Last weekend, during the promotion for the “Canelo” vs.
Mayweather fight. ESPN and other sports networks billed the match as, “The One”. As in the one to save boxing from being
washed out by lack of talent, questionable scoring, and Mixed Martial Arts as competition.
Making high expectations for live gate and PPV buys, the fight was expected to
break the 2.5 million PPV buy record set by Mayweather vs. De La Hoya fight
held in 1997.
Despite a one sided victory, a lousy undercard and 1
displaced judge; the fight lived up to that billing. Mayweather courted Alvarez
around the ring for 12 rounds in route to the largest purse in boxing history
($40 million). While the PPV numbers have not been released yet, Chris Mannix
of Sports Illustrated says that the live gate set a $20 Million NSAC record.
Embracing the business as well, Floyd’s Mayweather
Promotions manages many of the best up and coming boxers in the world.
Including the likes of Ishe Smith and Mickey Bey Jr. This morning, SB Nation
reported Mayweather’s intentions to “take it to the next level with MMA.” Not
as a fighter but as a promoter. Planning to manage fighters on MMA’s largest
stage, the UFC.
While a stable of dedicated boxers to spar with is every MMA
fighter’s dream and the sport of MMA is sure to benefit by simply adding the
Mayweather branding the market. Regardless of public perception, Mayweather
claims his relationship with UFC president Dana White is “cool”. Al Haymon of Mayweather promotions is said to
handle management but the MMA and boxing worlds will surely explode with the
words MMA and Mayweather!
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