The pay-per-view numbers for Floyd Mayweather's fight against Robert Guerrero don't look good, according to multiple sources. While nothing is official at this point, it's clear many of Money's fans weren't impressed enough by his competition to make the expensive purchase.
This is a trend that will certainly continue for Mayweather unless he signs a deal with another top fighter like Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
ESPN's Dan Rafael reported on Tuesday he'd been hearing the PPV purchases were under one million, which Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole confirmed with an even greater emphasis on the underwhelming numbers:
It's a far cry from Mayweather's reported 1.5 million PPV buys against Miguel Cotto, which generated $94 million.
Those who did pay the $60-$70 to watch Mayweather fight Guerrero will likely think twice about shelling out that kind of cash for another fight with a similarly weak opponent.
Watching Money May dominate the ring against Guerrero was fascinating...at first.
Mayweather's brilliant defense was a joy to watch for those who appreciate the sweet science of boxing, and his precise strikes and counters made us all remember why he's the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today.
Midway through the fight, however, it was clear The Ghost couldn't touch Mayweather. The last few rounds were just plain boring, as Guerrero's attempts to get back into the fight were rebuffed with ease time and time again.
There aren't many potential opponents in the world today who can offer Mayweather a legitimate test in the ring. Furthermore, there aren't many fighters who can draw a crowd big enough to boost what appears to be pathetic PPV numbers for his last fight.
Alvarez can do both.
With a career record of 42-0-1 and 31 of his victories coming by way of knockout, this 22-year-old boxing sensation has a huge fanbase—many of which are Mexican or Mexican-American.
He is capable of providing the competition and hype needed to make fans want to shell out money enough to fill up a gas tank so they can watch a fight.
Otherwise, the only alternative might be to follow Rafael's suggestion, which fans of the WWE can tell you would work brilliantly:
In all seriousness, though, Mayweather needs to give fans a fight they really want to see.
Alvarez is the biggest up-and-coming star on the radar right now, and Mayweather must realize his fans don't want to see him fight anyone less than a top contender.
Should Money's next fight come against a lesser opponent, you can be sure the PPV numbers will continue to slide.
Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment