entered the NCAA basketball tournament as a No. 7 seed with little fanfare outside of its home state but reeled off six straight wins to capture a national championship in March.
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Maidana will be trying to play spoiler and ruining Mayweather's perfect boxing record while making anyone who bets on him a lot of money in the process. We've got the updated odds from Las Vegas for the epic clash and how each fighter can claim victory.
| Fighter | Odds |
| Floyd Mayweather | -800 |
| Marcos Maidana | +500 |
| Wager | Odds |
| Mayweather by KO, TKO or DQ | 7/2 |
| Mayweather by decision | 20/53 |
| Maidana by KO, TKO or DQ | 7/1 |
| Maidana by decision | 10/1 |
| Draw | 22/1 |
Mayweather's Key to Victory
Considering Mayweather has never tasted defeat in the boxing ring, and defeated Maidana by majority decision four months ago, the simple answer would be to just keep doing what he's doing.
However, since that kind of analysis doesn't really tell you anything, it's best to expand on what makes Mayweather so effective and how he can defeat Maidana again.
El Chino had more success hitting Mayweather in the first fight than anyone ever has, 221 times, according to CompuBox (via Josh Slagter of MLive.com). However, the underdog needed to throw 858 punches to land those strikes.
On the other hand, Mayweather threw just 426 punches but was far more efficient by hitting Maidana 54 percent of the time. He isn't the strongest fighter in the world, but no one is faster or better at moving in and then out, which is what makes him so special inside the ring.
That movement is crucial for Mayweather against a fighter like Maidana, who can get into a dancing match but is best when standing and throwing punches as hard as physically possible.
Bernardo Pilatti of ESPNDeportes.com wrote before the first Mayweather-Maidana fight that constant motion is necessary for Money to be victorious:
"This time around, Mayweather will have to do what he always does, but more effectively. Staying active at all times to avoid the powerful shots of the Argentine will be a priority. Mayweather will also need to throw punches from all angles, taking advantage of the robotic and slow style Maidana has, which leaves him open for counter shots.
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Mayweather was able to do that in the middle and later rounds of the fight, but it's important to remember that Maidana did get the champion against the ropes early and started throwing heavy punches.
The fact that Pretty Boy was able to take those punches and still have enough energy left late in the fight speaks volumes about his stamina. Being able to move and land accurate strikes is what separates Mayweather from everyone else in the sport.
Maidana's Key to Victory
Few fighters have given Mayweather a tougher fight than Maidana, who showed dominance early in that May bout to make you think a huge upset was brewing. It didn't happen, but the fight may have given the challenger enough of a blueprint to follow the second time around.
Maidana has to turn this fight into a slugfest, forcing Mayweather to fight from a singular position to win. He has defeated many fighters with more natural ability because of his tremendous punching power.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports wrote following a 2013 win over Josesito Lopez that Maidana's power is rare in a sport where decisions are becoming more and more common.
"Several times throughout the fight, Lopez seemed to stun Maidana, but he doesn't have the kind of fight-finishing power Maidana owns.
That became clear in the sixth when Maidana picked up the pace after struggling for a couple of rounds and absorbing a great deal of punishment. Midway through the sixth, Maidana hit Lopez with a body shot that seemed to suck the air out of him. Lopez froze, and Maidana blasted him with a crushing straight right.
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Mayweather is the boxing equivalent of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw: dominant in virtually every area that the game doesn't look like a challenge.
Maidana, on the other hand, seems more like Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez: The power is legitimate, but the ability to do little things can cause problems against a more advanced opponent.
Considering Maidana will enter this fight at 31 years old, it's doubtful that he's suddenly going to become a great defender who can dance with anyone. He needs to be on the attack from the first bell, hitting Mayweather with heavy punches and staggering him right out of the gate.
That appeared to be Maidana's tactic in the first fight, but he left enough of an opening for Mayweather to survive and thrive in the final rounds. The longer this fight goes, the worse shape El Chino will be in.
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