SATURDAY WAS EVERYTHING boxing had hoped it would be. Unfortunately, all the money, bright lights and hype that engulfed Floyd Mayweather’s win, will not be enough to make boxing relevant again.
Boxing is now an event sport, and Mayweather-Pacquiao was the biggest, and really the only, event the sport has to offer.
Now with Mayweather putting his toughest challenge in the rear-view mirror, boxing will not see another buildup like this anytime soon.
Floyd Mayweather Jr gets his hand raised as the judges award him a wide unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao. AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
This fight was a perfect storm. Were the two fighters a year or two past their primes? Sure. But the years of side-stepping the fight by both sides made Saturday that much more monumental, not to mention, much more lucrative for the fighters.
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As for the millions of eyeballs glued to the computer screen every time a Mayweather-Pacquiao story surfaced, they will not be there for another fight unless these two men find themselves in the ring against one another again.
Boxing is not just an individual sport, it is a personality sport. And the polar opposite personalities and backgrounds of these two fighters, paired with their success in the ring, made this an easy fight to sell to anyone — not just boxing fans.
Mayweather, despite his checkered past littered with domestic abuse charges and allegations, has countless fans drawn to his flashy lifestyle and unrelenting arrogance. He flaunts his cars, possessions and women whenever he can. He is rich, talented, successful and he makes sure everyone knows. Not only does Mayweather call himself and his entourage “The Money Team” or TMT, he promotes himself as TBE (The Best Ever). As infuriating as Mayweather’s complete disregard for humility can be, it draws fans to boxing and sells tickets.
In the other corner is Pacquiao, who aside from being an incredibly decorated fighter, is an elected official in his home country of the Philippines, a professional point guard, actor and retired singer. As easy as it is to find a reason to hate Mayweather, it is equally easy to like Pacquiao, who was born into an impoverished family.
As a fighter, Pacquiao is a heavy hitter with 38 of his 64 professional wins coming by way of knockout. Who does not like a knock out? Pacquiao’s reckless fighting style keeps the heart rate of spectators racing, while the artistry of Mayweather and his swift feet in the ring can sometimes lull the viewer to sleep quicker than his opponent. Those contrasting styles are what made this fight a fresh talking point for years.
Even the trainers for Mayweather and Pacquiao are headline factories. The legendary Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, does enough talking to make up for Pacquiao’s quiet demeanour, all while battling Parkinson’s disease. Mayweather’s father doubles as his trainer and stands by his son inside and outside of the ring with a flair strikingly similar to Floyd Jr. Plus the trainers do not care for each other. A bout between them would probably draw more attention and intrigue than the actual under card fights, which is why Saturday will not have more impact on boxing than just a one-night cash grab.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are the marquee names in boxing. Sure, one of them alone can carry a pay-per-view ticket, but unless their names are on the same card, do not expect to hear about the fight until the week of the bout.
When Mayweather took on Saul Alvarez in 2013, tons of money was made, but compared to his fight with Pacquiao, it was hardly worth his time. Pacquiao’s loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 is only a blip in boxing history because of how viciously Pacquiao was knocked out.
Boxing cannot survive on one top-flight boxer, it needs two — and they need to fight each other in order for any glimpse of exposure.
Take a look at the World Boxing Rankings. Which fighters on in any weight class would draw a $100 pay-per-view tag? $90? $80? $70?
Saturday was a night where it all came together. Two fighters with wild amounts of success, personality and story lines touched gloves and gave boxing fans everywhere something they have wanted for years. But the days of Frazier, Ali, Forman, Tyson and even De La Hoya are gone.
Boxing’s main event was the world’s main event for one night. Unfortunately, it will not happen again for a long time, if ever.
Mayweather-Pacquiao was no more than a one-night cash grab for boxing
SATURDAY WAS EVERYTHING boxing had hoped it would be. Unfortunately, all the money, bright lights and hype that engulfed Floyd Mayweather’s win, will not be enough to make boxing relevant again.
Boxing is now an event sport, and Mayweather-Pacquiao was the biggest, and really the only, event the sport has to offer.
Now with Mayweather putting his toughest challenge in the rear-view mirror, boxing will not see another buildup like this anytime soon.
This fight was a perfect storm. Were the two fighters a year or two past their primes? Sure. But the years of side-stepping the fight by both sides made Saturday that much more monumental, not to mention, much more lucrative for the fighters.
As for the millions of eyeballs glued to the computer screen every time a Mayweather-Pacquiao story surfaced, they will not be there for another fight unless these two men find themselves in the ring against one another again.
Boxing is not just an individual sport, it is a personality sport. And the polar opposite personalities and backgrounds of these two fighters, paired with their success in the ring, made this an easy fight to sell to anyone — not just boxing fans.
Mayweather, despite his checkered past littered with domestic abuse charges and allegations, has countless fans drawn to his flashy lifestyle and unrelenting arrogance. He flaunts his cars, possessions and women whenever he can. He is rich, talented, successful and he makes sure everyone knows. Not only does Mayweather call himself and his entourage “The Money Team” or TMT, he promotes himself as TBE (The Best Ever). As infuriating as Mayweather’s complete disregard for humility can be, it draws fans to boxing and sells tickets.
In the other corner is Pacquiao, who aside from being an incredibly decorated fighter, is an elected official in his home country of the Philippines, a professional point guard, actor and retired singer. As easy as it is to find a reason to hate Mayweather, it is equally easy to like Pacquiao, who was born into an impoverished family.
As a fighter, Pacquiao is a heavy hitter with 38 of his 64 professional wins coming by way of knockout. Who does not like a knock out? Pacquiao’s reckless fighting style keeps the heart rate of spectators racing, while the artistry of Mayweather and his swift feet in the ring can sometimes lull the viewer to sleep quicker than his opponent. Those contrasting styles are what made this fight a fresh talking point for years.
Even the trainers for Mayweather and Pacquiao are headline factories. The legendary Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, does enough talking to make up for Pacquiao’s quiet demeanour, all while battling Parkinson’s disease. Mayweather’s father doubles as his trainer and stands by his son inside and outside of the ring with a flair strikingly similar to Floyd Jr. Plus the trainers do not care for each other. A bout between them would probably draw more attention and intrigue than the actual under card fights, which is why Saturday will not have more impact on boxing than just a one-night cash grab.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are the marquee names in boxing. Sure, one of them alone can carry a pay-per-view ticket, but unless their names are on the same card, do not expect to hear about the fight until the week of the bout.
When Mayweather took on Saul Alvarez in 2013, tons of money was made, but compared to his fight with Pacquiao, it was hardly worth his time. Pacquiao’s loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 is only a blip in boxing history because of how viciously Pacquiao was knocked out.
Boxing cannot survive on one top-flight boxer, it needs two — and they need to fight each other in order for any glimpse of exposure.
Take a look at the World Boxing Rankings. Which fighters on in any weight class would draw a $100 pay-per-view tag? $90? $80? $70?
Saturday was a night where it all came together. Two fighters with wild amounts of success, personality and story lines touched gloves and gave boxing fans everywhere something they have wanted for years. But the days of Frazier, Ali, Forman, Tyson and even De La Hoya are gone.
Boxing’s main event was the world’s main event for one night. Unfortunately, it will not happen again for a long time, if ever.
Read:Who’s next? Seven fighters Floyd Mayweather could face in September?
Read: The champagne is on ice at Stamford Bridge but contentious penalty divides opinion
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