It will take a lot of persuading and a lot of money to get Floyd Mayweather to fight anywhere but the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But insiders insist there remains a possibility the pound-for-pound king of boxing could be holding his next bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Mayweather is tentatively scheduled to fight sometime this spring in what would be the third bout of his six-fight deal with Showtime. The problem is selecting an opponent that will generate the kind of pay-per-view revenue that will earn everyone a profit.
He dispensed of his most attractive opponent last September when Mayweather scored an easy decision over Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The pay-per-view bout did record-setting numbers generating $150 million on 2.2 million pay-per-view buys. But it may have left the cubboard bare as to quality opposition in future bouts.
Amir Kham and Marcos Maidana have been speculated as possible opponents for Mayweather. But nothing is signed. Investors need upwards of 1 million pay-per view buys to break even and having the fight at the Barclays Center could create added interest.
“It would be like LeBron coming to town,” a source close to the situation said. “It would light up the Barclays Center.”
A Mayweather bout at the Barclays wouldn’t generate the type of gate that could be made in Las Vegas and there are tax issues that might deter Mayweather from fighting in New York. But the media exposure he would receive could equate into enough added pay-per-view revenue to ensure his guarantee.
Mayweather is clearly partial to fighting in Las Vegas, his hometown. But he seemed open to taking the Mayweather Experience elsewhere as long as his minimum guarantee is met. “My guarantee will never be under $32 million, never,” he told Fighthype.com.
A Mayweather fight in the spring is one of several bouts to look forward to in 2014. The boxing schedule begins next weekend when Canada’s former world champions Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute battle from the Bell Centre in Montreal; and on Jan. 25 Mikey Garcia faces Juan Carlos Burgos in a junior lightweight title fight at the Garden Theater. HBO will televise both bouts.
Meanwhile, Alvarez is expected to return on March 8 against Alfredo Angulo of Mexico at the MGM, while Manny Pacquiao is set to fight April 12 in Las Vegas against a yet to be named opponents.
More locally, the final boxing card ever at the famed Roseland Ballroom is set for Feb. 12 when Broadway Boxing features “The Last Dance.” Bouts on the card will see New York fan-favorites Heather “The Heat” Hardy, an undefeated super bantamweight and West Point graduate junior middleweight Boyd “The Rainmaker” Melson in separate eight-round bouts.
Here are a few main courses I also would like to see in 2014: Adonis Stevenson vs. Sergey Kovalev for the unified light heavyweight title fight; Gennady Golovkin vs. Andre Ward at super middleweight; Peter Quillin vs. Danny Jacobs for the middleweight title; and Miguel Cotto vs. Sergio Martinez at a catch weight.
Cross your fingers for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. But word is, “It’s not realistic.”
Mayweather is signed with Showtime, while Pacquiao is loyal to HBO though he doesn’t have a multi-fight deal in place. Further complicating matters, Pacquiao’s promoter Top Rank and Mayweather are sworn enemies though the Pac camp says Top Rank boss Bob Arum, “would not get in the way” of a Mayweather fight.
Pacquiao has agreed to drug-testing and taking less money, but the probability of Mayweather-Pacquiao in the fall could hinge on how well Mayweather’s fight in the spring does.
A poor PPV showing in his bout against Robert Guerrero last May earned just 850,000 buys and cost Showtime $8-$10 million. That prompted the rush to match him in the ultimate money-maker against Alvarez last September.
Another disappointing PPV result in his upcoming fight this spring could add more urgency to a match with Pacquiao.