By Lance Pugmire / Los Angeles Times
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.’S self-described farewell fight against Andre Berto was the worst-selling of his six Showtime pay-per-view bouts, with two industry sources reporting on Wednesday that it drew 550,000 buys.
Mayweather improved to 49-0 with the unanimous decision victory over the former welterweight champion, with one judge awarding Mayweather all 12 rounds.
Mayweather’s guaranteed $32-million purse reported by the Nevada State Athletic Commission is an arrangement between him and his company, Mayweather Promotions, not necessarily reflective of the pay-per-view audience.
The fighter’s postfight statement that he made $70 million on Saturday was met with great skepticism a fight after he reportedly made in excess of $220 million by defeating Manny Pacquiao.
Showtime Vice President Stephen Espinoza declined to discuss the numbers in a Wednesday conversation with the Los Angeles Times.
“We’re happy with the event as a whole,” Espinoza said. “We had four entertaining fights [on Saturday’s card], we saw the historic moment of Floyd’s retirement. It may not have been the biggest Mayweather event ever, but in my view, anything we did coming off the massive May 2 event was going to feel like a bit of a letdown.”
What Espinoza focused on was the accomplishment of his network’s deal with Mayweather, who had been an infrequent fighter before committing to six fights in 28 months.
“We generated over 10 million pay-per-view buys, nearly $800 million in gross domestic pay-per-view revenue. Plus, we got two fights [Pacquiao and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez] that nobody thought we’d get to,” Espinoza said. “A wealth of really entertaining shoulder programming, and some really memorable moments in the events themselves.
“We’re thrilled with the results that have exceeded our expectations in every way.”
“If you would’ve told us at the start of this deal, that we’d set the pay-per-view record in two separate occasions, that we’d get ‘Canelo’ and Pacquiao fights…we would’ve signed the deal even more quickly than we did,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza added that he spoke to Mayweather after the Berto bout.
“He seemed very satisfied, very content and at peace with his decision not to continue his boxing career,” Espinoza said. “Unless something dramatic happens, which I’m not expecting, I believe we’ve seen Floyd Mayweather fight for the last time.”
That said, Espinoza said he’ll continue to see Mayweather at other fights, and will entertain the chance to have further dialogue “and take his temperature.”
“But he seems pretty set in his decision.”
BRADLEY VS RIOS
WITH Mayweather insisting he is retired and Pacquiao facing a long road back from shoulder surgery, there is a vacancy on top of the welterweight division this week, and Timothy Bradley is probably the most worthy candidate to fill it.
A victory over Brandon Rios on November 7 would boost Bradley’s candidacy for unofficial 147-pound supremacy. Just don’t expect the World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion to campaign for any honors he can’t win in the ring.
“I don’t like to say that I feel like I’m the best welterweight in the world,” Bradley said on Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles while announcing his next bout. “I feel like I’m one of them, but I would like to beat all the guys in the division before I say that. I haven’t faced everybody, but I know that I can fight these guys. I know I can beat all the guys in the welterweight division.”
Bradley (32-1-1, 12 KOs) will defend his title against Rios at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on an HBO telecast. The undercard will be headlined by vaunted featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko in his sixth professional fight against little-known Mexican featherweight Romulo Koasicha.
The main event is another chance for Bradley to show off his combination of technical skill and scrapping instincts against Rios (33-2-1, 24 KOs), who has never shied away from a good brawl. Bradley has enlisted veteran trainer Teddy Atlas to prepare him for Rios, seeking a fresh start and new information after parting ways with longtime trainer Joel Diaz.
“I’m trying to learn how to fight different ways, and how to do things the right way,” Bradley said. “Teddy is showing me some things I never knew about boxing before, and I’ve been in this game a long time.”
Both Bradley and Rios have recent losses to Pacquiao on their records, but Bradley hasn’t lost to any other opponent willing to face him during his 11-year pro career. He has been a champion at 140 or 147 pounds in every year since 2008, winning title fights in England, Canada, Michigan, Las Vegas and his native Southern California.
Mayweather retired without ever accepting the chance to fight Bradley, who is promoted by Bob Arum, Mayweather’s former promoter turned foe. Bradley became the WBO welterweight champion when Mayweather decided not to pay a sanctioning fee for the honor.
Similar promotional divides separate much of the welterweight division, but Bradley still dreams of a shot at other top 147-pounders, including Keith Thurman, Kell Brook, Amir Khan and Shawn Porter, to name a few.
“There’s a lot of guys on the other side that I would like to face, but politics won’t allow me to face them,” Bradley said. “Someday it’ll happen, if I stick around long enough in the business. I’d like to beat all the top guys out there and say I’m the best one out there.”
Bradley’s next fight is, perhaps, even more important to Rios, who hasn’t been in the ring since stopping Mike Alvarado in January to avenge his only other career defeat in the decisive bout of their memorable trilogy.
Rios has been frustrated by his inactivity, with a potential fight against Brook falling apart. He was relieved when the long negotiations for a bout with Bradley finally ended.
“I feel like my back is against the wall now,” Rios said. “They think I’m done. Maybe a shot fighter, that I’ve taken too many punches. I’m not done yet…. I’d see on TV that everybody was fighting but me. I take out my frustration in the gym, but I was mad. I got to spend time with my kids, but I need to be in the ring.”
(With AP)
Image credits: AP