Boxing News 2014: Mayweather-Maidana May 3 Bout Live Gate Was $15M, 4th Best in Nevada History; Money May Wants Rematch Despite Dad’s Objection
WBC and WBA welterweight division title holder Floyd Mayweather Jr has indicated on Thursday that it would likely be a rematch with Argentinean boxer Marcos Maidana for his next scheduled fight on Sept 13.
His motivation, of course, is money. While there is no official pay-per-view figure yet for the first match against Maidana on May 3, the live gate reached $15 million with 15,718 tickets sold. Mlive said the amount is the fourth best in Nevada history which, for Money May, would justify facing the Argentinean boxer again despite the objection of his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Records show that the best live gate receipt was his 2013 fight against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez which raked in $20 million, followed by the bout against Oscar de la Hoya in 2007 at $18.4 million and the Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield II fight in 1999 at $16.86 million.
However, ESPN cited its sources that the PPV buys were only between 850,000 and 900,000 and not more than 1 million as Money May earlier estimated. ESPN believes that since the fight was more than 2 weeks ago, Showtime is just delaying the release of the PPV revenue because it is lower than expected.
The older Mayweather, when informed by his son that he wants a rematch with Maidana, said he objects because of the dirty way the Argentinean boxer fought. He said, quoted by MLive, "The guy's nothing but an MMA fighter. He's twisting your arm, pushing you out of the ring, hitting you behind the head, hitting you below the belt, butting you in the head. That's not boxing."
He also spoke against the referee and said the Mayweather camp would no longer get him again in future fights.
Besides Maidana, other boxers on Money May's Sept 13 bout short list are Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter and Peter Quillin. Andre Kahn is out of contention because he will take part in the Muslim rite of Ramadan during that period, while WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao just extended his contract with Top Rank Promotions until the end of 2016 and Mayweather won't deal at all with Bob Arum, Top Rank's boss.
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Despite the father's objection, Mayweather wants to meet Maidana again. "Floyd told me he wants that fight, but with all that kind of stuff, sometimes it's best to let things go - a man who fight like that especially. The guy is just a dirty fighter and anything can happen with a fight like that."
That includes Mayweather possibly losing his unbeaten status just as he is about to retire from boxing since Maidana showed to the world on May 3 that the 37-year-old Money May has his weak side also, if not age creeping in on him.
