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Can Maidana finally take Mayweather down?

By WTOP Staff

TIM DAHLBERG
AP Boxing Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Floyd Mayweather Jr. saw enough of Marcos Maidana the last time around to know what to expect when they meet Saturday night in a surprisingly quick rematch.

That’s the big reason why he spent a lot of time prior to the fight talking about the respect he has for referee Kenny Bayless, and the job he thinks Bayless needs to do if Maidana uses the same roughhouse tactics he employed in their first fight in May.

“I’m pretty sure he’s (Maidana) going to be once again extremely dirty and wild, and my job is to keep everything under control the best way that I can,” said Mayweather, who won the first fight by majority decision. “I was able to make the adjustments in the first fight and we’ll see if he can make the adjustments this time.”

Maidana is only the second fighter to get a rematch against Mayweather (Jose Luis Castillo lost a close decision in their 2002 rematch), and the Argentine has vowed to be even better than he was in what was a close first fight.

“I think Floyd got pressured by the press and I think that he knows the first fight was close so he’s giving me the rematch,” Maidana said. “And I have to take full advantage.”

Some questions and answers about the bout:

Q-What’s at stake?

A-Officially there are two titles up for grabs, the 147- and 154-pound belts held by Mayweather. Unofficially, the biggest thing at stake is an 18-year perfect professional record of 46-0 for Mayweather.

Q-Will the “0” go?

A-Not likely, no matter how much promoters try to sell the idea that Maidana will be an even more serious threat to Mayweather this time around. The truth is that while Maidana did rough up Mayweather early in the first fight, Mayweather found a way to take control midway through the bout and won almost every round from there on. Mayweather is a master at adapting to whatever is in front of him in a ring, and he figures to be even better dealing with the roughhouse tactics that Maidana is sure to bring.

Q-Since this is Vegas, what do the bookies say?

A-Mayweather is a 6-1 pick, down from the 11-1 he was in the first fight. Oddsmakers believe the fight will be a unanimous decision for Mayweather, though they offer 25-1 odds on it being a draw.

Q-What is Maidana’s best chance?

A-The same as it was in the first fight, he has to rough Mayweather up, fight him inside and throw off his balance. He did it in the early rounds of the first fight, and Mayweather appeared in some trouble when he was cut above his right eye in the fourth round and could barely see. His cut man took care of the bleeding between rounds, though, and then Mayweather took care of business.

Q-How about Manny? Will a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight ever happen?

A-There’s been some chatter by Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, about HBO and Showtime agreeing on splitting what could be the richest fight ever. Mayweather still has shown no indication he wants to fight Pacquiao, but if the pay-per-view numbers are lackluster once again as they were in May for the first Maidana fight, he may start looking Pacquiao’s way. Interestingly, Mayweather didn’t completely rule out a Pacquiao fight this week as he has in the past, though he said there have been no talks about a possible bout next May.

Q-Is the fight worth paying $74.95 for?

A-If it was Mayweather-Pacquiao, it’s a no-brainer. Judge for yourself whether Maidana is a credible enough opponent for an inflated price with not much of a supporting undercard. The good news is viewers don’t have to stay up as late to watch. After getting middling pay-per-view buys for the first fight Showtime moved the card up an hour (pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. EDT) to try and entice more people in the Eastern time zone to buy.

Q-What does the AP think?

A-We see Mayweather winning a unanimous decision to boost his perfect mark to 47-0. We also see him cashing a paycheck of more than $30 million, bringing his total in his last three fights to more than $100 million.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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