By: Sergio L. Martinez
For practically his entire adult life, Ron Katz has dedicated himself to one thing: matchmaking. Katz is responsible for matching some of the great fights in recent memory and has been involved with Hall of Fame fighters throughout his illustrious career. With the announcement of Mayweather v. Maidana, and the chaos of fans and scribes alike that has ensued, I decided to consult with an expert in this field. Never known to mince his words, Katz agreed to speak to Boxing Insider from the Star Boxing offices in Bronx, New York.
The Reaction to the Mayweather v. Maidana Fight Announcement
“Fans are fickle, man. When Floyd first said he was fighting [Amir] Khan, everyone was saying that he should fight Marcos Maidana. Now, he’s going to fight Maidana, and everyone is saying he should fight Khan. It’s bullshit.” Katz added, “Fans just don’t want to accept that there is really no one out there [in Floyd Mayweather’s divisions] that can beat Floyd. The guy is the best there is right now and has been for a long time. Everyone wants to say that he’s scared of fighters out there but c’mon, that’s just bullshit. Who else is the guy supposed to fight? Do you want him to fight middleweights? I mean, he’s really a lightweight, junior welterweight, Floyd!”
Floyd Mayweather v. Marcos Maidana Fight
“You know, aesthetically, the Maidana fight is better than the Khan fight because [Maidana] is going to get in there and try like hell, man. He’s going to really give it his all and is going to try to get Floyd to rumble, making for an entertaining fight. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the skill level that’s going to give him any chance. I mean, technically, in boxing, any guy has a chance on any given night. I mean, did anyone give Ken Norton a chance against [Muhammad] Ali? Most didn’t give Maidana a chance against [Adrien] Broner, and look how that one turned out. Still, all things being equal, I think Floyd is just too good for Maidana. Still, Marcos earned this fight and deserves it.”
The Threat of Amir Khan (or Lack Thereof) to Floyd Mayweather
“Not really. So, maybe Floyd has to think for, like, a second more? But, I mean, Khan doesn’t stand a chance, either. That’s not saying that Khan isn’t a good fighter. It’s just that Floyd is on his own level. Amir wouldn’t’ve stood a chance.”
Floyd Mayweather v. Manny Pacquiao?
“I think that from a historical perspective, even though it’s three years too late, they should fight just to say it happened and that would be meaningful enough. I don’t think Pacquiao has a chance at all to beat Floyd now and I didn’t give him a chance to beat Mayweather, three years ago when Manny was in his prime. Floyd’s just too good, man.”
Unequal Ground
“People just don’t want to get it. I heard someone [the other day] throw out [James] Kirkland’s name as a possible opponent for Floyd. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Do you know what Floyd would do to Kirkland? He’d destroy him. Being a matchmaker, he’s the best there is right now and unless you’re talking about throwing him in with big, strong middleweights, say a guy like [Ganady] Golovkin, there’s little-to-no chance guys in and around his weight can beat him.”
