What was supposed to be the “Fight of the Century” turned out to be another disappointing, Floyd Mayweather type of fight… calculated and boring. Fight fans had high hopes and expectations following the fight announcement, five years in the making. However, the fight played out exactly how Mayweather planned it. He used his trademark defense and counter-punching ability to stave off Manny Pacquaio throughout the 12-round bout. Pacquaio wasn’t able to overcome Mayweather’s stiff jab and right hand. Mayweather won the fight, with the ringside judges scoring the bout 118-110, 116-112, and 116-112. I also had it 116-112 for Mayweather, FYI.
Prior to the fight, I hoped Pacquaio would push the pace and try to overwhelm Mayweather. For whatever reason, Pacquaio never got to his normal aggressive pace. After the fight, Pacman’s team disclosed a right shoulder injury, which he sustained weeks prior. He is set to have surgery in the coming weeks, which will force him to miss the next 9-12 months due to recovery and rehabilitation. This makes sense, given the fact of how passive Manny looked from the opening bell. He probably didn’t expect it, but this revelation has opened up a can of worms. He, along with his manager and promotion company, face multiple lawsuits for not disclosing his shoulder injury. Fight fans that purchased the fight on pay-per-view, those who attended the bout, and others who bet on the outcome are lining up to make their claims of being cheated. Would the outcome be different with a healthy Manny Pacquiao? Although there’s a possibility of an alternative outcome, it’s unlikely.
No matter how much fans hate the way Mayweather fights, it was absolutely genius on his part. He stayed on the outside and peppered Manny with jabs all night, keeping him at bay. Manny’s injured shoulder may have been part of the reason for his passiveness, but you can’t take anything away from Mayweather. Every opponent that he’s ever fought has ended up looking slow and passive. That’s because his speed is second to none. The fact that we all know this, and still end up purchasing his fights proves only one thing. Mayweather is the king of marketing!
This fight eclipsed all previous records in regards to pay-per-view buys and revenues, and live gate proceeds. The previous record was 2.5 million pay-per-view buys (Mayweather versus Oscar De La Hoya) and $152 million (Mayweather versus Canelo Alvarez) in pay-per-view revenues, in addition to $20 million (Mayweather versus Canelo Alvarez) in live gate proceeds. The Mayweather/Pacquiao fight generated 3 million plus pay-per-view buys, over $300 million in revenues, and over $74 million in live gate proceeds. This fight was so hyped that Mayweather was guaranteed a staggering $180 million, while Manny was promised $120 million. Before this mega-fight, the largest amount guaranteed to a fighter was $41.5 million to Mayweather (Canelo Alvarez). Overall, the fight is estimated to have generated over $500 million, including live gate proceeds, pay-per-view revenues, and concessions and merchandising.
So what’s next for both fighters? Mayweather has one fight left on his Showtime contract, where he’ll also be looking to tie Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0. I’d love to see him fight Russian fighter, Gennady Golovkin, who has been terrorizing his opponents with punching power and aggressiveness. I feel Golovkin has the power to back up Mayweather, and won’t be pushed back from his jabs. On the other hand, Pacquiao, 36, will be out for close to a year after his shoulder surgery. With the legal troubles and the difficulties of overcoming a shoulder injury, I could see Manny retiring.
Mayweather has already stated that he would give Pacquiao a rematch after he returns from rehab, but who would be interested in a Mayweather/Pacquiao II? It’s possible that the results would be different with a fully healthy Pacquiao, but I doubt it. I definitely won’t be fooled the second time around. What about all of you boxing fans out there? Would you want to see a rematch?
