Since Cinco de Mayo 2007, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been boxing’s “Money” man. And it’s no wonder. Six, and perhaps seven, depending on who you ask, of his last 10 fights have produced more than one million pay-per-view buys apiece.
However, over his last four fights, only one has generated the kind of spectacular results to which Money has become accustomed ? his September 2013 decision over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez that produced a whopping 2.2 million pay-per-view buys and became the highest-grossing fight of all time. The others have struggled to reach the magic million, as last week’s rematch with Marcos Maidana also reportedly fell short.
The takeaway from all of this pompous pay-per-view talk is that the dipping numbers are indicative of a trend: the public is done paying $70-plus for Mayweather fights in which he is a prohibitive favorite. Because of that, Mayweather is now forced to take the prospect of a still-epic Manny Pacquiao fight seriously.
Last week’s Mayweather-Maidana 2 promotion, handled mostly by Floyd’s fledgling Mayweather Promotions, was underwhelming. Beforehand, there was so little buzz that mainstream sports fans barely knew it existed. Mayweather, in an apparent desperate attempt to say something compelling to lift the show, instead said something ridiculous about the Ray Rice saga, and quickly apologized. Then he was inexplicably put in front of CNN’s tenacious “Unguarded” host Rachel Nichols in a searing interview and lambasted about his own domestic violence history, which includes a jail stint. Advertisement
The undercard was horrendous, the fight was a yawner and reports that it did a respectable 925,000 pay-per-view buys are nothing if not stunning. Skeptics abound.
Afterward, even the normally self-assured Mayweather seemed downcast. And now we know why. Additional reports have surfaced that Mayweather could soon split with longtime business partner and confidant Leonard Ellerbe, the man who was expected to be an important part of Mayweather Promotions. If that isn’t a sign of trouble, nothing is. Mayweather and Ellerbe have been together for more than 10 years.
With two fights left on a mammoth six-fight contract that Mayweather signed with Showtime in early 2013, the time for “Money” to deliver to the network has arrived. No more predictable blowouts over tough-but-limited opposition like Robert Guerrero and Maidana. No more shutouts over comparative novices like Alvarez. The boxing public demands something more ? an opponent who has a legitimate chance of beating him.
And we all know who that is.
The Mayweather-Pacquiao history is familiar. Since 2010 ? when negotiations actually did take place ? the two camps have been the principals in a surreal “he said/he said” soap opera that has included inflammatory dialogue, endless posturing, derogatory comments, name-calling, steroid accusations, defamation lawsuits and a complicated “cold war” between Golden Boy Promotions/Mayweather Promotions/Showtime (Mayweather) and Top Rank/HBO (Pacquiao).
Yet, the fight is still a possibility. It may actually be a necessity.
Outside of established money-maker Miguel Cotto (whom Mayweather has already beaten), there’s really no one else to provide pay-per-view punch. Even established champions and contenders like Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse and Timothy Bradley don’t have the drawing power to get Showtime its required blockbuster. Someone like middleweight terror Gennady Golovkin is unrealistic. And Amir Khan and Devon Alexander need not apply.
Pacquiao is the only one, as difficult as it would be to assemble.
With his pay-per-view popularity waning, Money would be foolish to not ponder that fight now.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at [email protected]; follow him on Twitter @MatthewAguilar5.
