Is Maidana the Most Improved Boxer This Year?

I didn't see for the life of me how anyone thought Broner would (have his way) with Maidana. How anyone thought Broner would break him down and stop him. I didn't even see how Broner could win. You simply cannot stand in front a damn mack truck and eat shots. Broner gets hit way to much, starts too slow and punches too little to beat someone as strong as Marcus. He pulls straight back and constantly either keeps his head up when he swings or bends backwards and pulls back under fire. But Maidana has had an eventful year and has beaten a fighter who I thoroughly believe is better than the Khan he lost to in Broner. In fact I'd go as far as to say Maidana brutally stops Khan right now.

Yet he performed well against Kotelnik, Ortiz, Khan, and had a nice year this year. He doesn't look good, but results speak. I don't rate Maidana highly but I wouldn't call him garbage. I'd call Tavouris Cloud garbage, for example. Maidana does have quite a few good solid wins against decent-good fighters and in losing attempts did decent. On the other hand he looked so bad against Corley and Morales. Those were really bad performances.

People need to give credit to awkward, unorthodox fighters. I swear to god you get no credit on this forum unless you fight like Rigo or Mayweather. Unless you fight like that, you are a face first brawler.

Wow, a lot of mad dudes in this thread. It's clear as day he has improved. It started with his basic boxing in the Karass fight, and continued throughout the year. I really feel like they worked on his speed for this fight, because he looked faster then ever. He was sluggish, and looked unwilling in the Alexander fight, and no the clinching did not help at all. He's most improved in 2013 for sure.

I highlighted those fights because you said you don't know what happened in the Alexander fights, yet he went life and death with the remains of those fighters, it shouldn't be a mystery. I don't think he or Khan performed well at all in their fight. The Alexander fight shocked me because I've never seen him look so lifeless. He's not a hard guy to outbox, but to just give in and accept losing like he did against Alexander? Didn't get it then, still don't now.

Yet he performed well against Kotelnik, Ortiz, Khan, and had a nice year this year. He doesn't look good, but results speak. I highlighted those fights because you said you don't know what happened in the Alexander fights, yet he went life and death with the remains of those fighters, it shouldn't be a mystery. I don't think he or Khan performed well at all in their fight.

Yet he performed well against Kotelnik, Ortiz, Khan, and had a nice year this year. He doesn't look good, but results speak. I'm not afraid to admit that I was one who always called him a garbage flat footed tough guy. But I can't call him that anymore. He showed me a lot Saturday night. People are underrating this win. Broner is still a good fighter with a lot of raw talent.

No he is garbage, he was also pure **** against shot shot Corley and Morales. Yet he performed well against Kotelnik, Ortiz, Khan, and had a nice year this year. He doesn't look good, but results speak.

I saw improvements. People saying they didn't are just kidding themselves.

3-7 he was effective walking him down. But when he kept trying it he was walking into some big shots and Maidana took over. He's a better fighter moving forward and backing his opponent up. But that's not going to work when he's fighting guys his own size and can hit harder than him. He will need to learn to fight off the back foot and transition more smoothly from defense to offense at these higher weights. No its because he wouldn't sustain it and he refused to go the body for some reason, he thought Maidana would crumble under the headshots I guess. He had no real conviction to back him up, a simple active and firm jab would have done wonders for him against Maidana but Broner is useless.

The issue wasn't his inability to fight off the backfoot, he didn't need to and least effective when he was. The issue was the fact that the guy wasn't throwing punches, and didn't go to the body. When he actually did let his hands go he was effective. 3-7 he was effective walking him down. But when he kept trying it he was walking into some big shots and Maidana took over. He's a better fighter moving forward and backing his opponent up. But that's not going to work when he's fighting guys his own size and can hit harder than him. He will need to learn to fight off the back foot and transition more smoothly from defense to offense at these higher weights.

I think he has improved a lot. Yes he can brawl, but he's picking his punches better and working angles a lot more than he used to.

I told you :lol1: A lot of guys who know their stuff like yourself were saying the same thing on here so it's ok, we've all been dead wrong before not for the first or last. For me, I just could not see any way Broner won the fight easily. I couldn't see any logical way. All it takes it too look at his last 3 fights, Malignaggi, DeMarco and Rees. Despite dominating two, in all three he was hit with punches often. What all three have in common is none of them can punch hard. Broner's shown me he has a lack of ability to - defend, fight off the back foot and tie up. That tells me that he's not going to have an easy time with Maidana. Especially when his power is average. Another massively overrated part of his game. yep the rees and paulie fights were all I needed to pick chino, broner always gets hit he was just never hurt! maidana wasted no time showing that broner did not know how to handle it when things get rough. like Floyd said, its different at this level! there is no easy fights even though they may look easy at times

There were times when Broner attempted to fight off the back foot especially early but he's just not capable of doing it. The issue wasn't his inability to fight off the backfoot, he didn't need to and least effective when he was. The issue was the fact that the guy wasn't throwing punches, and didn't go to the body. When he actually did let his hands go he was effective.

I don't believe Maidana has improved. He fought an overrated Broner and Karass. Broner was heavily overrated, I thought Paulie already beat him and Ponce De Leon drew with him (in my opinion). When Maidana fought Alexander he was still looking for a trainer 3 weeks before the fight, he wasn't properly prepared for that fight and also Alexander was allowed to clinch excessively without point deductions. Alexander is overrated too, as Porter and Bradley have both demonstrated, but Maidana just wasn't properly trained or conditioned for the Alexander fight - and it was his first fight at a higher weight division. He hired Robert Garcia after the Alexander fight and with a regular trainer and s&c coach Maidana looks to have returned back to his previous level. He hasn't improved, he's just pulled himself out of a brief slump and he's now back to normal. exactly, maidana has improved but not a whole lot, he should of been the fav over broner and I been said that! broner was obviously hyped to be somthin he wasn't so while broner is a decent fighter he was nothing but food for maidana ready to eat. people just hate broner so much that this win has been blown up to be the biggest in history lol

I always thought Broner fought flat footed because his opponents were smaller and couldn't hurt him. I thought it was by choice and he could move if he wanted to. I thought "there is no way in hell he will fight Maidana the same way he fought Gavin Rees". I thought he would use his feet and his speed advantage would be too much for Maidana to overcome. Maidana's losses were because he couldn't deal with speed and movement. Sure enough Broner's dumb ass fought Maidana like he was just another Gavin Rees, Paulie or DeMarco. There were times when Broner attempted to fight off the back foot especially early but he's just not capable of doing it.

I always thought Broner fought flat footed because his opponents were smaller and couldn't hurt him. I thought it was by choice and he could move if he wanted to. I thought "there is no way in hell he will fight Maidana the same way he fought Gavin Rees". I thought he would use his feet and his speed advantage would be too much for Maidana to overcome. Maidana's losses were because he couldn't deal with speed and movement. Sure enough Broner's dumb ass fought Maidana like he was just another Gavin Rees, Paulie or DeMarco.

Would like to order a massive order of crow. :lol1: You were right, Maidana isn't a great fighter by any means, but Broner really isn't that good. Not near enough activity and doesn't even have a decent defense IMO. I overrated Broner and underrated Maidana. I told you :lol1: A lot of guys who know their stuff like yourself were saying the same thing on here so it's ok, we've all been dead wrong before not for the first or last. For me, I just could not see any way Broner won the fight easily. I couldn't see any logical way. All it takes it too look at his last 3 fights, Malignaggi, DeMarco and Rees. Despite dominating two, in all three he was hit with punches often. What all three have in common is none of them can punch hard. Broner's shown me he has a lack of ability to - defend, fight off the back foot and tie up. That tells me that he's not going to have an easy time with Maidana. Especially when his power is average. Another massively overrated part of his game.

Thurman comes to mind he has shown different tools to his game this year and really improved imo. Showed good foot movement and a good chin and is truly shaping up to be a good all around fighter. Maidana has definetely improved his boxing skills. His jab is much more effective and allows him to set up his power shots more effectively. Defensively he also looked better avoiding plenty of shots against Broner, a guy with fast hand speed and accuracy.

He has improved but not all that much. He's still crude, slow, sloppy, follows fighters and is limited. But he can punch, has a good chin, tons of heart and brings the fight. It's really a case of Broner showing how limited he himself is more than anything. Despite the fact I don't highly rate Maidana I knew that Broner would badly struggle and could very well lose. Would like to order a massive order of crow. :lol1: You were right, Maidana isn't a great fighter by any means, but Broner really isn't that good. Not near enough activity and doesn't even have a decent defense IMO. I overrated Broner and underrated Maidana.