Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 All-Access: Top Moments and Storylines from Episode 2
Getting a rematch against Floyd Mayweather (46-0-0) is a big deal. The undefeated prizefighter has only faced one opponent (Jose Luis Castillo) more than once in his illustrious career, which makes his grudge match against Marcos Maidana (35-4-0) an intriguing late-stage development.
The Argentine puncher made waves in the boxing world with his brutish, straight-ahead punching style in the first contest, which Mayweather won via majority decision.
Maidana landed an astounding 221 punches in the match, per BoxRec.com, although Mayweather was able to smartly pick him apart with superior technique and defensive maneuvering that would make a chess grandmaster smile knowingly.
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Make some noise in boxing, and the promoters will conspire to cash in on your name. Maidana gets a rare shot at revenge on September 13.
To prepare for what should be another exciting bout, Showtime is airing a documentary miniseries, All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2, to whet fans' appetites and provide a glimpse into the lives of two men who stand to make a fortune in a sport that continues to fade away from the cultural spotlight—at least here in the United States.
Here are the top moments and storylines from Episode 2.
Note: The full episode can be found here. (Warning: NSFW language.)
Mayweather's Midnight Run
One of the very first scenes of the program is perhaps ultimately the most instructive. For fair-weather boxing fans who have difficulty fathoming how a 37-year-old puncher routinely dominates his opposition, look no further than Mayweather's midnight jog for an example of the legendary work ethic that keeps him butting up against the ceiling of peak fitness for his age group.
Sometimes, Mayweather seems to be all about the money that flows in from his pay-per-view bouts. However, he hopes his legacy will eventually be as much about his business acumen as it is about his pugilistic prowess.
"You look at fighters and say, 'Oh, yeah, he fought this guy, he fought that guy.' ... You just look at legendary fighters," Mayweather said, via MLive.com's David Mayo. "I want to be known as being one of the smartest businessmen that came through the sport of boxing, not just the best fighter."
But this opening-scene workout shows why he's in the position to make hoards of cash in the first place.
He's laughing, smiling and playing up his cocky persona for the cameras. And he's out there, working on his conditioning, while the majority of people within a couple of time zones of Mayweather are sleeping.
The Mayweather Boxing Club
Episode 2 shows that Mayweather doesn't just work on shaping himself into the platonic ideal of a boxer; he also works with several other potential fighters at his gym, exhorting them to continue punching until someone hits the "Money Team" insignia plastered all over the mat.
It is a testament to his confidence that, until he loses a match, cannot be disregarded as an important aspect of his dominance as a fighter.
Showtime Sports tweeted the most important rule of Mayweather's boxing club:
Fighters enter the ring, surrounded by a raucous crowd that heaps pressure on the backs of the two men intent on tangling. If it were not for Mayweather's presence, the bouts would have an air of a bloodthirsty, back-alley prizefighting tour. It's definitely not bare-knuckle, but it bares men's souls as they fight for Money's respect and, in the end, each other's.
Mayweather is clearly the ringleader of a dedicated boxing consortium, and it shows that his passion for the sport extends beyond his own successes, although that is no doubt the most important thing in his life thus far.
Maidana's Focus
Maidana's punching in the first contest was wild, unruly and yet surprisingly effective for several rounds. His scenes in the episode stand in stark contrast to Mayweather's. The gyms are stripped down, and the posse is essentially nonexistent when compared to the litany of people who are apparently jockeying to catch a ride on Money's coattails.
Maidana's trainers harp on his numbers toward the end of the episode, noting that he slowed down toward the end of the fight. It remains to be seen whether or not Maidana can keep up his staggering pace in the second contest, but he will need volume to beat Mayweather.
There is no other way around it for an inferior boxer. Maidana has power, and the more punches he throws, the greater chance that he can again cut Mayweather or perhaps even knock him down.
It is an unlikely but not impossible scenario. Maidana is just 31 years old and apparently has a bottomless well of willpower to draw from, if the scenes from All Access are to be believed.
Fans need to believe in Maidana for this bout to be a financial and commercial success. Brendan Tobin of 104.3 FM feels the rematch isn't quite up to Mayweather's usual standards of hype:
The obvious fear is that Mayweather has solved Maidana, which would make the latter's work ethic that much more important.
The narratives built up throughout the show appear to suggest Maidana is more focused. All he has is the next fight, the next round, the next punch.
Mayweather, on the other hand, is building an empire—one which he appears intent on maintaining control of once the clock strikes midnight on his career and Money's final run comes to an end.
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