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from the morningstaronline.co.uk
The man looking to emulate Breidis Prescott when he fights Amir Khan in December
While WBA light-welterweight Amir Khan has been feasting at boxing's top table having enjoyed celebrity status for several years, an obscure Argentinian still dreams of one day having enough money to purchase a home.
Marcos Maidana is Khan's worthy challenger on December 11 in Las Vegas and a victory over the 2004 Olympic silver medallist would see the south American dramatically catapulted into the world of fame and fortune.
This is a contest that Maidana has been waiting for now for the last year and his hands are tools that are more than capable of helping repeat the same feat as Breidis Prescott, who sensationally destroyed the Bolton hero inside a round two years ago.
With 27 knockouts from 29 wins he is considered one of the most devastating punchers around and Maidana has already broken the heart of another Golden Boy Promotions prospect Victor Ortiz.
"El Chino" dismantled the highly touted Ortiz last year after twice climbing off the canvas and the come-forward fighting machine has no intentions of changing a winning formula, as he believes that his power will be enough come fight night.
The current WBA interim champion spelled out his intentions to a crowded round table of journalists at London's Planet Hollywood when speaking through his interpreter and advisor Sebastian Contarsi.
"I don't really think about plan B at the moment," he says. "I am going to fight the way I know which is going forward and try to knock him out. I don't think Amir Khan has the punch to stop me and I think I can take him out with just one punch."
So why does the softly spoken 27-year-old beam so brightly with confidence? Has he watched the fight between Khan and Prescott?
"I didn't even really watch the knockout," he admits. "I just watched a few rounds of his fight with (Paulie) Malignaggi, but the most important thing to me is I know myself."
Maidana, a separated father of a six-year-old son, is also one of nine children. He has five sisters and three brothers all of whom were brought up in poor surroundings on a farm in scarcely populated Margarita in Santa Fe.
His 62-year-old father is still an administrator of a huge farm containing cows and horses and regularly rises at 4am.
He recalls his childhood days as "great memories" and says he has always enjoyed the full backing of his family ever since first lacing up the gloves as a curious 15-year-old in a gym located just 30 miles from middleweight legend Carlos Monzon's home town.
Fresh in his memory are those early ring years where neighbourhood tournaments were arranged and he first began knocking opponents out.
Argentina currently boast three world champions - light-flyweight Luis Lazarte, super-flyweight Omar Narvez and middleweight Sergio Martinez, who is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the toughest pugilists in the game.
Maidana who appears to be a quiet yet charming personality has now been living in the capital Buenos Aires for six years and attributes his rise to the support of his parents.
"They gave it all for me," he says. "Now it is my turn I give it all for them."
His son Nahuel watches all of Dad's fights on TV and even travelled to Germany for one contest and Maidana is hungry to financially secure his family's future.
Throughout our interview Maidana was welcoming, but as our conversation drew to an end, Maidana's adviser Contarsi issues a stark warning for Khan. Maidana "is an angry man," he says. "He feels Khan has disrespected him prior to the fight being secured when Marcos was fighting for more money."
Maidana, who is trained by Miguel Diaz, will begin preparations in Las Vegas on October 1 and will earn by far his biggest purse at around £350,000, but in stark contrast Khan's pay day will be three times more, according to Contarsi.
This is a hugely dangerous fight for Khan, but I feel his brilliant boxing skills and speed will be enough to frustrate Maidana who admits he will be going for the knockout from the first bell.
Maybe Maidana is in a win-win deal, because win or lose against superstar Khan there could be a house purchased soon.
It's stories like these that keep my love affair with boxing alive.
The man looking to emulate Breidis Prescott when he fights Amir Khan in December
While WBA light-welterweight Amir Khan has been feasting at boxing's top table having enjoyed celebrity status for several years, an obscure Argentinian still dreams of one day having enough money to purchase a home.
Marcos Maidana is Khan's worthy challenger on December 11 in Las Vegas and a victory over the 2004 Olympic silver medallist would see the south American dramatically catapulted into the world of fame and fortune.
This is a contest that Maidana has been waiting for now for the last year and his hands are tools that are more than capable of helping repeat the same feat as Breidis Prescott, who sensationally destroyed the Bolton hero inside a round two years ago.
With 27 knockouts from 29 wins he is considered one of the most devastating punchers around and Maidana has already broken the heart of another Golden Boy Promotions prospect Victor Ortiz.
"El Chino" dismantled the highly touted Ortiz last year after twice climbing off the canvas and the come-forward fighting machine has no intentions of changing a winning formula, as he believes that his power will be enough come fight night.
The current WBA interim champion spelled out his intentions to a crowded round table of journalists at London's Planet Hollywood when speaking through his interpreter and advisor Sebastian Contarsi.
"I don't really think about plan B at the moment," he says. "I am going to fight the way I know which is going forward and try to knock him out. I don't think Amir Khan has the punch to stop me and I think I can take him out with just one punch."
So why does the softly spoken 27-year-old beam so brightly with confidence? Has he watched the fight between Khan and Prescott?
"I didn't even really watch the knockout," he admits. "I just watched a few rounds of his fight with (Paulie) Malignaggi, but the most important thing to me is I know myself."
Maidana, a separated father of a six-year-old son, is also one of nine children. He has five sisters and three brothers all of whom were brought up in poor surroundings on a farm in scarcely populated Margarita in Santa Fe.
His 62-year-old father is still an administrator of a huge farm containing cows and horses and regularly rises at 4am.
He recalls his childhood days as "great memories" and says he has always enjoyed the full backing of his family ever since first lacing up the gloves as a curious 15-year-old in a gym located just 30 miles from middleweight legend Carlos Monzon's home town.
Fresh in his memory are those early ring years where neighbourhood tournaments were arranged and he first began knocking opponents out.
Argentina currently boast three world champions - light-flyweight Luis Lazarte, super-flyweight Omar Narvez and middleweight Sergio Martinez, who is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the toughest pugilists in the game.
Maidana who appears to be a quiet yet charming personality has now been living in the capital Buenos Aires for six years and attributes his rise to the support of his parents.
"They gave it all for me," he says. "Now it is my turn I give it all for them."
His son Nahuel watches all of Dad's fights on TV and even travelled to Germany for one contest and Maidana is hungry to financially secure his family's future.
Throughout our interview Maidana was welcoming, but as our conversation drew to an end, Maidana's adviser Contarsi issues a stark warning for Khan. Maidana "is an angry man," he says. "He feels Khan has disrespected him prior to the fight being secured when Marcos was fighting for more money."
Maidana, who is trained by Miguel Diaz, will begin preparations in Las Vegas on October 1 and will earn by far his biggest purse at around £350,000, but in stark contrast Khan's pay day will be three times more, according to Contarsi.
This is a hugely dangerous fight for Khan, but I feel his brilliant boxing skills and speed will be enough to frustrate Maidana who admits he will be going for the knockout from the first bell.
Maybe Maidana is in a win-win deal, because win or lose against superstar Khan there could be a house purchased soon.
It's stories like these that keep my love affair with boxing alive.
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