IBR on The Cruelest Sport.

“It was not supposed to be this way, of course, which explains the transparent hijinx leading up to the fight. We were encouraged to believe that distractions in his personal life, strategically made public by none other than Mayweather himself, threatened to infiltrate the sanctity of his preparation. There was talk, too, of potential retirement, as if the man who branded himself “Money” would bid goodbye with earnings in the neighbourhood of $100 million still on the table. And as “The Moment” drew nearer, objections to Maidana’s gloves were raised, emptily threatening to scuttle the fight. This is what passes for promotion in a Mayweather event: broken bells and whistles unable to drown out the collective groan amongst those who crave bang for their buck in a combat sport.”

Read Nemesis: Floyd Mayweather Jr. W12 Marcos Maidana on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“For years, Mayweather events have been little more than grand exhibitions of sly matchmaking and wearisome promotion. Because “The Moment” involves Maidana, however, this card will appeal to anyone who appreciates an injection of meritocracy into a world that regards connections as tantamount to worth. Since losing a lopsided decision in his February 2012 welterweight debut, where the clutch-and-grab tactics of Devon Alexander not only stymied Maidana but also, incredibly, managed to make him boring, Maidana has reeled off four consecutive wins. In those wins, among them stoppages over fellow roughnecks Jesus Soto-Karass and Josesito Lopez, Maidana exhibited his power and vulnerability, while revealing technical improvements that, in all fairness, are usually ingrained by the amateurs. Better late than never, of course, whether it is a fighter learning to jab or earning a payday that changes his tax bracket.”

Read Cruising: Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana Preview on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on the Cruelest Sport

“Since Danny Garcia outpointed him last September, Lucas Matthysse had committed himself to the rites of the defeated: there was a change in his corner, delays and mixed messages about his return, and probably, squeezed somewhere onto his crowded flesh, a palliative tattoo. He would speak of what he learned in defeat, too; that small victory for the loser so crucial to dreams of reascension. And to the ring in the StubHub Center in Carson, California, along with his trunks, gloves, gumshield, he brought a grim look that seemed shaded in hesitation.”

Read Savage Grace: Lucas Matthysse TKO11 John Molina on The Cruelest Sport.