Controversy clouds run-up to tonight’s Mayweather-Maidana fight

It took almost a full day to finally resolve what kind of boxing gloves Marcos Maidana will wear in the ring tonight when he faces Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden in a world welterweight unification title bout on Showtime Pay Per View (Cable 501).

Maidana, who is from Argentina and is the World Boxing Association welterweight champion, originally planned to wear eight-ounce blue gloves that were padded with horsehair. The Mayweather camp objected to the gloves, citing the padding was not appropriate and the Nevada Athletic Commission agreed. However, the NAC said Maidana could wear a different style glove from the same company — Everlast — that had built the custom gloves Maidana initially planned to wear.

But the Mayweather camp further objected, at one point threatening to pull out of the fight, claiming the padding around the knuckle area was not up to specifications and demanded that Maidana wear Grant gloves, the same brand Mayweather will wear.

The issue was not settled until late Saturday morning when it was finally determined that Maidana will wear Everlast while Mayweather will perform in Grant. Both style gloves weigh the requisite eight ounces as mandated by the NAC.

But the reality is the fight was never in jeopardy and while it took a while to get things worked out, it will be business as usual tonight. However, it appears Mayweather may have scored a psychological victory before the first bell by forcing Maidana to wear gloves different than he originally intended to though it could be argued Maidana got what he wanted, which was to wear the brand he initially intended to even though it may not have been the exact style and color.

Mayweather, whose World Boxing Council title is at stake tonight, is looking to remain perfect in the ring. He is 45-0 with 26 knockouts. Maidana is 35-3 with 31 KOs. The fight at the Grand Garden is sold out and the live gate is expected to exceed just over $15 million.

The PPV portion of the card begins at 6 p.m. with Las Vegas super middleweight J’Leon Love facing veteran Marco Antonio Periban in a 10-round fight. Adrien Broner, the former WBA welterweight champion who lost his belt to Maidana last Dec. 14, meets Carlos Molina in a 10-round junior welterweight bout followed by Amir Khan and Luis Collazo in a 12-round welterweight bout leading up the Mayweather-Maidana.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.