FLOYD MAYWEATHER v SAUL ‘CANELO’ ALVAREZ
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Sep 14, 2013
In the final part of a 12-fight series, our Boxing Correspondent recalls how the Money Man pushed the sport into a new era... NOT so much a fight, more a masterclass in the art of boxing delivered by Mayweather to Alvarez, the defending world light-middleweight champion and rising star of the Mexican ring. Its significance lies in the accountancy, especially for the man who now nicknames himself ‘Money’. Mayweather’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya six years earlier had established records for pay-perview buys (2.48million), TV revenue ($136.9m), live gate income ($18.4m) and individual purse (De La Hoya $52m against Mayweather $25m). The Hispanic fervour for Canelo (Spanish for cinnamon in reference to his red hair) helped Mayweather drive most of the numbers even higher. Pay-per-view buys 2.25million; TV revenue $150m, live gate $20m, additional gate $2.62m. Mayweather’s purse was an estimated $75m, while Alvarez settled for $12m — and a boxing lesson. After taking a steady 12-round beating from Mayweather, the master of defence, he said: ‘Floyd’s so great I did not know how to get to him to land a punch.’ Ludicrously, Mayweather’s victory was by mixed decision. Judge C J Ross scored it a draw — against comfortable wins for Floyd carded by Dave Moretti and Craig Metcalfe — and such was the mockery that she has not officiated at ringside since. Tonight, back at the MGM, this fight’s place in history will be blown away. Mayweather and Pacquiao will earn upwards of $180m and $120m respectively. Pay-per-view buys are predicted to surpass four million, generating $400m towards the first half-billion dollar fight. The live gate, with tickets priced up to $10,000, will reach over $70m. But it was Mayweather-De La Hoya and Mayweather-Alvarez which opened the floodgates to this unprecedented wealth.