The televised undercard for the June 7 encounter between  WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez and Miguel Cotto was officially announced on Monday. And while the main event is the only championship match in the card, the Bill promises a lot of fireworks with three other former world champions seeing ring action.

The Rematch

In the co-featured bout of the card, Former WBO junior featherweight champion Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. of Puerto Rico and-ex WBO Super flyweight king Marvin Sonsona of the Philippines will square off in a rematch of their February 2010 title bout. Vasquez knocked out the Filipino in the 4th round to capture the vacant WBO Super Bantamweight championship in his native Puerto Rico.

Vasquez’ is a second generation world champion who never fought a single amateur boxing match. He has a record of 23-3-1 with 19 KOs . Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. has been on a slide lately, going 3-3 in his last six fights. But his three losses were in title fights and two of those losses came at the hands of Mexican warrior Jorge Arce and 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire of the Philippines. In his last bout, he won a unanimous decision over Mexican contender Guillermo Avila to capture the vacant WBO International Super Bantamweight title.

On the other side, “Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona has not lost since being knocked out by Vasquez. After a long layoff and soul searching, the young Sonsona returned to the ring on October 2011 against Mexican Carlos Jakolmo and won via unanimous decision. Sonsona added three more victories, the last of which was an impressive third round knockout of former junior featherweight champion Akifumi Shimoda last February in Macau, China. The win improved Sonsona’s record to 18-1-1 with 15 KOs.

Hometown Boy

Israel’s former WBA Super Welterweight champion Yuri Foreman returns to Madison Square Garden to prove that he is still a world championship contender. Foreman, who lives in Bronx New York, will face Jorge Melendez of Puerto Rico.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Foreman who lost to Miguel Cotto in June 2010 during the first defense of his WBA Super Welterweight title at Yankee Stadium. Foreman tore his ACL in round 7 of the fight and fought valiantly until round 9. Foreman also lost his next bout to Poland’s Pawel Wolak and then retired for 22 months. He returned to action last year and won four bouts against low-quality opposition. Foreman has a record of 32-2 with 9 knockouts.

Melendez, nicknamed “The Destroyer” is promoted by Cotto Promotions. The 25 year old Puerto Rican prospect has an impressive 28-3 record with 26 knockouts. The hard hitting Melendez is coming off a 10 round decision win over Richard Gutierrez.

The Fighting Irish

Irish contender Andy Lee moves down in weight class to battle John “Dah Rock” Jackson of the US Virgin Islands. Jackson is the son of former two-division champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson. The younger Jackson has a record of 18-1 with 15 knockouts. Jackson has won five consecutive bouts after suffering his only defeat to Willie Nelson in 2012.

Andy Lee has an outstanding record of 32-2 with 22 knockouts. The fighting Irish has won four straight bouts after his 7th round knockout loss to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June 2012. Promoter Lou DiBella says that Lee is stronger at 154 lbs while Jackson is explosive and has championship pedigree.

With these three exciting undercards, we can expect and explosive night of boxing on June 7. Let’s not forget that there is a main event. And it is Cotto vs Martinez.  That promises a lot of fireworks too.

True to his word during the UFC 169 post fight press conference, Renan Barao returns to the Octagon on May 24 to defend his UFC Bantamweight title for the second time against TJ Dillashaw. Barao was expected to move up in weight after his Nova Uniao teammate and UFC featherweight king Jose Aldo is almost certain to go up to the 155 lbs to challenge UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.  But Barao proudly said that he had just won the bantamweight title and that he still has a lot of work to do in the divison. That work starts with TJ Dillashaw on May 24.

The Viper

Tyler Jeffrey “TJ” Dillashaw was a finalist in TUF 14: Team Bisping vs Team Miller. He made his UFC debut on December 2011 at the TUF finale where h lost to John Dodson via first round knockout (punches). After winning four straight fights since the loss, Dillashaw faced #3 ranked bantamweight Raphael Assuncao in October 2013.

Dillashaw lost via split decision in a closely contested match where Dillashaw and Assuncao earned Fight of the Night honors for their classic duel. Dillashaw rebounded last March by defeating #7 bantamweight Mike Eaton via unanimous decision.

TJ Dillashaw was originally slated to face Takeya Mizugaki in the same UFC 173 card while Barao was expected to face Dillashaw’s conqueror Assuncao. But lingering injuries have forced Assuncao out of the  fight, and Dillashaw was more than willing to step in.

One of TJ’s biggest motivations for the fight would be trying to get one back for Team Alpha Male. Barao defeated Team Alpha Male leader Urijah Faber last February in UFC 169. But the first round stoppage of Faber was marred by a possible premature stoppage by referee Herb Dean. But instead of complaining, Faber threw in the name of Dillashaw as the next challenger to Barao’s throne. Team Alpha Male got their wish, but it could be a death wish for TJ Dillashaw.

Be Careful of What You Wish For

Dillashaw is no doubt a contender and an excellent fighter. But Barao is in another world right now. The Brazilian has gone undefeated in nine straight years and holds one of the longest winning streaks in MMA history. Barao has been unbeaten in his last 33 fights( 32 wins and 1 no-contest) and doesn’t look to be beatable right now. He is currently ranked as the 3rd best Pound for Pound fighter in the UFC and at age 27, sky is the limit for this talented Brazilian BJJ specialist.

Barao became the 100th martial artist to receive his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt from Andre Pederneiras in 2011. He is the training partner of UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo at Team Nova Uniao. Since his arrival in the UFC, Barao has been an immaculate 7-0 with two submissions and two knockouts. So if DIllashaw thinks that revenge is a good storyline for this bout, he may have too much to handle in Renan Barao.

Event Saver

Renan Barao has been credited for saving UFC 173 after the original main event of Weidman vs Machida was scrapped after the champion suffered a knee injury while training. Barao gladly agreed to step in to fight in the co-main event of UFC 173. But Barao had his share of controversies lately. He openly complained that Urijah Faber made more money than him and that he is planning to have his contract “improved” by the UFC. In his statement, Barao used his event-saving move as leverage.

Shocking the World?

With his  incredible winning streak, Barao may be looking past Dillashaw when he discussed about the possibility of fighting Marlon Moraes, his former teammate and the new WSOF bantamweigght champion. Moraes isn’t under contract by the UFC,  but he is a potential big fight for Barao in the future.

On the other hand, TJ Dillashaw claims that Barao’s kryptonite is his cardio. Barao is big and huge for the bantanweight division but his explosiveness could also be his downfall. Although Barao is a well-rounded fighter, his cardio has been a suspect. And that’s how Dillashaw plans to “shock the world”.

He believes that he has nothing to lose and everything to gain in fighting Renan Barao. Dillashaw thinks that Barao’s post fight dance celebrations are “horrible” and that it’s disgusting dancing. He plans to show him some real dance moves when he wins. But that remains to be seen.

Barao’s hip swings of death have yet to be stopped in the last 33 fights.

Terrence Crawford flew to Ricky Burns’ hometown of Glasgow, Scotland to take the WBO lightweight belt last March via unanimous decision. On June 28, it will be Yuriorkis Gamboa’s turn to travel to Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska and attempt to snatch the same belt from the waist of Crawford. Coincidentally, both protagonists are undefeated, but one June 28, somebody’s “O” has got to go.

Omaha’s Pride

While Crawford is Omaha’s pride, he has never fought in his hometown. The June 28 bout will only be the 2nd boxing world championship match in Omaha’s history. The first one took place in 1972, fifteen years before Crawford was born, and it pitted Joe Frazier against hometown pug Ron Stander. Frazier knocked out the hometown boy in the fifth round to retain his title.

On June 28, Crawford hopes to finally give the hometown fans something to cheer about as he tests Gamboa in an HBO televised bout to be held at the 18,300-seater CenturyLink Center.

Identical Records

Both fighters have an identical 23-0 record with 16 Knockouts. But that’s where the similarity ends. At 32 years of age, Gamboa is six years older than the champion, while Crawford is 8 cm taller than his Cuban challenger.

Crawford will be making the first defense of the title which he won via unanimous decision over Ricky Burns last March. Burns was able to box and compete with the young Crawford in the early stages of the match. But Crawford’s superior boxing skills let him pull away in the middle and last rounds. Crawford won by the scores of 117-111,116-112 and 116-112.

“El Ciclon de Guantanamo”

Gamboa is the former 2004 Olympic Gold medalist who also held the WBA and IBF Featherweight championships. Gamboa and a couple of teammates defected Cuba while training in Venezuela. They eventually found their way to Germany where they applied for a US visa. Gamboa won his first title in 2009 by annexing the WBA featherweight title.

In 2012, he signed with SMS, the promotional company of American rapper 50 cent.Gamboa’s resume is impressive. He’s beaten former world champions like Jorge Solis, Orlando Salido and Daniel Ponce De Leon.

Staying Undefeated

Gamboa is the typical technical Cuban boxer who puts on a clinical performance in every fight. But he has the unnecessary habit drop his hands and showboat at times. Gamboa’s chin has a tendency to betray him and he easily loses balance when he gets hit with a solid punch.

Gamboa cannot afford to be too confident against a very talented opponent like Crawford. He might not be able to get away with his needless antics against a prime opponent. Another major concern is Gamboa’s inactivity in the last two years. He’s fought only once last year and once in 2012.

On the other hand, Crawford admits that Gamboa is a high risk but high reward opponent. He believes that this is a big opportunity for him to finally get the worldwide recognition that his talents deserve. He also said hat he will not be distracted by the hometown crowd and says that he just need to stay focused and get the job done. Crawford is a superb boxer, and although Gamboa says that he has the better resume, he has not fought an opponent with the boxing talents of a Terrence Crawford.

A Chess Match

Stylistically, this bout will be a battle of speed and boxing skills. Both Crawford and Gamboa are ring technicians who possess good movement, superior speed and quick hands. Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti says the bout will be a chess match, but has the potential of fireworks because there is a hometown hero in Crawford and Gamboa has a questionable chin. Moretti added that these are two of the best lightweights in the world, and the winner will be the best in the division.

The last boxing world champion from the state of Nebraska was Perry “Kid” Graves in 1914. The state has waited for a hundred years to see a boxing world champion again. You can bet that Terrence Crawford is going to leave everything on that ring on June 28. And Yuriorkis Gamboa will be more than willing to be his dancing partner.

MMA veteran Dan Henderson faces Daniel Cormier in the co-main event of UFC 173 on May 24,2014. On paper, the match-up looks like it’s going to upstage the co-main event between Renan Barao and TJ Dillashaw. But in reality, Cormier vs Henderson could be the biggest mismatch in the card.

The Legend Lives On

Dan Henderson is one of the most accomplished mixed martial artist currently competing in the UFC. Henderson owns the distinction of being the last Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion when he punched out Rafael Cavalcante in March 2011. Henderson was also the former Pride Fighting Championship welterweight and middleweight champion, holding both titles concurrently in February 2007 before losing the middleweight belt to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a bout where the UFC Light Heavyweight title was also up for grabs.

Henderson was also the 1999 winner of the RINGS King of the Ring tournament. At age 43, Henderson is ranked #7 in the UFC Light Heavyweight division after his TKO victory of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua during their March 2014 rematch in UFC Fight Night 38.

Fans only remember the second bout with Shogun because of the explosive ending, where Henderson proved that he still packed that legendary power in his right hand. Henderson’s short right hand squarely landed on Rua’s face, instantly knocking him down and almost out. Henderson swarmed at the defenseless Shougn and that forced referee Herb Dean to stop the contest at 1:31 of the third round.

But most of us don’t remember that Shougn dominated the entire bout before getting careless after breaking from a clinch with such a dangerous puncher like Hendo. In fact, Rua had knocked Henderson twice in the previous rounds: one with a right and left combination in the first round, and one from a lead uppercut in the 2nd round. Rua was winning the match before Henderson dropped the H-Bomb on him.  And although Henderson proved that he still has the granite chin and the power puch, Daniel Cormier’s no Shogun Rua.

In His Prime

Daniel Cormier is a former Olympic wrestler and member of the powerhouse Oklahoma State University wrestling team.  He beat Antonio” Big Foot” Silva and Josh Barnett in succession to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship in May 2012. DC fought in the heavyweight division from 2009-2013 and moved to the light heavyweight division, presumably to avoid a confrontation with good buddy and training partner Cain Velasquez, who is the UFC Heavyweight champion.

Cormier is undefeated at 14-0 and has been impressive in his three fights in the UFC. He decisioned former heavyweight champion Frank Mir and dissected the heavy hitting Roy Nelson via unanimous decision  his second UFC outing. In his first fight at light heavyweight last February, he dismantled newcomer Patrick Cummins via first round TKO.

Although he is already 35, Cormier’s mixed martial arts career is just four years old. And since training with Cain Velasquez at AKA, Cormier’s game has evolved from just being a wrestler. While Cain has learned valuable wrestling lessons from this former Olympian, DC has become a tougher fighter by training with the baddest man on the planet. And so with a beast like Cormier in his prime, Dan Henderson may have just been fed to a hungry lion.

Puncher’s Chance

Henderson has lost three of his last four outings. Although he is legendary, there seems to be no chance at winning the light heavyweight title especially since Jon Jones owns the belt right now. Every fight from here on is to extend one of the most decorated careers in MMA history because Hendo is on the decline. But with a powerful puncher like Henderson, there is always the “puncher’s chance” every time he steps inside the octagon. And in the sport of MMA where most fighters are as good as their last ten second, a Dan Henderson bout always has a chance to be Fight of the Night or Knockout of the Night.

People doubted Daniel Cormier’s move to the Light Heavyweight division because of his kidney problems in the past. But if the Cummins bout was any indication of how he’ll be as a light heavyweight, then the title picture completely changes. Cormier doesn’t just have the wrestling and the smarts, he’s battled and beaten bigger guys at heavyweight. He is a serious threat to Bones Jones.

Cormier has openly admitted that Hendo is his hero. But it’s a job that he’s got to do in order to get that belt. And Henderson may be just a feather in the cap along the way.

As the Pacers evened up their series with the Washington Wizards 1-1, a lot of talk has focused on the disappearing act of Roy Hibbert in the playoffs so far. Hibbert struggled mightily in the Pacers’ series against the Atlanta Hawks. He did worse in Game 1 against the Wizards.

Showing up for Game 7

Roy Hibbert had a disastrous first round series. He averaged a measly 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks in the Pacers’ first round series against the Atlanta Hawks. He failed to score double digits in the first six games of the series and averaged only 3.16 rebounds per game in that six game period. But after being a virtual non-factor in the first six games, Hibbert came alive in Game 7 when the Pacers needed him the most. He scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Game 7.

But more importantly, he was the anchor of the Pacers’ defense with his five blocked shots. The Pacers were +24 with Hibbert on the floor and Hawks Paul Millsap went 3-12 with Hibbert defending him. The Pacers also clipped the Hawks to a 30.4% field goal shooting.

With their defense clicking, the offense flowed smoothly and Paul George scored a playoff career high of 30 points, Lance Stephenson netted 19 points while George Hill added 15 markers. The result was their most convincing win of the series. The Pacers eliminated the Hawks 92-80 and advanced to the second round against the Wizards.

With the Game 7 win, Indiana and Hibbert seemed to have gotten their games back and everyone was expecting them to topple the Wizards whom they easily beat 2-1 in their regular season series.

Spellbound by a Wizard

But the young Wizards had other plans. In Game 1, the Pacers were left spellbound by Trevor Ariza’s 22 points. The Wizards’ swingman became only the third player in NBA playoffs history to make at least six three pointers without a miss. Bradley Beal also scored 14 of his 25 points in the final stanza.

But the big difference in Game 1 was the big man in the middle for the Pacers- Roy Hibbert. After struggling in the Atlanta series, Hibbert went 0-2 in Game and failed to score a single point and failed to grab a single rebound. A game after he came up in a Game 7, he vanished once again like Houdini in a show.

After Game 1, David West and a couple of veterans gave Hibbert a pep talk to encourage him for Game 2. West said the Hibbert “must be a part of the fight.” Paul George added that they need Roy and that they need him “now.” For his part, Hibbert said that he had to look within himself and figure it out.

The Awakening?

The fruitless game one might have awakened the sleeping giant in Roy Hibbert. He scored the first five points of Game 2 and looked very confident from the opening tip. Hibbert finished the game with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in his best game of the post season.

This was the Hibbert everyone knew. He was aggressively looking for his shot all game long. His 13 shot attempts were the most he’s had since April 4. The 10 field goal makes were his most since February 27. Those 9 boards were the most he’s had since March 21. He also went 8-8 from the foul line and those 8 foul shots were the most he’s taken since March 26 while the 8 makes were the most since January 30. So Roy Hibbert didn’t just break out from his slump in Game 2, he had an awakening of sorts.

Man in the Middle

It’s pretty clear that for the Pacers to win, Hibbert must be in the middle of the action. In the Pacers’ playoff wins this season, Hibbert’s averaged 10. per game and grabbed 5.0 rebounds per game. In the losses, he’s managed just 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. Hibbert’s also averaged 2 blocks per game in wins and just 0.8 in losses.

In the regular season, the Pacers led the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions by giving up just 96.7 points per game. In their four playoff losses so far, the Pacers have given up an average of 102 points per game. It’s interesting to note that when Hibbert struggles, so does Indiana’s defense. And when that defense struggles, they lose. In eight playoff games so far, Hibbert has been the barometer for the Pacers.

They say that offense wins games but defense wins titles. Roy Hibbert is the anchor of that Indiana defense. And for the Pacers to win, he must show up every single game. Hibbert can’t just blow hot and cold because the Playoffs are getting deeper. And he must realize that he must consistently be the man in the middle of that Indiana Pacers’ team if they want to win the NBA title.

Boxing’s Fight of the Year for 2014 might not happen in the ring, but outside of it. If it goes from bad to worse, it might go to court. That, in essence is what the rift between Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is shaping into. Worse, the feud between GBP’s top two honchos could  lead to a nasty business divorce in the next few weeks.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

What started as a rumor became a fact when Oscar De La Hoya tweeted: “Regarding all these rumors about my company and Richard Schafer, I will be setting the record straight soon.” If the squabble was not true, then De La Hoya would’ve denied it. But setting the record straight is admitting that there are things to be clarified.

This rumor started last March 8, during the Canelo Alvarez vs Alfredo Angulo bout when people noticed that De La Hoya and Schaefer did not take their customary seats together. Instead, Leonard Ellerbe- the CEO of Mayweather Productions, was seated between the two GBP bosses. Sources even said that the two did not acknowledge and look at each other. The tension was visibly there but neither man  would comment.

Then there was an incident last month, when De La Hoya walked past Richard Schaefer at a Golden Boy Promotions show at Stub Hub Center at Carson, California. They didn’t speak to each other.

And then Oscar’s tweet came. It was then that Schaefer also broke his silence. He said that he does not have De La Hoya’s number anymore and that it has been a month since his last meaningful conversation with the former boxer. Schaeffer went on to add that “it’s no longer peaches and cream” and that while Oscar says otherwise, the issues will never be resolved by denying them.

What Are the Issues?

Schaefer was a Swiss banker when De La Hoya knocked on his door to help him manage his finances. When Oscar founded Golden Boy Promotions in 2002, he named Schaefer CEO and gave him the autonomy to run the show. Schaefer started from scratch, and transformed Golden Boy into the most successful boxing promotional company in the United States today with over 80 fighters that include 20 current or former world champions. GBP also owns a 25% share in the soccer team Houston Dynamo. It’s also branched out to real estate, through Golden Boy Real Estate partners, which focuses on redevelopment opportunities in the Hispanic communities.

De La Hoya has been an absentee owner in the recent years. His personal troubles that ranged from cross-dressing, drug and alcohol problems have taken him to rehab. In the past few years, De La Hoya has become more of a liability than the brand that bears his monicker. It has been Schaefer who’s nurtured GBP from its birth. And now comes Oscar.

Schaefer admits that the issues are related to their respective visions for Golden Boy. De La Hoya, sober after rehab, wants to get a more active role in running the show. Schaefer, the man who runs the day to day operations, does not agree with De La Hoya’s plans.

Without admitting it, the alpha and omega of the problem is De La Hoya’s plan to kiss and make up with rival promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank. Schaefer admitted that he was surprised to learn that De La Hoya had met with Arum. De La Hoya, on the other hand, admitted that he “went to Arum’s house to have peace with him.”

This did not go well with Schaefer, who as the head of GBP has a long history of bad blood with Arum and Top Rank. Schaefer has always stood firm in his decision never to work with Arum because of professional differences and personal animosity. Schaefer even likened Arum to a leopard who cannot change his spots. He also added that Arum’s career is built and run on making feuds with the competition.

And now that Oscar wants a bigger role at Golden Boy, the rumor is that he wants to do business with Arum. The feud between Golden Boy and Top Rank is the main reason why a lot of boxing’s meaningful fights have not happened, including the Mayweather vs Pacquiao bout. Burying the hatchet could change that and pave the way for the fights that fans want to watch.

But this could come at the expense of a break up at Golden Boy.

What the Future Holds

It is not certain what Oscar will say to set the record straight in the next few weeks. Schaefer has publicly said that he is loyal and that he has a job to do at Golden Boy. However, he said that he does not know what the future holds because of the differences in vision between the owner( De La Hoya)  and CEO(himself).

Floyd Mayweather Jr. entered the picture this week, and professed his love for Richard Schaefer the businessman. He told media that Schaefer has a home at Mayweather Promotions should he have problems at GBP. There is also another rumor that Schaefer and boxing power broker Al Haymon are to form a new promotional outfit and take with them fighters from the GBP stable. But these are rumors, and until the time Oscar De La Hoya officially talks the future of Golden Boy Promotions hangs in the balance.

De La Hoya owns Golden Boy, but it remains unclear if he can run it like Schaefer did. While De La Hoya provided the face, it was Schaefer’s handy work that made it an empire. Theirs was like a marriage. Now it looks like its headed for a divorce. And like any divorce, it’s the kids that suffer. In this case, the kids are the fighters in their stable.

As the weeks go by, this rift is fast shaping up as the top choice for Fight of the Year in boxing. But sadly, there won’t be winners in this bout.

As the Raptors and Nets settled Game 7, the Miami Heat were resting and waiting for their next opponent. But instead of getting an answer, they got a riddle- one that they were unable to solve in four games during the regular season: The Brooklyn Nets.

The 2013-14 Nets are the only NBA team in the Big Three era to sweep the Miami Heat in a regular season series. But do the Nets really have the Heat in check?

Let’s find out:

Getting the Monkey Off Their Backs

Game 1 will be the most crucial for the Miami Heat. First of all, they’ve lost four straight to the Nets. Before this season started, the Nets had lost 13 straight games to the Heat. The last time they beat Miami was in March 20,2009 and there was no Big Three at that time. The Nets were playing at East Rutherford New Jersey. But that’s distant history right now.

What we know is that the Nets swept the Heat 4-0 during the regular season. Game 1 will be more than just keeping home court advantage, it will be fighting for a psychological win. No matter how the Heat deny it, the Nets are in their heads. A win in Game 1 will set a new tone. A loss could spell immediate doom.

Rhythm or Rest?

The Nets have just beaten the Raptors on May 4. The Heat last played on April 28 while Game 1 is set on May 6.With the long break, Lebron James was able to rest the sore thigh which he hurt in Game 4.  James declared that he’ll be somewhere near 100% in Game 1. Dywane Wade said they were already getting tired of practice. Wade added that they want to get back to the court, to the playoffs and get their rhythm back.

Last season, they swept the Bucks in the first round and after a similarly long lay-off in between rounds, a rusty Heat squad got ambushed by the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the 2nd round. They do not want to let lightning strike twice.

Brooklyn definitely has the rhythm and momentum on its side. But the tough series has made Joe Johnson play an average of eight more minutes per game. Deron Williams is doing four more minutes per game while Paul Pierce is getting two more minutes per game in the series. Will these extended minutes be a factor for the Nets? Or will pure adrenalin rush will them on?

The Heat swept the Bobcats by beating them with an average margin of 9.75 points per game. In the entire series, Miami had an average lead of 12 points going into the fourth quarter. The 2014 first round playoffs have been so far the most competitive in NBA history. This was the sole exception. Miami could’ve won the series on auto-pilot.

On the other hand, the Nets lost two out of three home games in the first round. But they won three on the road, including Game 1 and the most important of them all-Game 7.This series won’t be an easy series for the Heat. They haven’t been really tested in the first round. On the other hand, the Nets have been taken to the limit.

King vs the Truth

Everyone remembers the Game 7 duel at the TD Garden in the 2008 playoffs. Lebron James had a monster 45 point performance. But it was Paul Pierce’s 41 points that carried the Celitcs to that Game 7 victory. But that wasn’t the only memorable battle they’ve had.

In 2006, Pierce shot 50 points in a double overtime game against the Cavs. James played 50 minutes and wound up with a triple double statline of 43 points 12 rebounds and 11 assists. The Cavs won that game. In 2004, James scored 37 points in the second highest scoring game of his rookie season. Pierce dropped 41 points on the Cavs as the Celtics prevailed.

According to Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce is the closest thing to a rival for Lebron James because they make it tough on each other. To date, Paul Pierce has a winning lifetime record over Lebron James at 32-28. But a key point is that James owns the upper hand in the postseason, winning their match up 13-12. James has not lost a playoff series to Pierce since 2010.

X Factors

The Heat line-up is impressive. That Heat line up is clearly  9 man deep. While Mike Miller is gone, veteran shooters like Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen can do the Miller role. Allen did his thing in Game 6 of last season’s finals.  James Jones came out of nowhere to score 12 points in Game 1. Something’s telling us that one of these three will have a signature game soon in these playoffs.

The X factors for the Nets will definitely be the two men who were brought in to get them past the first round and beyond: Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Pierce will always be that great leader and scorer. While Garnett’s tenacity and anger have always fueled any of his teams. While these two will not score big stats on a daily basis, they will score big in the bench and in the locker room.

Like the other New York team, the Nets are supposed to be built to beat the Heat.  Miami has been the barometer of the eastern conference, and to get to the finals everyone has got to beat the heat. This is Brooklyn’s version: Bosh vs KG, James vs Pierce and Wade vs Joe Johnson. DeRon Williams doesn’t have a match up, although the Heat bench is a lot better than the Nets’ bench. But bench aside, Brooklyn is one star up.

Taking it to the Next Level

Kevin Durant is a cinch to dethrone Lebron James as the NBA MVP. But while Durant has struggled and has been called Mr. Unreliable in the playoffs, look at how James has played in the first round:  He’s increased his scoring average by 2 points by going to the foul line 3.4 more times per game. James has also increased his rebounds and steals and average in the post season. This just means that James is taking his game to the next level by playing tougher defense and not settling for jump shots.

By all accounts, James is the best player in the post season so far. And he hasn’t been pushed to the limit yet. James has always risen to the occasion, and that’s what the Nets should be wary about.

The series will start in two days. And while the Nets are looking to prove that the season sweep wasn’t a fluke, the Miami Heat are dead serious about getting the three peat. It’s undoubtedly the most interesting pairing in the playoffs right now. It’s not just a series, it’s a rivalry-much like the Lakers and Celtics of the 80’s. It’s got the recipe of a great series which could be one for the ages. And we’re about to be witnesses.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. won a close majority decision over Marcos Maidana during their May 3 encounter and remained unbeaten in 46 bouts. But while Floyd won in the bank with his $32M guaranteed purse and the expected PPV numbers, Marcos Maidana hit Mayweather with more punches than anyone before him. So the question now is, has Maidana laid down the blueprint for defeating Floyd Mayweather  Jr.?

Let’s find out:

Pouring It On

Right from the opening bell, Maidana came right at Mayweather. He dragged Floyd to the corner and poured it on with overhand over hand rights. Although Mayweather hit him with a couple of clean punches, Maidana’s volume and activity bothered Mayweather.

By the third round, referee Tony weeks warned Maidana for roughhousing Mayweather. But the argentine was relentless and refused to hold back. He kept on coming at Mayweather with that overhand right. Mayweather was cut in the fourth round from an accidental headbutt. He later admitted that he had a hard time seeing in the next couple of rounds because of the cut. Mayweather hasn’t been cut as badly in recent years and the cut seemed to take him off his game.  On the other hand, Maidana saw and smelled blood. He just kept coming and coming despite getting hit cleanly by Mayweather.

It seemed that Mayweather tried to let Maidana punch himself out. But credit Alex Ariza and Robert Garcia, Maidana got tougher as the fight got going. Of course, Maidana hit him with low blows and almost wrestled him off the ring in the eleventh round. But just as Mayweather picks you apart with his defensive prowess, you’ve got to pull out all the tricks in the books to get him off his game. And that’s where Maidana was successful. Cotto, Canelo and Ortiz roughed up Floyd, but they respected him too much. Before the bout, Maidana said Floyd is an excellent fighter, “but I don’t give a F**k about him.”

That was the difference. And that also proved that Floyd is only human and very much beatable.

Finding Ways to Win

On the other hand, Mayweather summoned all of his greatness and found the way to win. Before the bout, he was prophetic because he said that opponents will try to “keep the pressure up”, try low blows and headbutts, but he always finds a way to win.

And he did just that. Mayweather was the more accurate puncher. He connected on 54% of his total punches 230/426. He was more accurate with his power punching at 65% or 178/274. Of course, this was because Maidana was a standing target. That was one of the reasons why Mayweather took this fight. Floyd hurt Maidana a couple of times, but not enough to really put him in serious trouble. Maidana ate most of Mayweather’s punches and kept coming forward. So hitting Maidana was never a question, hitting Floyd Maywether Jr was.

Cracking the Code

Mayweather has always said that nobody’s going to crack the “May-vinci code”. Forty five fighters before Maidana, most of them the best in the world, have tried and failed. But Maidana may have showed us the blueprint in defeating Floyd Mayweather Jr. And it’s simple as seven words: “I don’t give a F**k about him”.

Jose Luis Castillo provided Floyd his biggest challenge ever. Some thought he won that first bout. But Mayweather at that time wasn’t fully the defensive genius that he is today. Everyone says that Mayweather is unhittable. That has changed in the last two years. He is 37 years old and no matter what he says, he has lost a step or two- just like Manny Pacquiao has.

In the last few years, Floyd has answered the “hittable” question by saying that he wants to engage some more because it’s what the fans want. That is correct: the fans want to see him fight some more,  but he has to engage some more because that bicycle is getting older too. Floyd will never admit it, but he has become a more susceptible target with age and he is no longer as cat quick as before.

Of course, to be able to hit Floyd, you’ve got to throw twice as much punches. Maidana threw 858 total punches but landed nine less punches than Mayweather. But the 221 punches that he landed were the most ever on Mayweather. That is an eye opener. Mayweather also threw just 152 jabs, the fewest in his last four fights. And unlike in those four fights where Mayweather cruised on auto-pilot, he had to bleed for his points against Maidana.

Most of Mayweather’s punches were power punches because Maidana forced him to engage by roughing him up. Floyd looked a little tired after the bout, especially after fighting with a significant cut for eight rounds. Again, it was because Maidana roughed him up.

Who’s Next?

Amir Khan fought an impressive bout against Luis Collazo. He might finally get his wish this September. During the post-fight press conference, Mayweather hinted that he was willing to give Maidana a rematch. That would be interesting. Bernard Hopkins wants to get into the picture, but it’s unlikely that it’s going to happen within one year. And then the Great One, Muhammad Ali added his own thoughts via twitter. Ali congratulated Mayweather and said that “maybe we can see him rumble with Manny Pacquiao” next.

But it’s Mayweather who calls the shots. He’ll tell us whom he’ll fight next. But that next guy can take a page out of Marcos Maidana’s book. To be more accurate, he can simply memorize Maidana’s “seven great words”: I don’t give a f**K about him.” That could very well crack the May-vinci code the next time around.