After beating Shane Mosley last weekend, and believing at the time that he might have broken the previous pay per view record, Floyd Mayweather was adamant that he could fight whoever he wanted. His reasoning being that he was such a big draw that against even severely overmatched opponents he would still be able to make 20-30 million dollars per fight.
And then the early pay per view sales estimations came in….
Far from the earth shattering 4 million that Richard Schaefer had predicted, the pay per now looks to have sold around 1.2 million. Not a laughable figure by any means, but also not enough that Mayweather can fight virtually anyone and be guaranteed a big pay day. Mosley was considered a game opponent and many thought that he would at least keep it competitive. Had Mayweather taken on a lesser opponent, the fight probably wouldn’t have sold nearly as well as this. Related Slideshows:
Although he can’t necessarily get away with taking on soft competition, his skills and size means moving up in weight is always an option. Until he reaches a weight that either slows him down, or where his opponents can walk right through his punches, divisions aren’t an obstacle to Mayweather.
Manny Pacquiao is the opponent we all want to see Mayweather fight, but is anyone really still convinced it will happen at this point? Both sides have their faults and neither seems willing to compromise for the sake of the fight happening, which tells me that either one or both aren’t all that keen on the fight taking place.
Not the fighters themselves you understand, but no promoter ever savors the idea of their biggest money maker losing. If Pacquiao were to lose, his pound for pound throne would be lost as well as his aura of invincibility. If Mayweather were to lose, his unbeaten record and a lot of his drawing power would be lost.
Sergio Martinez was another name being put around immediately after the fight, although he has since shot down rumors for the time being. Kelly Pavlik has options on a rematch if he wants it, and with nowhere else to go, he will probably take the fight. If Pavlik turns this down though, or Martinez beats him again, then Mayweather might be tempted to try his hand in his 6th division.
Tall Paul Williams has challenged Mayweather again recently, although has to get past Kermit Cintron before his sabre rattling can go any further. Williams problem though is that he is just too much of a risk and isn’t that well known. With his big reach and height advantages, he would pose a unique challenge to Mayweather, who has usually tended to be on at least even footing in both departments.
I, like many others, have lost count of all the big names Williams has called out over the years. Until he gets to fight one and becomes a big name himself though, none of them will be that interested in taking him on. A fight between him and Mayweather is certainly sellable though, William’s physical advantages and personality on a 24/7 series would see to that.
There are another couple of names who have also mentioned wanting to fight Mayweather in the near future. Amir Khan and Timothy Bradley have both said in the past that they intend to move up to welterweight in the future, and both are solid challenges for anyone. Khan has the bigger name but is also more vulnerable, making him the more logical choice. He is also a Golden Boy fighter, and a training partner of Manny Pacquiao, which would make the fight all the more satisfying to Mayweather. Khan recently said he might take on the winner of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, stating that boxing was all about timing, but if Mayweather needs an opponent and Khan feels he is ready, there isn’t any reason why he wouldn’t step up.
Prior to Shane Mosley being available for Mayweather, there were all kinds of names being thrown around that he had supposedly contacted about a potential fight. Fighters like Saul Alvarez and Matthew Hatton were being mentioned and of course neither has anything to offer a fighter of Mayweather’s caliber. At the time though both Mayweather and Pacquiao were scrambling for new opponents after their fight had fallen through, and lower tier fighters being mentioned was probably a result of the fact that Mayweather wanting to fight again as quickly as he could after Pacquiao.
Allain Preston, Pittsburgh: “Martinez would be a great fight if Pavlik doesn’t want to take another beating for uncle Bob. Super Middleweight might eve be an option in a couple of years after the super six fighters are all beat up from the tournament”
Jim Benton, Philly: “Mayweather won’t even fight again for another year at least, and by then all of these guys might have lost anyway. Pacquiao and Williams will never happen anyway though”
