Over the course of 45 fights, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has earned the nickname "Money" for one reason -- when he steps in the ring, Mayweather's a sure bet.

He's been the closest to a sure thing as there's ever been in boxing. His hand speed, his quickness, his defensive boxing ability and his counterpunching ability have been the key to his perfect record, allowing him to vanquish great foes such as Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and the legendary Oscar De La Hoya.

He may not be the most likeable fighter out there, he might be brash, even arrogant at times, but there's no getting around it: he's the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet right now.

That is why it was hard days ago to see even the speedy Marcos Maidana, who is coming off of an impressive victory against the highly-touted Adrian Broner, having a legitimate chance of being the one to put the "1" in Mayweather's win-loss column when these two trade hands in their boxing match on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada during their big Cinco De Mayo 2014 Weekend showdown. Maidana is good, but at his best, Mayweather is on a whole other level.

And then, just days before their May 3 fight, word broke out of more turmoil in Mayweather's life.

In a shockingly candid move -- well, for most people, but not, perhaps for the controversial Mayweather -- the unbeaten boxing mega-star posted on Facebook and Instagram that he and his longtime girlfriend Shantel Jackson, who called off their engagement weeks ago, had ended their relationship due to Jackson's alleged decision to have an abortion; the couple were reportedly expecting twins, according to the New York Post.

While Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told the Post that Mayweather would not be distracted by the drama in the pound-for-pound king's personal life -- "Floyd is focused on what he's got to do," Ellerbe told the Post, adding, "When the bell rings, you'll see the same Floyd Mayweather" -- that's easier said than done.

Added to the fact that the underrated Maidana has a few considerable physical and strategic fighting gifts in his favor, and this could have the potential to be the biggest upset since the night James "Buster" Douglas shocked the world in 1990 when he floored Mike Tyson, the king of boxing, in shocking fashion in Tokyo, Japan.

So, what does Maidana have going for him against Mayweather that may be the key to an upset win on Saturday? Let's take a look:

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1) Setting the Tone

At 30 years old, the man they call "El Chino" is at or nearing the peak of his skills, and his big-punching ability should give any opponent, even the 37-year-old Mayweather -- who has made a career out of beating big punchers -- cause for concern. Added to that, Mayweather has been prone to getting frustrated against effective jabbers, and Maidana, who has a bit of an awkward jab, has been making some strides in that department as of late. And Maidana is so strong that he can do some damage with even that simple punch, which is more of a feeling-out move in boxing than a legitimate offensive attack. If he can pepper Mayweather with those jabs early to set the tone for the fight, that might be able to keep "Money" off balance. And in a boxing match, it's all about balance: you lose it, you lose.

2) Distractions, Distractions

There's no question what Mayweather can do when he's got his eyes on the prize. That's how he's made his name and reputation. But just how focused is Mayweather heading into this fight?

The social media buzz Mayweather stirred up when he posted about his ex-fiancee this past week has stirred up a lot of questions regarding the undefeated boxing champion's state of mind, though his camp has staunchly denied that it will have any effect on his performance on Saturday. However, others, like Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, aren't so sure, nor should they be. Nobody has any idea of what Mayweather's state of mind is right now; Maidana's sole focus at this moment is to beat Mayweather. And the mental game could be something that Maidana can exploit to his advantage if he attacks and gets aggressive early. If Maidana can build confidence and momentum in the early stages of the fight, he has a chance to pull off the unthinkable.

3) Never Count out the Underdog

The first thing we have to remember is that Marcos Maidana is not a slouch. This Argentinean slugger has 31 knockouts over the course of the 35-3 record that he's compiled, and he proved his mettle when he beat the previously unbeaten Broner in December for the WBA Welterweight Championship, despite having very little experience with big-name welterweights.

That being said, he's facing some pretty long odds against Mayweather on Saturday, Vegas betting odds putting Maidana as a +600 underdog heading into the fight. But does that faze the Argentinean boxing star? Not even close.

"I've been an underdog my whole life," Maidana told MLive.com this week. "I was the underdog against Adrien Broner and Victor Ortiz and you saw what happened. I won. I am the underdog again in this fight, but I earned the right to the fight."

That he has. Maidana is one bad dude, his record vouches that much. He might not have the odds in his favor, but Mayweather and boxing fans would be ill-advised to look past him. Buster Douglas was written off against Tyson, and we all remember what happened there. An aging George Foreman wasn't given a chance against Michael Moorer in their 1994 title fight, and Foreman, 46 then, ended up becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history. Antonio Tarver wasn't a favorite against the dominant Roy Jones Jr. in their 2004 rematch, only for Tarver to score the biggest win of his career. Every dog has his day, and if Maidana plays his cards right, Saturday could be his biggest night ever.

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