Maidana wrong foe for Mayweather

By Cesar F. Lumba, Las Vegas

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 | 2:01 a.m.

The Mayweather-Maidana fight costs $65 on pay-per-view. Is it worth $10 to watch that fight?

I don’t want to belittle Marcos Maidana’s record because he is a fine young man and a great former lightweight, but what chance has he got against Mayweather? Maidana has fought four times as a welterweight. His last fight, against Adrian Broner, was a huge upset. Broner was heavily favored, and it was a controversial fight.

Other than Broner, Maidana has fought only Joselito Lopez, Martin Angel Martinez and Jesus Soto Karas in the welterweight division. Lopez has had only two fights against A-list boxers: one versus Maidana and another against the young Jessie Vargas, both losses.

Martinez lost his past four fights by knockout, while Karas is a journeyman fighter with 18 wins and nine losses.

Maidana is potentially a very good fighter — not great — but he clearly has no business fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. at this stage in his career.

That Mayweather is fighting him instead of Manny Pacquiao is a strong indication that although most boxing enthusiasts believe he will beat Pacquiao, Mayweather counts as one of the nonbelievers.

I wish Mayweather and Pacquiao will meet in the ring in December to settle once and for all who is the better fighter.