The Moment – Big Fight Preview: Mayweather’s mindset, Khan’s toughest clash and Broner getting back to basics

Probably three of the top ten draws in boxing right now, today’s event featuring Adrien Broner, Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan is one to relish.

Granted, real boxing fans know that the headline clash between Mayweather and Marcos Maidana is about as one-sided a bout as ‘Money’ has been in for a long time. However, a chance to also witness Broner back to his spectacular best and Khan in a real 50/50 bout makes this a special card.

Also featuring will be some of Mayweather Promotions’ best prospects as well as another UK Olympic medalist that Golden Boy Promotions are hoping to turn into the next Amir Khan. With such a stacked show it can be hard to get your head around all that is on offer, so here is a breakdown of all the goings on involved in The Moment.

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“The Moment”: Mayweather vs Maidana – Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, Final Prediction

Where will you be…..when the “moment” comes? For the past 8 weeks, fight fans around the globe have been asked this question. Where each of us may be is a pretty intriguing slogan; but a better question would be what can fans expect when that “moment” finally arrives? Will this moment be one in the same with every other Floyd Mayweather fight of the past? Will it be that proverbial “shot heard around the world”, finally removing the layer of invincibility that has surrounding Mayweather for so long? Will it be the foul stench of controversy that often rears its ugly head in boxing after a potential bad decision surfaces? Each of these questions remain to be seen.

In just a few hours, all questions will be answered, yet if the past any indication, on the heels of a recent Pacquiao victory, perhaps those answers could lead to more questions. With an angle for the future already in the back of our collective minds, we narrow things down for tonight’s event by taking a look at each man’s “Keys to Victory”, “Four to Explore”, and in the end, a “Final Prediction”:

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Abraham faces Sjekloca tonight

(Credit: Thomas Goos / Team Sjekloca) WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (39-4, 28 KO’s) will be making an optional title defense tonight against #12 WBO Nikola Sjekloca (26-1, 8 KO’s) in what hopes to be an entertaining fight at The Velodrom, Prenzlauer Berg, in Berlin, Germany. It’s not a particularly interesting fight because Sjekloca has little to no power to speak of, and he’s only fought one good opponent during his career in Sakio Bika, who beat him soundly.

Abraham recently won back his WBO title with a victory over Robert Stieglitz last March, and now Abraham is taking an optional title defense before he faces Stieglitz likely for a fourth time in either late 2014 or sometime next year. Stieglitz needs to win at least one of two fights before he can get a fourth fight against Abraham, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to be asked by the WBO to fight his way to another shot at the title.

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Froch vs. Groves: Carl Froch Could Retire If Defeated

· Fighters both believe they’ll get the job done within twelve rounds
· Froch says retirement is ‘probable’ if he were to lose – as Groves would ‘never give me a re-match’

With under a month until the hugely anticipated re-match between IBF and WBA Super middleweight champion Carl Froch and challenger George Groves, the duo came face-to-face in front of the Facebook cameras today, and – finally – they agreed on something.

Both Froch and Groves made it clear that a points decision won’t be necessary – as both pledged to finish off the other within 12 rounds:

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Manuel Charr vs. Alexander Povetkin on May 30th in Moscow

“Diamond Boy” Manuel Charr is heading to Moscow again to face former world champion Alexander Povetkin on May 30th for the WBC international heavyweight championship. “This will be an awesome fight”, says Charr. “I am very proud that I got invited to fight Povetkin and reached an agreement with his handlers. This is my big chance to get in line for another world title shot. The winner will move up the WBC ratings to a top position. And one thing I know for sure: If I can beat Povetkin in Moscow, I can and will definitely go on to do what I promised Don José Sulaiman years ago: I will become heavyweight champion of the world!”

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ESPN Thursday Night Fights: A Ringside Report

On May 1, Hialeah Park and Casino hosted ESPN Thursday Night Fights. Those in attendance included both current and former world champions such as Guillermo Rigondeaux, Riddick Bowe, Joel Casamayor, and Sergio Martinez.

NON TELEVISED BOUTS

The fighter who left the biggest impression in the opening bouts was Ahmed Elbiale, fighting out of Miami, FL by way of Cairo Egypt. He faced Steven Chadwick Jr. in a light heavyweight bout scheduled for four rounds. Neither the judges nor the ring card girls would be needed in this short, brutal bout.

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Mayweather vs. Maidana: Will May 3 be a monumental moment or just a mirage?

We know Marcos Maidana will have his moments when facing Floyd Mayweather but will he have enough of them to get his hand raised. Mayweather is once again a heavy favorite heading into Saturday nights scrap so the real question outta be will the paying customer get a bang for their bucks. Along with the main event I will preview and predict the undercard fights that include big names like Amir Khan and Adrien Broner.

With so few weaknesses inside the ring for Floyd Mayweather it’s very difficult to pick against him. When my mainstream boxing fan friends ask me about an upcoming Mayweather fight I’m often left talking about how entertaining it will be rather than convincing them that he will lose.

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“The Moment” Fight Week Day 3 : Khan-Collazo, Broner-Molina and Love-Periban Final Press Conference

The Moment’s undercard fighters’ final press conference took place on Thursday, Day 3 of fight week in Las Vegas. Each fighter took the podium to say their last words to the press as they prepare for battle in a few days.

Coming off from his December loss, one wasn’t sure if Adrien Broner would be more humble this time around. A press conference could always use some some color and excitement. Although Broner is not headlining the card, he made it a point to be heard during the conference.

Each fighter praised their opponent, but each promised victory at the same time.

Here are notable quotes from each fighter along with visuals.

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Mayweather vs Maidana: Closer Than You Think

The highly anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Marco Maidana is scheduled to take place thisSaturday May 3, 2014 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Most fight fans, critics, analysts, and boxers are giving the edge to Floyd Mayweather as they should. He is the champion, he has been a champion for over 17 years, he has been here before and been successful 45 times without a blemish on his record. Although I too give the edge to Floyd due to the many advantages he has, I also believe that this fight is going to be closer than most feel. Here is why…

Floyd and Referees

One of Floyd’s major advantages is that referees allow him to get away with a lot. With Floyd’s experience, he is able to implement elbows, clenches, and forearm action with no consequences. When was the last time Floyd was deducted a point, let alone a verbal warning? Closest he got was in the Hatton fight, yet Joe Cortez did not allow Hatton’s bully and rough tactics, which threw off a worthy game plan by the Englishman.

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Marcos Maidana: “I think I can knock him out, but I also think I can beat him by decision”

When it comes to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his opponents, we have learned over the years that their promises are simply meaningless. Not to say that Floyd’s rivals don’t believe their predictions and guarantees, as a matter of fact, most wholeheartedly do.

The difficulty in persuading the boxing community when facing Mayweather Jr., is that over the years, we have heard the entire spectrum of combinations of pledges, and none of them crossed the necessary threshold to make the boxing fans consider that despite coming up short, they almost did it.

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