by Luis Sandoval

Robert Garcia has had his share of challenges in his career as a trainer but none may be as difficult as the one that awaits him on May 3rd when his fighter Marcos Maidana faces off against pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather has not lost in his storied 18 year career but Garcia will try to guide his fighter to be the first to hand him a defeat.

Maidana has vowed to be aggressive and throw plenty of punches to overwhelm Mayweather. It’s a promise we’ve heard from previous Mayweather opponents but once they’ve gotten in the ring, they have not been able to implement their strategy or forced to fight using a different one.

When BoxingScene spoke to Robert Garcia, he was asked why he felt recent Mayweather opponents had not been able to apply the pressure they wanted to and how Maidana could avoid suffering the same fate.

“I think it has a lot to do with mental [preparation]. I think knowing that they have Mayweather in front of them, knowing they got the best fighter in the world and everybody respects him; they already go in with that mentality. They know it’s a very hard task to accomplish but Maidana is totally the opposite. Maidana doesn’t care who he’s fighting” Garcia would tell BoxingScene.

“I think these guys have given him so much respect because they know they’re in there against the best. Mayweather frustrates them a few rounds and they get frustrated for the rest of the fight. That’s not Maidana. Maidana could miss a lot, lose some rounds but that’s not going to frustrate him. He knows he’s got 12 rounds”.

Mayweather is a defensive wizard and has proven to be hard to hit. He loves to make his opponents miss but loves to make them pay even more.

Even if Mayweather begins to build a lead on Maidana, Garcia feels his fighter has a chance to change things and win the fight until the very end. He points to his own experience in the ring to prove that even if you’re ahead in a fight, it doesn’t always mean you end it with your hand raised.

“I know [Maidana’s] got 12 rounds so anything could happen until the last bell rings. Personal experience is myself. All three loses I had, I was ahead on points in all three fights and I got dropped and I got knocked out. I lost the fight even though I was ahead on points. So it doesn’t matter what the scorecards are saying. If we land the right punches and Maidana connects good and hurts him, he’s going to finish him in any round” said a confident Garcia.

Both Garcia and Maidana also feel that a knockout is not the only way to victory as they feel if they are able to implement their strategy from the beginning, they can do enough damage and work over 12 rounds to secure a victory even if the knockout never materializes. They point to the Broner fight as an example of being able to work hard for 12 rounds and get a decision victory.

One thing Garcia assures is Maidana will give it his all and leave it all in the ring in order to try to get the victory however it comes.

“We’re going to give it all we got. We’re going to do everything possible to win this fight. It’s a very difficult fight. It’s a difficult opponent. We’re fighting the best in the world, maybe the best in history. So for us just being in this event is part of making history but people are going to love the fight. I expect a great fight, I expect the crowd to support us. Maidana is going to give it his all and we expect to come out with a win”.

You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter & Instagram @Truewest007