Baldomir has the deck stacked against him

If you think World Boxing Council welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir will successfully defend his title against Floyd Mayweather tonight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, the odds are:

A.) You’re from Argentina.

B.) You like to bet on underdogs.

C.) You’ve never seen Mayweather fight.

D.) You don’t know much about boxing.

Emanuel Steward, one of the most respected trainers in boxing, is none of the above. He knows that Mayweather, 36-0 with 24 knockouts and a 5-1 favorite in tonight’s match, is almost universally recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He knows that Mayweather has extremely quick feet, fast hands and more-than-adequate power.

Steward knows that Baldomir, who is from Santa Fe, Argentina, has a mediocre record (43-9-6, 13 knockouts), and has a slow, plodding style that, against Mayweather, may make Baldomir look as if somebody had hit the slow-motion button on the remote control.

Yet Steward gives Baldomir a good chance, focusing on his recent accomplishments in the ring. Baldomir emerged from relative obscurity to stun the boxing world by winning a unanimous decision over Zab Judah in January to give Baldomir his first major championship. And he defended the title in July with a victory over Arturo Gatti, stopping him in the ninth round.

“This is the first fight I personally have thought Floyd might lose,” Steward said. “He has never fought a guy as physically, mentally and spiritually fit as Baldomir. Physically, Baldomir is a strong guy. Mentally, he is tough. Spiritually, he believes in himself. He hasn’t lost a fight in eight years.”

Mayweather shrugs off such dire speculation with an easy smile, as he does Baldomir’s opinion that Mayweather is not the dazzling fighter at 147 pounds that he was at lower weights. “He’s a bigger, slow Floyd Mayweather,” said Baldomir through an interpreter. “That is why I am going to win.”

There are two other questions about Mayweather heading into tonight’s fight.

One is the absence of his trainer and uncle, Roger Mayweather, who is serving a sixth-month jail sentence on a felony battery conviction. And even if Roger were free, he wouldn’t have been able to work his nephew’s corner because his license was revoked after he instigated a brawl at the Floyd Mayweather-Judah fight in April.

Leonard Ellerbe, Floyd’s manager, shrugs off that concern. He has backed up Roger in the corner for nine years and will be the trainer in charge tonight.

“It will be business as usual,” Ellerbe said. “This fight will be decided by Baldomir and Floyd in the ring. It won’t be decided by who is in the corner. This is not about me.

“After the first round, Baldomir will go to his corner and ask himself what he got into. Floyd is so fast, Baldomir will think he is fighting three Floyds.”

The other concern is the large shadow of Oscar De La Hoya looming on the horizon. Negotiations for a blockbuster May fight between Mayweather and De La Hoya, a fight that would figure to generate more than a million pay-per-view buys, will intensify if Mayweather wins tonight.

Mayweather insists he’s not looking beyond Baldomir, nor looking at De La Hoya.

“I’m the best in the world,” Mayweather said. “It’s my time. All roads lead to Floyd Mayweather, with or without Oscar De La Hoya.”

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steve.springer@latimes.com

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Tale of the tape

*--* BALDOMIR MAYWEATHER Los Angeles Hometown Las Vegas 35 AGE 29 43-9-6 RECORD 36-0 13 KNOCKOUTS 24 147 WEIGHT 146 5-7 HEIGHT 5-8 67 REACH 72

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