Tag Archives: mayweather

Posted on 04/27/2020

By: Sean Crose

Everyone was disappointed. Everyone called it a waste of money, an event that went down five years too late, a robbery, a hype job, and a snooze fest. Only, come to find out, it wasn’t. Time truly does have a way of offering clarity. The case of 2015’s Floyd Mayweather – Manny Pacquiao fight was proof of this. ESPN and Top Rank have been showing some high level old matches lately – perhaps one good thing to emerge for this Covid-19 nightmare the world is suffering through – and this past Saturday they showed Floyd’s throwdown with Manny, otherwise known as the fight everyone loves to hate. 

Having not seen it in years, I came away from Saturday’s viewing – impressed. For what I saw was thirty six minutes of high level boxing. How high level? About as high level as it comes. This was Waterloo in a boxing ring, a contest between two absolute masters engaged in high level chess – while untold millions watched around the world live. George Foreman once compared boxing to jazz, saying both become less popular the better their practitioners become. There’s some real truth to that. Mayweather versus Pacquiao offered no stunning knockouts, no thrilling come from behind victories, no controversial decisions. It was simply one future Hall of Famer giving it his all against another.

And man, were we disappointed in it. For weeks, we hard core fans griped, while casual fans and the curious scoffed at how boring it was. Perhaps the uninitiated were right to be unhappy. When most people think boxing, they may well think the last 30 minutes of every Rocky movie. Fights at the highest level don’t always play out that way. After re-watching Mayweather-Pacquiao this past weekend, I couldn’t help thinking that it was just a good a fight as Hagler-Leonard. It was simply that everyone wanted Hagler-Hearns. Years of waiting and an oddly curious mainstream media led hype levels to such a pitch that it was almost impossible for the match itself not to disappoint. I remember every major bout since Leonard-Duran 1, and I honestly can’t recall one match – even among matches of the highest order – that brought about the ballyhoo Mayweather-Pacquiao did. 

So yes, the hype was through the roof. What’s more, Mayweather-Pacquiao took place in an over the top era. Boasting was something that had once been frowned upon – by 2015 it was seen as a virtue – something to master if one really wanted to get ahead. Much like today, 2015 liked its entertainment (and sports have been seen as entertainment for at least a century) flashy and explosive. Floyd was flashy. Manny was explosive. Yet both men were forced to tamp down their most popular qualities after they signed to fight each other. Mayweather was just too good for Pacquiao to take risks, and Pacquiao was just too good for Mayweather to be anything other than intensely serious. In short, the men were too good for their own good. At least that’s how it’s been seen.

It’s time for that to change, though. Mayweather-Pacquiao wasn’t a great fight – but it certainly wasn’t a bad one. Far from it.  

Posted on 03/17/2020

By: Sean Crose

Whether he was in the ring fighting, or in his nephew’s corner offering instructions, there was no one quite like Roger Mayweather, who died on Tuesday at the way too young age of 58. Known by younger fans as the sometime trainer of his famous nephew, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Roger Mayweather was born in Grand Rapid’s Michigan and began his own pro career back in 1981 with a victory over Andrew Ruiz in Nevada. In less than two years, Mayweather managed to get himself a world title by winning the WBA Super Featherweight belt from Samuel Serrano, stopping the defending champion in his home island of Puerto Rico in 1983.

Mayweather went on to compile of record of 59-13 throughout a professional career that lasted nearly 20 years. During that time, the Michigan native battled a whose who of big name fighters. Rocky Lockridge, Julio Caesar Chavez, Vinnie Pazienza, Pernell Whittaker, Livingston Bramble and Freddie Pendleton all faced off in the ring against the man called Black Mamba. Along the way, Mayweather picked up world titles in the super featherweight and super lightweight divisions. His career lasted until 1999, when he stopped fighting at close to forty years of age. 

The rise of his brother’s son, however, meant that Mayweather would once again be a notable name in the business. For Roger was – on and off – frequently his nephew Floyd’s trainer, leading the all time great through battles against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, among others. Floyd eventually placed his father, Floyd Sr, in his corner as a result of Roger’s failing health. As a trainer, Roger Mayweather could be controversial, once getting himself suspended and for an in-ring melee with Zab Judah and Yoel Judah after Zab had employed dirty tactics against his nephew.
News of Mayweather’s death has presumably struck Floyd, Roger’s nephew and protege, hard. Coupled with the loss last week of Josie Harris, Floyd’s former longtime girlfriend (and mother of his children), the loss is a huge blow to one of boxing’s most famous families. 

“We are saddened with the recent news of Roger Mayweather’s passing” Mayweather Promotions stated Tuesday afternoon on social media. “Our hearts go out to the Mayweather family and we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. We thank you all for the outpouring of love and support during this time. Roger’s spirit lives on with us forever.

Posted on 03/06/2020

By: Sean Crose

The sun will rise in the east and set in the west, the tides will perpetually go in and out, and Floyd Mayweather will always be Floyd Mayweather. If there’s anything the all time great – and anyone who doesn’t think Mayweather is an all time great frankly doesn’t know much about boxing – has in common with current heavyweight king Tyson Fury it’s that both men have the unique ability to make fans and journalists alike scratch their heads on a regular basis.

For these are individuals who make proclamations that sometimes seem either straight off the tops of their heads or purposely designed to mislead. Take the recent headline from the Daily Mail:
“$600 MILLION: The incredible fee Floyd Mayweather wants to get in the boxing ring with Conor McGregor AND Khabib Nurmagomedov” 

While it’s true Mayweather has found a way to earn more money than pretty much any fighter – or athlete – in the world for a single sporting event, six hundred million for two fights is pretty over the top, even by contemporary boxing standards. A rematch with McGregor, who Mayweather has already bested courtesy of a 2017 novelty bout, would do huge business, but would it do THAT much? As for Nurmagomedov, who also bested McGregor, a boxing match with Mayweather seems even more outlandish than a McGregor rematch. At least McGregor is primarily a striker in his home sport of MMA. Nurmagomadov’s strength is wrestling.  

Still, Mayweather is playing it straight.  “For myself,” the Mail quotes him as saying, “the number is $600m. If I’m going to go out there and risk it, it’d have to be worth it.” Without doubt, any fight is now a risk for Mayweather, who is currently a not so young 43 years old. Although he should be able to best both MMA stars in a ring, the sport of boxing takes it’s toll on fighters as the years roll on. What’s more, Mayweather hasn’t faced a boxer of note since he bested Andre Berto after his insanely lucrative match with Manny Pacquiao back in 2015.  

“In the boxing world as of right now, it doesn’t make sense for me to fight any ordinary fighter,” he says, via the Mail. “I’m a business man.”  Fair enough, but it’s worth wondering if jumping sports would be worth it for McGregor and Nurmagomedov. McGregor has just gotten back to his winning ways in the octagon after a rocky few years, and Nurmagomedov is essentially the sport’s resident badass. What could a likely loss to a considerably over the hill boxer – no matter how great – do to bolster each man’s career?  

Millions upon millions of dollars can make up for a lot of embarrassment, however. As the Mail quotes Mayweather as saying: 

“It’s an entertainment business.”

 As if all this wasn’t wild enough, the Mail reports there’s rumors Mayweather may battle both MMA kings on the same night. 

Posted on 02/29/2020

By Robert Aaron Contreras

Super lightweight upstart Keith Hunter (12-0, 7 KO) proved he has Sanjarbek Rakjmanov’s number, defeating him for the second time on Friday night. Hunter, originally slated to face blue-chipper Malik Hawkins, found himself in the ring with Rakjmanov (12-3-1, 6 KO) for the second time within a single calendar year when the Uzbek bruiser stepped into the ShoBox main event on a week’s notice.

Hunter, competing for the fourth time at Sam’s Town Hotel in Las Vegas, never let his rival dictate the tale of the fight, softening up Rakjmanov with a tremendous jab, scoring one knockdown, and laying on heavy abuse in the final round, winning 98-91, 97-92, and 98-91 to remain undefeated in his five-year career.

After the fight, Showtime color commentator Raul Marquez offered the victorious man high praise.

“Hunter left no doubt in the rematch,” Marquez said. “This fight and the rounds he won very decisively. I only gave Rakjmanov one round. Hunter is a really good prospect: tall, rangy, and knows how to use that to his advantage.”

Hunter did benefit from a large reach advantage: seven-and-a-half inches to be exact. Rakjmanov got a taste of that in their first encounter which Hunter got off to an early, poking at the zealous shorter puncher.

Hunter, 27, returned to his bread and butter this weekend. This time hooking off that picturesque jab in the opening round. Rakjmanov was again seen parrying a few jabs from a crouched position. But when Hunter continued layering his offense with different artillery, the match slipped out of his reach.

There were long right hands that opened the second frame for Hunter. They landed flush, she audibly thudding off Rakjmanov’s temple. The same punch floored Rakjmanov in their first fight. This night, just under the two-minute mark of Round 3, it was a follow-up left hook that skid across the Uzbek’s head and the stout puncher fell over, catching himself with gloves to the canvas: an unquestionable knockdown.

Hunter’s output was ample through the middle stages. His one-two volleys were crisp. But sometimes he overextended himself, especially in the fifth round, wherein he was susceptible to arcing left hands form Rakjmanov. Same as their first go, Hunter ate his man’s best punches and soon Rakjmanov would be reduced to singular punching.

Rakjmanov, however, bit down on his mouthpiece for the sixth stanza. It was his cleanest round, scoring by pitching fastballs upstairs, chopping blows to Hunter’s head. The taller man dropped his hands and relied on elaborate upper-body movement but the round was Rakjmanov’s.

It looked as though Rakjmanov could carry the momentum over into the seventh inning when he quickly drove Hunter to the ropes. But Hunter created distance between himself and any incoming windmill punches. Then the focus from the broadcast became centered around an apparent injury to Hunter’s power, right hand (later revealed to have little swelling but still supposedly injured according to Hunter’s corner).

Those sharp, spearing right hands from Hunter diminished in the eighth and ninth rounds but he was still all smiles.

Well ahead, Hunter broke out of his corner for the final round eager to mix it up with Rakjmanov. This level of bloodrival action defined the excellent seventh round they shared last year. And Hunter clearly wanted to do it again.

Bouncing in and out, Hunter was seen hitting at his opponent—his right hand included. Even when Rakjmanov rushed in and wrapped up the bigger combatant, Hunter managed to tag his clinging assailant, curling his long pendulums into Rakjmanov.

In the final minute, Rakjmanov was overwhelmed. That distance he craved to close for so long was now his worst enemy. Hunter in his face, and the center of the ring, nicked Rakjmanov up and down, hooks and uppercuts crashing into the crumbling figurine.

At a glance, the ShoStats were peculiar. For all his dominance, Hunter only landed 17 percent of his total punches, compared to Rakjmanov’s 31 percent clip. But the American landed both more power punches and body shots, in addition to 500 more jabs, and totaling nearly 1,100 punches.

It was unreal output that did not go unnoticed by either the judges or Rakjmanov who was out on his feet in the waning seconds.

The decision marked Hunter’s second win over the 10-round distance. He is unbeaten, doing his fighting bloodline proud, as the younger brother to heavyweight popularizer Michael Hunter II, and son to their father, the original Michael “The Bounty” Hunter, who battled through the notable heavyweight scene of the 1990s.

Now a veteran headliner, Keith Hunter is beginning to make a name for himself.

Tripleheader Highlights: Big Punches and Huge Upsets

To open the broadcast, Mayweather Promotions had high hopes for two of their associates, Kevin Newman (11-2-1, 6 KO) and Richardson Hitchins (11-0, 5 KO).

Hitchins, for one, took care of business, decisioning Nicholas DeLomba by wide margins, not giving up a single round in this 10-round junior welterweight bout. A former Olympian, he used his fast hands to drill into DeLomba with classic combinations and pull out an unanimous decision (100-90 across the board). The ShoStats painted a clear picture as Hitchins landed 192 of 585 total punches (33 percent) while DeLomba only connected on 81 of 447 (18 percent).

Newman was less impressive, losing in a big upset to the unrecognizable Genc Pllana (8-1-1, 4 KO).

Pllana’s unorthodox fighting may not have looked as pretty as to be expected from someone with the self-styled nickname “Sexy Albanian” but it was good enough to overcome 5-1 underdog odds. It was an unremarkable fight, save for typical Jay Nady antics, but the ringside panel was in agreement, turning in three scores 96-94 for the visiting Kosovan brawler.

Pllana, 26, was far busier than his opponent from the beginning. He opened the fight with three consecutive harsh blows to the back of Newman’s head, to which referee Nady quickly threatened a disqualification. The rest of the way, Pllana never quite got on Nady’s good side but continually stamped Newman’s in the face with an array of winging punches from inconceivable angles, walking the house fighter down in an amateurish manner, often standing upright (arching his back, to boot) allowing his lead hand to dangle below his waist.

The 28-year-old Newman may have landed at a more accurate clip, regularly landing a flickering jab to this man’s body, but was showed zero ability to adapt or command the momentum. This despite having the promoter behind him and Roy Jones Jr. in his corner.

According to the broadcast’s ShoStats, Pllana landed 74 of 602 punches (12 percent) and Newman connected on 96 of 315 (30 percent).

Posted on 02/27/2020

By Robert Aaron Contreras

Keith Hunter (11-0, 7 KO) will now rematch Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (12-2-1, 6 KO) in the main event of this weekend’s ShoBox: The New Generation broadcast after an undisclosed injury forced Malik Hawkins off the card. The action takes place on Feb. 28 at Sam’s Town Hotel in Las Vegas.

News of the super lightweight shakeup broke on Monday. A matchup between Hawkins and Hunter would have paired up two of the most talented and tallest undefeated prospects in the division. After going 5-0 in 2019, Hawkins added his name to the growing list of excellent fighters out of Maryland. A group highlighted by beltholders past and present like Gervonta Davis and Jarrett Hurd.

Hunter, 27, also represents a strong cohort of boxers. Big ones too. He is the son of Mike “The Bounty” Hunter Sr., a former heavyweight contender and veteran of 35 fights, who passed along his skills to his sons. That includes Michael Hunter II, the 31-year-old heavyweight who recently battled Alexander Povetkin to a draw. Michael’s only loss remains a decision to the master-boxer Oleksandr Usyk.

Younger brother Keith last year also found himself fighting down to the wire. With none other than Rakhmanov, who he meets again on Friday.

Rakhmanov, 30, of Uzbekistan, lost the first meeting but closed out the year with a stoppage victory over an undistinguished veteran by the name of Andre Byrd, who had enough after four rounds. Rakhmanov has lost just one other time in his career, also on points, dropping a decision to Texan welterweight Marquis Taylor in 2018.

The rematch with Hunter will be Rakhmanov’s first 10-round contest. A former national champion, in addition to a first-place finish at the 2009 Asian Amateurs, he transplanted to Las Vegas upon earning a promotional contract with Floyd Mayweather’s TMT.

Hunter, born and bred in Las Vegas, met Rakhmanov in April 2019 at the exact same venue, Sam’s Town Hotel which has been a showcase for Mayweather’s stable. So it could be said Hunter was operating in enemy territory despite fighting in his hometown. Hunter would nonetheless edge out a split-decision verdict after eight rounds of tense activity.

A second-round knockdown from Hunter put the B-side up early, carrying him triumphantly over Rakhmanov’s late flurry.

Hunter, a six-foot technician, holds a considerable height advantage over the barreling Uzbek. So he was smart to continually prod out a massive orthodox jab through the first three minutes. It paid extreme dividends in the second stanza when Hunter followed it up with a right cross that buckled Rakhmanov’s knee, accounting for the only knockdown of the fight.

In the fourth round, Hunter could be seen working in an uppercut and feinting a number of bolo punches. Rakhmanov remained persistent, never giving up the center of the ring. He found some success in the opening frame with an overhand left. But was unable to score again with the wild shot until the sixth round. From there the flinging punches poured in.

Hunter had to survive big blows over the final three rounds. Rakhmanov transforming into a crouched devil. Ultimately it was not enough. One referee gave Rakhmanov a 76-75 score but was overuled by nods of 77-74 and 76-75 in the American’s favor.

Worth nothing was the terrific punches traded to close Round 7. The two men actually acknowledged their special rivalry and exchanged a friendly headbutt at the bell, as if to say they could do this violent dance again some day.

On Friday, just a year later, they get their chance to.

Hitchins, Newman Complete Tripleheader in separate bouts

Richardson Hitchins 10-0, 5 KO) is a celebrated farmhand of Mayweather Promotions and he fights in the co-main event of the night against Nick DeLomba (16-2, 5 KO) over a scheduled 10 rounds.

The 22-year-old Hitchins, is a two-time golden glove champion out of Brooklyn, who will be making his 2020 ring debut. A representative for Haiti at the 2016 Olympics, he extended his unbeaten ledger with four wins in 2019, including two stoppage victories.

Having already performed on some of the sport’s biggest stages, fighting multiple times at Barclays and once at the MGM Grand, Hitchins graduated to the 10-round distance in his last bout, also at Sam’s Town. There he decisioned another Vegas welterweight in Kevin Johnson.

DeLomba, 29, seems to have a decent record on paper. He is riding a five-fight win streak. But fighting exclusively out of Rhode Island, against limited talent, he is expected to be nothing but lunchmeat for Hitchins.

Kevin Newman II (11-1-1, 6 KO) is also under the TMT banner and he will be the first of the Showtime tripleheader to compete. Just a teenager when he began training under Jeff Mayweather, he was familiar with the Mayweather stable when he officially joined their ranks in 2014.

Newman, 28, experienced a short setback against California native Mark Anthony Hernandez in 2017, losing on points in a sixth-round undercard match. But following three consecutive victories, Newman exacted his revenge over Hernandez, defeating him last year by unanimous decision.

His opponent on Friday is Genc Pllana, a 26-year-old Kosovan super middleweight who is 2-1-1 over his last four, all against unheralded competition. 

Posted on 01/20/2020

By: Hans Themistode

When it comes to money, you won’t have to look hard to find Floyd Mayweather. 

The former all-time great boxer, retired back in 2017 after pocketing over a hundred million dollars for his tenth round knockout of UFC star Conor McGregor. Since that loss, McGregor had spent a significant amount of time away from the fight game but he officially got back in the win column this past Saturday nightin the octagon with a 40 second knockout of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. 

McGregor had been calling for a rematch with Mayweather over two years. Now that he is officially back on the winning side and is garnering a ton of buzz, now it’s Mayweather who seems to be chasing McGregor for them to do it again. 

Following the quick win for McGregor, ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto shared some news about just how badly Mayweather wants this rematch with McGregor to take place. 

“Just spoke to Dana White,” said Okamoto on his Twitter account. “We finished our interview than he showed me an Instagram from Floyd Mayweather. Said Floyd has been blowing him up all night … no more details than that.”

With a nine figure payday awaiting Mayweather in a rematch with McGregor, it really is no surprise to see just ansy he is about the possibility of another matchup with his crossover rival. 

Although it would be easy on Mayweather’s end to take a fight with McGregor right away. The UFC star on the other hand has his eyes on a number of other fighters in his own sport. Most notably, Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

Still, even if McGregor is taken off the table, Mayweather could of course bank another ridiculous payday if he rematched Manny Pacquiao. Their first bout did after all, break every pay-per-view record. If Mayweather does in fact decide to go down the route of a bout with Pacquiao, then White believes his budding boxing company Zuffa boxing could bring something valuable to the table.

“I think that the Mayweather Pacquiao fight will probably happen again and it makes sense,” said Dana White. “Especially the way Manny Pacquiao has looked in his last couple of fights. That’s something that could happen. I truly believe we would add a ton of value to that fight. So anything is possible.”

Pacquiao, McGregor or even Nurmagomedov are all on the table as possible options for Mayweather. As far who Mayweather will actually choose to take on is an easy decision to make. Whoever brings in the biggest paycheck is who Mayweather will make his 2020 return against.

Posted on 01/18/2020

By: Sean Crose

Even though he hasn’t fought in over a year – Conor McGregor is still the biggest star in the UFC, as is evidenced by the enormous press coverage leading up to his Saturday nightthrowdown with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in Las Vegas. Still, it’s seems McGregor really wants to box. At least that’s the impression the man’s been giving leading up to Saturday. Even though McGregor was bested by Floyd Mayweather in the tenth round of their 2017 novelty boxing match, McGregor seems to want more of the sweet science. 

According to the Los Angeles Times, McGregor and UFC honcho Dana White recently “fielded almost as many questions about boxing as they did about the UFC 246 pay-per-view taking place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.” White reportedly wants McGregor to stay put in the UFC – though it’s clear White himself wants in on the boxing game, in a managerial or promotional level. McGregor, on the other hand, wants a second shot at the almost 43 year old Mayweather. He’s also expressed interest in fighting Mayweather’s arch rival, Manny Pacquiao. McGregor has even responded positively to the idea of facing Pacquiao in the yet to be completed Allegiant Stadium, soon to be home to the NFL’s Raider’s. 

“I would be honored to be a part of that,” the Times quotes McGregor as saying. “I would love to be the first combatant to fight in that arena. What a fight that would be against Manny — a small powerful southpaw. We would have to figure out the weight and those types of things, but it’s something that interests me, no doubt.” Weight would certainly be an issue. McGregor is facing Cerrone at 170 pounds. Pacquiao fights at around 147 pounds – and has to eat copious amounts of food to even reach that weight. Add in McGregor’s height advantage and the two would make an odd pairing. It would also be a terrible look for McGregor if the much smaller Pacquiao beat him – which is something most analysts would likely predict anyway.

Not that McGregor can be blamed for wanting to box again. He’s making a reported three million dollars to face Cerrone this weekend. That’s a whole lot of money, but not nearly the kind of payday a top name boxer makes. The simple truth is that, even if he loses, McGregor can make a lot more fighting Pacquiao than he can fighting a top level opponent in his own sport. Then there’s the matter of ambition, something McGregor has never had in short supply. To conquer both boxing and MMA would be a bright feather in any fighter’s cap. It seems only Holly Holm, who will be fighting on the McGregor-Cerrone undercard, has been able to pull off such a feat to date. 

Posted on 12/26/2019

By: Hans Themistode

We’re just a few days away from the end of this decade. In terms of sports, it’s been a memorable one. 

We’ve seen one of the greatest basketball players of all-time in Kobe Bryant start the decade with an NBA championship, while Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors end it with their own. 

The New Orleans Saints kicked off the beginning of this decade with an NFL title and the seemingly never ending dynasty of the New England Patriots end this decade capturing yet another championship. 

For years, boxing has been given the cold shoulder. “Boxing is dead” has been a constant theme for years. Outside of maybe one big fight a year, boxing has always been shoved inside of the closet. How many times does this sentiment need to be proven wrong for the storyline on boxing be changed for good? 

Every year we read about the huge money that is being passed around other sports like candy. Now that the year 2020 is right around the corner, the top ten athletes of this decade were ranked in terms of who raked in the most money. 

If boxing is dead like they say, then how come multiple names from the sport appear on this list?  Figuring out who leads the group is an easy one. Floyd Mayweather may have retired back in 2017, but he did more than enough to come out on top of this list. 

If you’re curious as to which other boxer joined him and the full list of names that occupy every other spot, just keep reading and you’ll find out just how much money all of these athletes brought in for the decade.  

10. Lewis Hamilton: $400 Million 

Occupation: Race car driver

Speeding might lead to a few tickets and several issues with the law, but race car driver Lewis Hamilton has learned how to turn into a lucrative way of life.

9. Kevin Durant: $425 Million

Occupation: Basketball player 

With two NBA championships, an MVP award, 10 All-Star game selections and a slew of other awards, Kevin Durant has seen his brand skyrocket to the top with a 400 percent endorsement increase during this decade.

8. Manny Pacquiao: $435 Million

Occupation: Boxer

2020 will be the 25th year for Manny Pacquiao as a professional fighter. Ridiculous. He’s fought on pay-per-view 25 times in his career and has always drawn big numbers. The scary part about Pacquiao is that he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

7. Phil Mickelson: $480 Million

Occupation: Golf player

With nearly half a billion dollars made during the decade, no one should question why at the age of 49, Phil Mickelson has continued his golf career.

6. Tiger Woods: $615 Million

Occupation: Golf player

Not only has golfer Tiger Woods generated $615 million dollars during the decade, but he is also just three majors behind the all-time leader Jack Nicklaus. Don’t expect Tiger to hang em up anytime soon.

5. Roger Federer: $640 Million

Occupation: Tennis Player 

Roger Federer might be 38 years old but if you believe he is slowing down, then you might want to double check. He currently holds the record for the most majors won with 20. He also signed a lucrative deal with Uniqlo for $300 million back in 2018. Expect the money to keep piling up for him even in a new decade. 

4. LeBron James: $680 Million

Occupation: Basketball player

There is no doubt that LeBron James is one of the best basketball players to ever play the game, but his business mind separates him from the rest. He once was on record saying that he wants to be a billionaire. At his rate, there is no doubt that he will be.

3. Lionel Messi: $750 Million

Occupation: Soccer player

This page isn’t long enough to list every achievement of Lionel Messi. One thing that should be highlighted, however, is that he earned more money than any other athlete regardless of the sport in 2019.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo: $800 Million

Occupation: Soccer player 

Cristiano Ronaldo may rank second on this list bringing in $800 million during the decade but he ranks number one in terms of Instagram followers with 194 million. That has to count for something right?

1. Floyd Mayweather: $915 Million

Occupation: Boxer

No one can compare to Floyd Mayweather. It almost seems unreal to see that he has made almost one billion dollars in one decade. With Mayweather set to come out of retirement in 2020, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see him on the top of this list again for the next decade.

Posted on 11/24/2019

By: Hans Themistode

When Floyd Mayweather Jr decided to flip the boxing world on its head by announcing that he would be returning to the ring in 2020, it was met with a mixed bag of emotions.

On one end, boxing fans were elated with the news. Floyd is one of the greatest boxers of all-time and an even better showman. On the other side of the spectrum, it seemed like a complete contradiction.

Just one day prior to making his announcement, Floyd went on record stating that he was officially done with the sport of boxing. At least, from a participant standpoint.

Floyd cited his health as the main reason why he was hanging up the gloves for good. The five division world champion has always kept himself in great shape, and has done an excellent job in avoiding taking heavy punishment in a career that has spanned more than two decades. But with so many ring tragedies as of late, Floyd decided that at the age of 42, it was just too much of a risk at this point in his life.

“Boxing is a very, very brutal sport. In the last few years a lot of fighters have died inside that squared circle,” Said Mayweather. “My health is my wealth”

Floyd has retired from the ring on numerous occasions, but has always given the impression that he would be back at some point. This time however, things seemed more real.

With that being said, within just a few short hours later, Floyd would go on to announce that he would be ending his retirement in 2
Talk about a quick change of heart.

The focus has now quickly shifted to who exactly does Floyd have in mind for his ring return. The excitement surrounding the greatest boxer of his generation making his return in palpable.

One person however, who isn’t amongst those who are happy with the decision is his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr.

“There ain’t nothing to prove,” said Mayweather Sr. “He done proved everything.”

With 50 wins to his name with no defeats to go along with countless titles across five weight divisions, Mayweather Sr is right. Floyd doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone.

Many are expecting Floyd’s return to be a one off. A huge fight against quite possibly another UFC opponent where he could bank at minimum 100 million dollars for his services. But Mayweather Sr doesn’t quite view it that way. Instead, he believes this could become a pattern.

“If he fights this time then I figure then he’s going to fight again, and if you fight then, you’ll fight again and again and again. It’s like as long as I keep winning I’ll keep fighting and that ain’t no good.”

The concerns that Mayweather Sr has for his son has nothing to do with fighting ability. He believes that Floyd is still highly skilled but at this point why take the risk? Who knows if anyone around Floyd has advised him to stay away from a return, but Mayweather Sr has made it clear that if he can stop him, he will.

“He can do it, trust me but hopefully I can stop him from fighting. I don’t know if I can or not but if I can, I will be glad. I just don’t want him to get hurt in any kind of way.”

With Mayweather Sr expressing genuine concern for his son, maybe he can put an end to his 2020 ring return. Yet, with Floyd’s obsession with money, it is hard to see anyone changing his mind.

Posted on 11/23/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Now that we have gotten past our hysteria over Floyd Mayweather Jr making his return to the ring in 2020. We can now focus on who “Money May” plans on making his return against.

Following an instagram post marking his decision to fight once again in 2020, Mayweather subsequently posted a picture with UFC President Dana White. The last time these two were seen together, the pair put on one of the biggest events in 2017. That was of course, when Mayweather took on UFC star Conor McGregor in a boxing match. One that Mayweather won via tenth round stoppage.

A rematch with McGregor had long been discussed, but now, two years later, one has to believe that it wouldn’t be quite the draw that it was the first time around. With McGregor failing to win a contest in the octagon since 2016, he still remains a major draw but not what he once was.

McGregor was last seen in 2018 as he lost via submission to UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The aforementioned Nurmagomedov, has now been linked to a contest with Mayweather. There has been a bit of resistance for the contest to take place, but as of late, it has been embraced more than ever.

Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, welcomes the idea of his son facing Mayweather, who carries an undefeated record of 28-0 in his MMA career. First things first however, and that is a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, a fighter who is currently on a 12 fight winning streak in the UFC. The contest between the two is expected to be one of the biggest in the history of the UFC.

“Floyd, I respect your wish to fight Khabib,” said Abdulmanap via Instagram. “At the moment we have our most crucial moment, when he have to hold the best fight in the history of the UFC.”

Unlike in 2017, Mayweather does not intend on returning to the ring for just one fight. Instead, it seems as though his first bout back will be something of a warm up as he gets himself prepared for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

According to reports, Mayweather believes that “the time is right” for a rematch to take place in 2020 with Pacquiao.

For over five years in the career of Mayweather, he has fought on two of the biggest Mexican holidays which are in May and September. Those dates have since been taken by current boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez. Mayweather could be angling to get them back.

Outside of his last contest which took place at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, Mayweather has always made his home just down the block at the MGM Grand Arena. Mayweather could change that narrative as he eyes the Allegiant Stadium, which would be the home of the NFL team Las Vegas Raiders when the team officially moves from Oakland in 2020.

Nothing has been set in stone yet, but Mayweather is certainly making his return to the ring. Sit back, relax and prepare for one wild 2020. Courtesy of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Posted on 11/22/2019

By: Sean Crose

Floyd Mayweather is now all but saying that he will be fighting again in 2020. Although the fighter known as Money has made a second career teasing and occasionally delving into comebacks, the former pound for pound great has presented two typically enigmatic posts on Instagram which suggest he’s about to get back in the fight business in one form or other. “@danawhite and I working together again,” Mayweather wrote alongside a picture of he and UFC honcho Dana White sitting together court-side at a basketball game, “to bring the world another spectacular event in 2020”

Photo Credit: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Instagram Account

The first and – up until now – only “spectacular” event Mayweather and White put on was 2017’s novelty superfight between Mayweather and the UFCs biggest star at the time, Conor McGregor. Mayweather predictably won, but the fight brought in a ton of money and publicity and was arguably the defining pop culture event of that summer. Since then Mayweather has fought a single one sided exhibition fight in Japan while McGregor has faced and lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in the UFC octagon. Although McGregor is expected to return to the world of mixed martial arts, it’s hard to imagine a rematch between he and Mayweather capturing the public’s imagination the way their first fight did.

Still, there the post is, with both Mayweather and White smiling at the camera. The second post, released a short time later Thursday evening, showed Mayweather in fighting physique with the single line attached: “Coming out of retirement in 2020.” At press time, no comments have been left under the second post. The first post, however, featured a comment from White in the form of a three fist emoji, indicating that there may be more to all this than Mayweather simply leading on the public, as he’s known to do. What’s more, White went ahead and placed Mayweather’s second Instagram post up on his own Twitter account.

With all that in mind, it’s a bit hard to imagine what Mayweather and White have up their sleeve. Mayweather is now well into his forties. For a man who prizes an undefeated record the way Mayweather does, it’s hard to imagine the man really getting back into the ring. It’s frankly even harder to imagine the man learning a whole new skill set in order to enter the octagon. Then again, this is Mayweather – a man known to be full of surprises (Did anyone, for instance, really think he was interested in fighting Conor McGregor before serious negotiations got under way?).

As for Dana White, the man has wanted in on the boxing business for a while now. And there’s probably no better way for him to get in the door than through Mayweather and Mayweather’s adviser, PBC boss Al Haymon. As of late Thursday night, Twitter reaction was predictably mixed, with some expressing excitement, and some expressing exasperation. No one can deny, however, that both Mayweather and White know how to attract eyeballs and copious amounts of dollars.

Boxing Insider will keep readers posted on this developing story.

Posted on 11/16/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Deontay Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs) is currently putting the finishing touches on his training camp for his rematch with Luis Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) which will take place at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 23rd. 

Wilder seemingly is in no way looking past Ortiz, as he will attempt to defend his WBC Heavyweight title for the tenth time, but he does see the light at the end of his career tunnel. Wilder has been a pro for over a decade and a world champion for nearly five years. At the age of 34, he isn’t slowing down, but his career is certainly towards the end rather than the beginning or even the halfway point. 

With a record that has seen him unblemished in the loss column through 42 career fights, there is reason to believe that Wilder could join a very small group of boxers who have retired undefeated. The most recent of course, was Floyd Mayweather Jr, who wrapped up his career in 2017 with a 50-0 record. 

When asked if he believed he could surpass Mayweather’s spotless record, the confident Alabama native did not mince words.

“I think I can. I’m halfway there,” said Wilder. “With the way I’m fighting and with the things I’ve got planned for my career, I’ll definitely get there. 52-0 with 51 knockouts, that would be a sick record to have.” 

Assuming Wilder wins his November 23rd contest against Ortiz, which is no guarantee, he would need to win his traditional two fights a year for the next six years in order to achieve the 52 win mark without a defeat. 

The long reigning WBC titlist doesn’t want to fight just anyone either. Whomever considers themselves the best at the division is who Wilder would like to be matched up with. 

“I only have six more years left in the business. Six more years and I’m out of here. Within these six years, I just want to give everyone the fights they want to see. If you want me to fight your favorite fighters, then get your favorite fighters to come. A lot of these guys say they want me to fight, but then they come up with PEDs, or they find themselves not really wanting to fight.”

If this is truly the beginning of the curtain call for Wilder, he should be appreciated for everything that he has been able to accomplish in his career. When it’s all said and done he will be missed.

“When people think about boxing, I want them to think about Deontay Wilder. I only have six more years left and then I’m out of the sport. So love me now. Give me my roses now. When I’m gone, you’re going to miss me, because nobody is going to knock anybody out like Deontay Wilder.”

Even with Wilder declaring that he only has six years left in the sport, shouldn’t alarm any fans. There is still plenty that he has left to give and even more that he wants to accomplish. 

As for whether or not he will be able to successfully exceed Mayweather’s 50-0 mark, that will certainly be a difficult ask. With great fighters such as Andy Ruiz, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and a host of others currently in the Heavyweight division, if Wilder does in fact finish out his career undefeated by getting through such a murderous of contenders along the way, then we should book his ticket now for the hall of fame.

Posted on 11/08/2019

By: Hans Themistode

It’s been quite some time since sure fire first ballot hall of famer Floyd Mayweather Jr has been seen in the ring. However, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been behind the scenes trying to make things happen.

This is apparently the case according to Abdulmanap, the father of UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

It was long thought that Mayweather would ride off into the sunset following his tenth round stoppage win over another UFC star in Conor McGregor, in 2017. That aforementioned contest reportedly netted Mayweather close to 300 million.

Discussions of the two polarizing figures running back the contest never materialized. Instead, Mayweather seemed content with living the retired life. However, as of late, Mayweather has seemingly been in discussions with his former rival, Manny Pacquiao.

The two settled their long standing feud in the ring back in 2015. Mayweather would win via unanimous decision, although Pacquiao has said on numerous occasions that he was not 100 percent for their contest, citing a torn rotator cuff for his shortcomings in the contest.

A rematch between the two has been in discussions for quite some time now, but Mayweather has seemingly switched his focus to Nurmagomedov.

Thoughts of these two sharing the ring with one another has been teased for several years now. Yet, there was never any real traction. Fast forward to today, and it looks as though the possibility has become as real as ever.

“Floyd, I respect your wish to fight Khabib,” said Abdulmanap via Instagram. “At the moment we have our most crucial moment, when he have to hold the best fight in the history of the UFC.”

The contest in which Abdulmanap is speaking of, is his son’s next opponent Tony Ferguson. It will undoubtedly be one of the biggest contests in the history of the UFC.

“Twelve against 12 in a series of victories (in the UFC) and all the fans are waiting for this fight.”

When Abdulmanap says the number twelve, he is speaking of victories in the UFC octagon. Khabib is undefeated in twelve contests for the UFC, while Ferguson is currently on a twelve fight win streak which stretches back to 2013.

“We’ve been preparing for this fight for more than a year. Five months and the fight with Ferguson should take place.”

Abdulmanap’s wish for his son to first fight Tony Ferguson is understandable. They are both arguably the best Lightweights in the UFC, and a contest between the two would end the debate on who is the best in the world.

Although Abdulmanap wants his son to focus on Ferguson, he would like for Khabib to shift his focus following victory over Ferguson.

Abdulmanap however, has made it clear that he will need some time for his son to get fully prepared, which will include calling upon the help of a respected boxing trainer.

“First of all we will need to do some boxing training and we need a camp – with Lomachenko Sr for half a year. Why not!!!”

A match between Khabib and Floyd would take place in a boxing ring, which leads to the belief that Khabib will suffer the same fate of Conor McGregor. It is truly mind boggling that any UFC fighter truly believes that they can defeat one of the best boxers in the world. Even at the age of 42, Floyd Mayweather possesses the sort of skill, you simply can’t teach in a short amount of time.

With Floyd officially receiving the blessing of Khabibs father to make the contest happen, it looks as though the showdown will take place in 2020.

Posted on 11/02/2019

By: Ken Hissner

On Friday night Mayweather Promotions put on a card at Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada. This card was broadcast on Showtime and featured Xavier Martinez scoring a sensational knockout over Jessie Cris Rosales.

Super Featherweight Xavier Martinez improved his record to 15-0 (11) when he scored the knockout over Filipino boxer Jessie Rosales, 22-4-1(10) when he scorched him at 0:21 of the first round.
Martinez stung Rosales about ten seconds from the start and immediately followed it with a left hook and right on the chin of Rosales and down he went. Referee Vic Drakulich immediately waved it off.

Photo Credit: Showtime Boxing Twitter Account

In the co-feature Welterweight 2016 Olympian Richardson Hitchins, 10-0 (5), #144, of Brooklyn, NY, defeated Kevin “Thunder Storm” Johnson, 7-2 (4), #143 1/4, Las Vegas, NV, over 10 rounds.

In the first round Hitchins was much stronger outlanding Johnson. In the second round it was another close one with Hitchins countering well. In the third round after a minute of action Johnson landed a solid right to the chin of Hitchins. It was a close round with Johnson getting the edge.

In the fourth round the closeness of the rounds continued. Hitchins seemed the stronger of the two landing more than a jab at a time like Johnson. In the fifth round Johnson landed a looping right to the chin halfway through the first minute. Hitchins continued to outwork Johnson the rest of the way.

In the sixth round halfway through the round Hitchins landed several combinations while Johnson depended on his jab. In the seventh round Johnson kept his distance instead of getting closer inside. Halfway through the round Johnson finally got inside landing four consecutive body shots. Hitchins showed his power in his right whether countering or leading with it.

In the eighth round Johnson had his mouth opened yet made it close by the end of the round which could have gone either way. In the ninth round Johnson sencing he was behind became more aggressive. In a close round Johnson may have won it.

In the tenth and final round at the halfway mark Johnson landed several rights on the chin of Hitchins. Sensing he may need a knockout to win Johnson outlanded Hitchins.

Scores were 96-94, 97-93 twice.

In a rematch Super Middleweight Mark “Madman” Anthony Hernandez, 14-3-1 (3), #165, of Fresno, CA, lost to Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman II, 11-1-1 (6), #165, of Las Vegas, NV, getting his revenge over 8 rounds.

In the first two rounds Newman seemed to win with his hand speed and footwork.

In the third round Hernandez pinned Newman against the ropes but Newman returned as many body punches as Hernandez. Newman’s jab seemed to be the difference of the two. In the fourth round Hernandez fought better but Newman’s hand speed kept him ahead.

In the fifth round there was too much holding on both parts. Hernandez continued to be the aggressor for the most part. In the sixth round Newman rocked Hernandez in the first minute with a right uppercut to the chin. Newman finished strong possibly enough to win the round. The action slowed down in that round.

In the seventh round Newman seemed to get his “second wind” being more accurate. A Newman right uppercut to the chin of Hernandez rocked him. Newman had a right blocked in the final minute but followed with a left to the chin of Hernandez. In the eighth and final round in the first minute Hernandez landed a solid left hook to the chin of Newman. Seconds later Newman came back with a flurry of punches. Halfway through the round Newman landed a double left hook to the body and head. It looked like Newman got his revenge.

Scores were 80-72 and 79-73 twice.

Flyweight Ava Knight, 19-2-5 (5), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Colombian Luna del Mar Torroba, 12-10-3 (2), of LaPampa, ARG, over 8 rounds.

Super Flyweight prospect Dylan Price, 10-0 (7), of Sicklerville, NJ, stopped Elias Joaquino, 12-5-2 (6), of Cebu, PH, at 1:48 of the 6th of an 8 rounder.

Lightweight Cris Reyes, 9-0 (8), of Renton, WA, stopped Recky “The Terror” Dulay, 11-7 (8), of Makati City, PH, at 1:55 of the 4th of an 8.

Lightweight Rolando “Rolly” Romero, 10-0 (9), #138, of Las Vegas, NV, knocked out Juan Carlos Cordones, 14-2 (9), #141 1/2, of La Romana, DR, at 2:14 of the first round in a 6 rounder.

In the first round a left hook from Romero dropped Cordones getting up quickly receiving an 8-count from Referee Robert Byrd. Half a minute later a right on the chin dropped Cordones a second time. He showed little effort to beat the count.

Super Featherweight Malik Warren, 2-0 (2), of Baltimore, MD, stopped Shauncy Perry, 0-1 (0), of Jonesboro, AR, at 1:09 of the second in a 4 rounder.

Posted on 10/29/2019

By: Hans Themistode

What were you doing at 22 years old?

Most likely you were in school or working at some job that made you feel like your life was in purgatory as you tried to figure things out.

For Shakur Stevenson, at the age of 22 he just won his first world title when he easily outpointed Joet Gonzalez this past Saturday night.

The talent of the former Olympic silver medalist has always been apparent, but now, he has put everything together.

Comparisons in boxing, or any sport for that matter, is a common occurrence. Both the fans and media alike aren’t content with just watching an outstanding athlete dominate. They must place a comparison on them.

Kobe Bryant was always compared to Michael Jordan. Lebron James has continued to hear about the Magic Johnson comparisons. Tom Brady and Joe Montana are seemingly joined at the hip as well.

Comparisons aren’t a bad thing. To the contrary, it can lead to a ton of pressure. Well, that is only if the person allows it. Comparing one former great player to a current one is one of the biggest forms of flattery that can be shown.

Shakur Stevenson is a newly minted world champion in just his 13th professional fight. It really doesn’t make any sense just how phenomenal he is at such a young age. The way in which he dominated Joet Gonzalez, who is by all means a solid fighter in his own right, was downright impressive.

One person who has been around longer than seemingly everyone is Stevenson’s manager, Bob Arum. The one of kind promoter has seen his fair share of great fighters. Comparing them to their past counterparts is something that Arum has done on countless occasions. It comes as no surprise to see Arum compare his young star to another fighter he once had under his stable. Yet, the one he was referring to, did raise a few eyebrows.

“I thought it was a really magnificent performance,” said Arum. “In a lot of ways, it reminded me of a left-handed Floyd Mayweather.”

That’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it? To juxtapose Stevenson and Mayweather this early in his career says a lot about the talent of Stevenson already. Let’s not forget that Mayweather did win multiple titles in five different weight classes to go along with ending his career with a perfect record through 50 fights. If Stevenson can even come close to that than he is destined for the hall of fame.

Arum wasn’t the only notable name who was impressed with Stevenson. Multiple division champion and current pound for pound stalwart Terence Crawford emphasized the growth he has seen in Stevenson from when he first started to where he is now.

“He’s grew tremendously,” Crawford said. “He’s getting stronger. He’s getting wiser. He’s getting more sharper. He’s getting more comfortable in the ring. When I first sparred Shakur, he was just a little kid. You know? And now, we sparring, he’s learning so much in the ring by just sparring me, you know, he’s trying things on me that I do on him on me now. And I look at it and I say, ‘OK, well, he’s not just sparring me now. He’s picking up little bits and pieces of things that I do inside the ring.”

From the moment Stevenson came onto the scene there was no doubting his greatness, but he has made his mark far quicker than anyone could have imagined. If he continues his rapid rise to the top he might, again might, live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him.