Floyd Mayweather expects to entertain Mexican fans in a blaze of glory on August 24, which could end up being the resting place for his career.
The boxing legend has taken an enormous gamble, putting all his chips on the table in the hope that the die-hard supporters of the sport south of the border will clamor to see him fight at 47. In another massive punt, Mayweather is facing another American and not giving any of those purchasing tickets an incentive to throw their weight behind a home boxer.
Add to that the fact Mayweather is charging $2,800 to $7,040 [51,094 to 128,076 Mexican Pesos] for the privilege of seeing him up close at ringside. This event could be all she wrote for his exhibition tenure.
The last time Mayweather fought against John Gotti III was a complete disaster. The fight was messy and ended in a disqualification and no-contest before a riot erupted in the arena. Before that, Mayweather had fought in London against a reality TV star in a considerably lifeless O2 Arena.
Only an estimated 5,000 fans bought tickets in a 20,000 venue, which Mayweather blamed on a new team handling his affairs.
“We did this in one month, not even four weeks,” explained the former pound-for-pound king. “I think the tickets should’ve gone on sale a lot faster. My new team is still learning. I have got to take my hat off to them. It’s not their fault.
“It’s just when we fight in the US, tickets are on sale as soon as we announce the fight. Here, we announced the fight, and the tickets didn’t go on sale until a week or two weeks later.”
Mayweather then blamed tight-fisted British fans for not paying his prices.
“I don’t point fingers. We work together as a team. You don’t really want to spend money when you buy tickets over here. In America, we don’t mind spending money.”
The ‘team’ Mayweather speaks of, if the Chalmers fight was their first event, hasn’t gotten it right yet. The Gotti brawl followed the Chalmers fight, and this latest Mexico endeavor has raised eyebrows considerably.
If the Gotti rematch bombs, Mayweather could have nowhere to go as he’s exhausted every avenue of the exhibition circuit. Facing YouTubers, MMA fighters, Japanese kickboxers, and reality stars, there isn’t much left for Mayweather to explore – other than maybe a two-on-one [yes, they happen in some promotions].
Tickets went on pre-sale this week for Mayweather vs Gotti, and there are no reports on how things have gone. A general sale will follow on July 1. Within a week, we’ll be able to tell whether Mexico City will be another O2 Arena graveyard and signal Floyd Mayweather’s potential retirement.
For now, he’s just about getting away with some unusual choices, with old foe Victor Ortiz to follow – if his career survives the Gotti return.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
