THE Floyd Mayweather-Connor McGregor fight was not only epic and historic it was a boxing showmanship that hit the all-time jackpot.
The fight itself may not have had the class of the welterweight classics we have witnessed over the years between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray against Panama’s Roberto Duran or even when Sugar Ray dared to challenge the previously unbeaten undisputed world middleweight champion, Marvin Hagler, and beat him. Then lately the Oscar De la Hoya-Mayweather, or Dela Hoya-Manny Pacquiao bloody battles.
But it certainly attracted the crowd including millionaires who came in their private jets that the Las Vegas airport was like a car park for jetliners.
For starters McGregor was reportedly paid $US30 million ($F60.1m) and Mayweather $US300 million ($F601m) just for attending the fight. The pay per view returns gets McGregor $US100m ($F200m) and Mayweather $US300m ($F601m). It was also a Mayweather promotion.
The unknown factor that had people in suspense and attracted them was that Connor McGregor was the legendary champion of another code and had also whipped every opponent that came his way and the power of the media is clearly proven here.
Mayweather gets to retire undefeated and McGregor made his boxing debut against one of the greatest fighters of all time.
However, another boxing legend De La Hoya has claimed that the fight was a scam and a fraud.
“Mayweather has never let himself being punched around for four rounds,” Delahoya said.
For argument’s sake if De La Hoya was right then Mayweather was a great showman as he showed frustration in his corner after the fourth round, refusing to drink and shrugging away the ice towel on his head given by his cornermen, before smiling. Was this a show for the camera?
Anyway, De La Hoya owns Golden Boy promotions, also promoted their fight in 2007 when Mayweather beat him on split points decision to take his WBC title on the same venue at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Wikipedia reports says tickets sold out three hours after they went on sale on Saturday, January 27, 2007. With the sellout, the bout generated over $19 million in live gate, beating the previous record of $16,860,300 set by the June 28, 1997, heavyweight championship rematch between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The fight was televised on HBO pay per view, with the cost to watch the fight at $55 in the US compare with last month’s fight with pay per view in the US at $100.
The World Awaits, was a super welterweight superfight between six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya then (38-4, 30 KO) and undefeated four-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr then with a fight record of (37-0, 24 KO).
At the time, the bout was the most lucrative boxing match ever, with over $130 million in generated revenue.
That was ten years ago.
According to Bleachher Report the Mayweather-McGregor fight on that Sunday lasted nine full 3-minute rounds plus 1:05 of the tenth round, totaling 28 minutes 5 seconds, which means that if he does make $300 million ($F601m), every second he raked in $178,041.54.
With his $US300 million ($F601m) prize, Mayweather may well be over the $1 billion mark when it comes to prizemoney throughout his storied 50-0 record, according to Bleacher Report, having won $US250m ($F501m) against Manny Pacquiao in 2015. Last month’s Mayweather-McGregor fight is estimated to generate $1.5 billion and compare with the record made by De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions in 2007 generating $US130 million ($F260m).
Nobody else is complaining as the crowd were entertained and got to see a knockout by Mayweather and McGregor isn’t going home crying, either.
De La Hoya’s fraud claim? Just call it business talk between two rival boxing legends, now turned into multi-millionaire boxing promoters.
