The final numbers for Mayweather vs. Mosley have been announced as 1.4 million pay per view buys, with Floyd himself making around $40 million dollars all told.
The fight might still turn out to be the biggest selling fight of the year, depending on what other big fights can be put together before now and the end of the year. The next fights of both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather himself and Haye vs. Klitschko would both challenge the figure for example.
Although 1.4 million is still an impressive figure, it isn’t anywhere near the kinds of numbers that Golden Boy representatives were throwing around before the fight. Richard Schaefer predicted first 2 and then 4 million buys. Several other industry insiders predicted it might break the all time pay per view record held by Mayweather and De La Hoya, which stands at 2.15 million buys. Personally I thought between 1.5 and 2 million was a realistic figure.
So just why did the fight not sell nearly as well as predicted?
Mayweather is still as abrasive and hard selling as ever, he and Mosley appeared on 24/7 and the media hype was all there. There was even the wider implication that the winner might well go on to fight, or at least negotiate with Manny Pacquiao, possibly setting up a fight which would surely break all pay per view records.
There are likely several factors, the first of which is Mayweather’s continual appearances on the 24/7 build up series. For those not familiar with the show, the viewer is given a look behind the scenes of the two fighters starring in the series and see their training methods, meet their teams and usually get a chance to hear them talk some trash. All good fight selling stuff.
Mayweather though has appeared on the series no fewer than 4 times, and there is seldom much new material with a boxer as meticulous as Mayweather. His training is precise, his trash talking is admittedly tailored to his opponents but still repetitive. The shows are still always interesting, but the fans already know Mayweather and what he is all about.
Going into the fight, some experts thought it would be competitive and a few even had Mosley winning it. The majority though thought it would be an easy night’s work for Mayweather, and that isn’t even accounting for how diminished Mosley looked during the fight itself. Apparently not that many of the public believed it would be close either, and Mayweather isn’t the kind of fighter that can attract the casual fans without at least the illusion of competition.
Some of Mayweather’s appeal is that people want to see him get beaten for the first time. Not only those who don’t like him, but even his own fans are intrigued to see what style or game plan will finally figure him out and really pressurize him. If his opponent doesn’t look likely to be able to do that, then there is less little for some fans to tune in for.
It has been widely opined that the Mosley fight was boring after the second round, after which Mayweather took control and Mosley struggled to land much else. If Mayweather is dominating a fight, then usually it means a decision is on the way. With other fighters this means a sure fire knockout.
David McCallister, Pittsburgh: “If Floyd had lost to Oscar he would never have sold over a million ppvs since and that’s a fact”
Colin Calderwood, Pittsburgh: “I think 2 million will only be broken when here are two draws coming together and the fight could go either way. Mosley isn’t a draw and he was an underdog as well so the sales weren’t that great”
