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Marcos Maidana to Floyd Mayweather Jr.: I don’t hit as hard as Canelo

Fighters Network
14
Jul

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Marcos Maidana offered an interesting argument for wanting to use his favored Everlast MX gloves against Floyd Mayweather Jr.: He doesn’t carry Canelo Alvarez’s power.

“I want to use my gloves. I don’t hit that hard. I don’t hit as hard as Canelo,” said Maidana, during a 15-minute conference call with reporters on Monday in advance of his Sept. 13 rematch with Mayweather. “But the gloves are not a big issue. I’m going to beat him no matter what gloves I use.”

Maidana’s call was set up after his scheduled visit to DAR Constitution Hall, along with that of his rival, was delayed from its scheduled 7:15 start due to a severe thunderstorm.

The fighters did not arrive until 11:20 p.m. in D.C., the second stint in a five-city tour that began with a visit to New York City on Monday afternoon. The tour continues with stops in Chicago and San Antonio on Tuesday and a final presser in Los Angeles on Thursday.



Maidana lost by majority decision to Mayweather on May 3. Mayweather had won a majority decision over Canelo Alvarez for the RING 154-pound championship last September.

Maidana addressed the gloves controversy, which threatened the first fight. His eight-ounce Everlast gloves were found to have lacked the appropriate amount of padding around the knuckle area. In the end, Maidana was made to wear a pair of more heavily-padded Everlast gloves selected by Mayweather.

Below are some of Maidana’s comments, including his denial of an assertion by one reporter that he was paid an extra $1.5 million to go through with the initial match.

Maidana on the gloves controversy and whether or not Mayweather will permit him to wear those he prefers:

“To tell you the truth, it hasn’t really been finalized yet. As you know, in the first fight, he didn’t allow me to use my gloves. I’m sure that’s going to be the situation again, this time. Of course, I want them to allow me to use my gloves.

“I want to be finalized on the glove situation. I want to use my gloves. I don’t hit that hard. I don’t hit as hard as Canelo. But the gloves are not a big issue.

“I’m going to beat him no matter what gloves I use. I would like to use my gloves, but that’s not the important factor. I’m going to beat him. I’m going to beat him one way or another.

“But I want my gloves, and I don’t know why I’m not able to use them. I don’t think that he’s afraid. When you’re at this level and you’re a great fighter, I don’t think that you’re afraid.

“It doesn’t matter. He can do whatever he wants. He’s not going to get into my head. I think that he’s just being careful, and I think that it’s out of respect for my power.”

On whether he received payment from Mayweather as a consolation for using the suggested gloves:

“No, not at all. They’re making a big deal out of that. It’s just a rumor. No, I didn’t get paid anything.”

On his strategy against Mayweather:

“I’m not going to change anything whatsoever. I work with Robert, and he’s going to come up with the game plan. No, I’m not going to change my style. That’s how I felt the first time, and the second time, I feel the same.

“It’s all in the preparation. I’m not going to change my style. I just have to fine tune a few things, and to be able to get my punches off a little better, and I think that will make the difference.

On his re-hydrating to 165 pounds on fight night:

“Look, the weight wasn’t a factor. I felt good. I had no problem with the weight, it’s just a matter of making some adjustments. I’m going to leave that in Robert’s hands, and we’ll come up with a game plan, make the adjustments, and I think that a little bit more of that, and I’ll be able to beat him.”

On Mayweather challenging him to match Mayweather’s bet of his entire purse:

“As far as the bet, yeah, I’m willing to take the bet no problem. I will take the bet.”

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