Tag Archives: money

Posted on 07/04/2017

Mayweather-McGregor: It’s All About The Money
By: Seamus McNally

Unless you live under a rock, you have probably heard by now that former pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather (49–0, 26 KOs) will return from a 23-month layoff to face UFC lightweight champion “The Notorious” Conor McGregor (21–3, 18 KOs) in a 12-round junior middleweight boxing match on August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers of all time, will attempt to reach the hallowed 50–0 mark by facing a fighter who will be making his professional boxing debut

So why is a bout between a future first-ballot hall of fame boxer and someone who has never boxed a day in his life taking place? Quite simply…. money.

When Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2015, the long-awaited showdown shattered every financial record possible. It garnered approximately 4.6 million buys and generated $623.5 million in total revenue. Most people figured those numbers would never be reached again, and yet here we are just two years later with a fight that has the potential to exceed those astronomical numbers.

To give you an idea of how much money this fight could generate, ESPN’s Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell spoke to ticket brokers, sports marketers and those who are in the boxing business, and based on projected revenues from tickets, pay-per-view, sponsorships, merchandise, and betting, they came up with an estimated total revenue figure of $606.1 million generated by this mega-fight.

To put in perspective the amount of money Mayweather-Pacquiao generated and the expected numbers Mayweather-McGregor will produce, the next highest grossing boxing fight is the 2007 Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoyafight which sold 2.48 million pay-per-views and grossed a total revenue of $165 million. McGregor’s best pay-per-view was his rematch against Nate Diaz last August which did a reported 1.65 million buys.

The hype behind Mayweather-Pacquiao was built largely on them being the two best boxers of their generation and the anticipation of fans who waited six years for the fight to finally come to fruition. The promotion itself was subdued, with older and more mature versions of Mayweather and Pacquiao largely being respectful in the press conferences leading up to the fight. That will not be the case in the build-up for Mayweather-McGregor.

The promotion for this fight will be unlike anything we have ever seen before. McGregor is the best trash-talker in combat sports since the late Muhammad Ali and his press conferences are usually just as entertaining as his fights. Not only does he talk more trash than anyone in sports today, but he consistently backs it up inside the Octagon, which has made him a global superstar and an icon in his native Ireland.

McGregor will hurl more insults at Mayweather in the next two months than Mayweather has heard in his previous 49 fights combined. McGregor will probably attempt to ignite some type of altercation with Mayweather during a press conference stare down. The media and casual sports fans will eat it up. McGregor will talk millions of people into believing he has a chance. The hype of fight week will probably exceed the Super Bowl.

Even before the promotion has hit full-gear, McGregor’s bravado already has plenty of people believing he will win. ESPN.com put a poll up on their site asking who will win and out of over 100,000 votes, 24% picked McGregor.
But to be frank, this fight is purely a money-grab. It might be an even bigger scam than Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. It’s more like a Ringling Brothers Circus show. I for one, am very excited to see the shenanigans that McGregor will pull at the press conferences and how Floyd will react. But I know going into this, McGregor has no chance to win.

Yes, I know 18 of McGregor’s 21 wins in mixed martial arts have come via knockout with his fists. Yes, I know he is taller, bigger, and younger than Mayweather. Yes, I know he’s a southpaw, which supposedly is Floyd’s kryptonite.
It means nothing.

McGregor has scored those knockouts against guys who come from wrestling and jiu-jitsu backgrounds, not professional boxers. Mark Hunt, Donald Cerrone, and Anderson Silva, all accomplished MMA fighters who are considered great strikers, have a combined professional boxing record of 1 win, 3 losses (2 by knockout) and 1 draw.

Mayweather has managed to defeat the best boxers of his era, and with ease. Many of them never even managed to hit Mayweather with one punch of significance. And now people are expecting a guy to come in with no prior professional boxing experience and beat one of the best defensive fighters to ever live. The idea is laughable. The same would be true if Mayweather fought McGregor in the Octagon. He would stand as little a chance of defeating McGregor as the Irishman does of out-boxing Mayweather.

This was already proven when former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture submitted boxing legend James Toney in the first round of their 2010 MMA bout.

I heard one analogy that describes this fight perfectly. It will be like the best diver trying to beat Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly. The diver knows how to swim, but not as fast as the most decorated Olympian ever. McGregor knows how to punch, but he won’t be able to outbox the best boxer of this generation.

Like everyone else, I will be glued to the television the night of August 26th to watch the spectacle of two iconic figures in their respective sports duke it out for 12 rounds (or less). But I expect nothing less than another easy victory for Mayweather.

Posted on 05/28/2017

Money Prince Duarte: “My goals are to knock every person I fight out”
By Matthew N. Becher

​Money Prince Duarte is a 7 year old boxing prodigy that we spoke with a little over a year ago and will be keeping tabs on to see how he develops in the boxing game. He calls Las Vegas his home and is a constant staple at The Mayweather Boxing Club. Money Prince is currently trained by Roger Mayweather and shares boxing royalty with his God Father Zab Judah.

It is the 1 year countdown until young Money turns 8 years old and can officially start boxing as an amateur in tournaments and begin collecting some hardware.

Boxing Insider: Since we spoke a year ago, what have you been working on?

Money Prince Duarte: I have been working on my complete package, getting stronger, punching harder, getting smarter in the ring, and learning more about being a true champion.

Boxing Insider: How often do you spar? How big/old are the kids you are sparring with?

Money Prince Duarte: Over the past year, I have sparred a few times, the kids I was sparring, two were my age and one was a year older. I dominated all of them and knocked each one down. I’m going to start back sparring next month, once a week. I just love to fight, I love being in the ring, its home to me.

Boxing Insider: You are officially on the 12 month countdown to when you can compete as an 8 yr. old amateur. What are the goals for your first year?

Money Prince Duarte: My goals are to knock every person I fight out, show the boxing world I’m the real deal and not just a cute kid that can box. I want to at least be 10-0 before I turn 9. I also want the world to know my name and for the kids to be very afraid when they have to fight me.

Boxing Insider: Do you try and imitate any professional fighters?

Money Prince Duarte: No I don’t imitate any individual boxer but I would say I try to punch hard like Mike Tyson every time, with uncle Roger training me I try to keep my defense tight like Floyd Mayweather and I would say I can really go in for the kill like my GOD father Zab Judah. I’m fast like Ali I guess you can say I’m a mixture of the past legend to become the world’s greatest in the future.

Boxing Insider: Who is your favorite fighter right now?

Money Prince Duarte: it has never changed my favorite boxer is MIKE TYSON

Boxing Insider: what does a 7 year old boxer do, in a normal day?

Money Prince Duarte: I wake up around 7am for breakfast then run 2-3 miles, come home have breakfast around 8:30am shower, then I nap for 30 mins before starting my home school work around, 9:30-11:30am then I go to Mayweather boxing club at 1:30-5pm and train with my uncle roger. I do 50-75 rounds on mitts, 5-10 rounds of 100 jumps on the jump rope, 3 rounds of 10 pull ups and dips, 10 rounds on the heavy bag. 200 pushups and 300 sit ups. After the gym I go to dinner with my family and then watch cartoons or boxing films and then to bed.

Posted on 05/12/2017

Who Was the Best P4P “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker or Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr?
By: Ken Hissner

This writer has met “Sugar” Ray Leonard several times, Aaron “The Hawk” once and Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker once. I never met Floyd “Money” Mayweather. All are IBHOF inductees except Mayweather who has to wait five years after retiring before induction. He hasn’t fought since 2015.

As far as an amateur Leonard would be in a class of his own compared to the other three though Whitaker also won an Olympic Gold Medal but against lesser opposition.Leonard was from Palmer Park, MD.

Let’s take a look at Leonard first with an amateur record of 145-5 (75) winning the 1976 Olympic Gold Medal before turning professional on possibly the greatest Olympic team in the history of the Games. He won the 1975 Pan American Games the previous year defeating Cubans for both Gold Medals. He was inducted into the Olympic HOF in 1985 and the IBHOF in 1997 fighting from 1977 thru 1997 with a 36-3-1 (25) record.

In talking with Manny Steward who helped this writer judge 1976 vs 1984 Olympic teams we both agreed Leonard was a better amateur than a professional. Steward told me due to hand injuries as a professional. His manager was Mike Trainer and his trainers were Dave Jacobs, Janks Morton, Adrian Davis, Angelo Dundee and Pepe Correa.

Leonard won the WBC & WBA welterweight titles, WBA Junior middleweight, WBC’s middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight titles. Highlights winning world titles by stopping Wildfredo Benitez, winning two of three from Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, stopping and drawing with Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns, stopping AyubKalule, defeating “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and stopping Donny Lalondetwice.
Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor, 39-1 (36), was from Cincinnati, OH. He was 204-16 in the amateurs winning AAU and Golden Gloves titles while being a Silver Medalist in the 1975 Pan Am Games and a 1976 Olympic alternate losing to future Gold Medalist and Van Barker winner Howard Davis. In talking to Davis over the phone I told him I thought he lost against Pryor in the Olympic Trials. He didn’t agree. Pryor won the 1976 Golden Gloves defeating Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns.

At the Pan Am Games in 1975 Olympic members Chuck “White Chocolate” Walker and Davey Armstrong agreed Leonard just got the best of Pryor in sparring in unforgettable performances by both.

Pryor was the IBF and WBA light welterweight champion. He was 35-0 and was inactive for 2½ years coming back and tasting his only career defeat to Bobby Joe Young then winning his last three fights. He fought from 1976 thru 1990. His most notable wins were over Antonio “Kid Pambele” Cervantes, Dujuan Johnson and over Alexis Arguello twice.His manager was Buddy LaRosa and trained by Panama Lewis.

Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker as a professional was 40-4-1 (17), and as anamateur 201-14.In 1982 he was the Silver Medalist in the World Amateur championships reversing the loss by defeating the same Cuban for the Pan Am Games 1983 Gold Medal. The Russians and Cubans didn’t compete in the 1984 Olympics where Whitaker won the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal in the lightweight division.

Whitaker held the WBA, WBC and IBF titles as a lightweight and a light welterweight. His first attempt for the WBC lightweight title was his first career loss to Jose Luis Ramirez but defeated Ramirez the following year for his first world title. He defeated Azuma Nelson, Jorge Paez, BuddyMcGirt twice and drew with Julio Cesar Chavez. He lost to Oscar “Golden Boy” De la Hoya and Felix “Tito” Trinidad. He fought from 1984 thru 2001.

Whitaker was managed by Shelly Finkel while trained by George Benton and Lou Duva as a professional. He was inducted into the IBHOF in 2007. He would become a trainer after retiring.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr.,was 49-0 (26), as a professional winning the WBC super featherweight, lightweight and light welterweight titles. He won the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO titles as a welterweight and the WBA & WBC light middleweight titles.

He was managed by Floyd Mayweather, Sr., James Prince and Al Haymon. He was trained by Roger Mayweather, and Mayweather, Sr. He was promoted by Top Rank, Goossen Tutor Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions.

Mayweather was 84-8 as an amateur winning the 1996 Golden Gloves and the Bronze Medal in the 1996 Olympic Games. As a professional he fought from 1996 thru 2015.

In this writers opinion “Sugar” Ray Leonard was the better P4P boxer than the other three. What do you think?

Posted on 05/10/2017

The Financial Factor: Canelo vs. Triple G
By: Kirk Jackson

Now that we finally have the fight boxing fans have craved over the last year or so, there’s much to discuss leading up to the event featuring Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin 37-0 (33 KO’s) and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez 49-1-1(34 KO’s).

An interesting element is the financial factor behind the scenes in build up to this fight.

Alvarez is regarded and marketed as the biggest star in boxing; the heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather in what Alvarez himself states as the “Canelo era.”

Golovkin is certainly advertised as boxing’s “Boogeyman” and resident “A-side,” having sold out arenas such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the O2 Arena in London.

Unfortunately, his pay-per-view numbers do not reflect that.

Nonetheless, you would think two stars garnering this much celebrity would warrant higher fight purses right?

Taking a look at recent purses for each fighter:

Alvarez vs. Cotto = minimum purse $5 million
Alvarez vs. Khan = minimum purse $3.5 million
Alvarez vs. Mayweather = minimum purse $5 million
Alvarez vs. Chavez Jr. = minimum purse $5 million

Golovkin vs. Jacobs = minimum purse $2.5 million
Golovkin vs. Brook = minimum purse $5 million
Golovkin vs. Lemieux = minimum purse $2 million

The purses do not reflect additional income earned from each fight. For example, with Alvarez’s fight against Cotto, he received 25% of the $20 million split. Most of the money Alvarez earned for that fight came with the pay-per-view percentages and with his TV deal with the Azteca network.

Alvarez is also sponsored by Tecate, Under Armour and a few other companies. In addition to his television deals, he earns money each fight with his sponsors.

The same can be said for Golovkin. In the two pay-per-view fights he participated in, it’s presumed he was the A-side and gained a favorable split of the purse and pay-per-view percentages.

Albeit, he lacks the same quality dance partners as Alvarez, we can assume he earned a decent chunk of change aside from his guaranteed purse just to show up.

Golovkin is also sponsored by the Jordan brand, among other sponsors and reels in additional funds per fight.

All of these factors into the determination of the purse split, the question is of how much will each fighter earn for this mega fight?

Because based on the WWE-themed entrance from Golovkin – post Alvarez’s sparring session with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past weekend, it’s obvious the fight between Golovkin and Alvarez was agreed to sometime prior.

Based on each fighter’s purse history, the popularity of Alvarez, his history of pay-per-view success and the demand to see him against Golovkin’s punching power; each fighter should be compensated quite well.

The venue and site for this blockbuster fight is yet to be determined, but this event will probably take place in boxing’s fight capital Las Vegas.

Although something to consider as Golden Boy Promotions, K2 Promotions and HBO figures out is which site can harvest the most money?

Regarding purses, remember when Golden Boy offered Golovkin a purse of $15 million to fight Alvarez?

“I made an eight-figure offer,” said Golden Boy Promoter Oscar De La Hoya. “ I believe it’s an offer that was two, three, four times what he’s ever made and haven’t heard back. And that’s the bottom line.”
Golden Boy’s offer is speculative, but there was no denial from the Golovkin camp regarding the offer. It’d be farfetched to believe that initial offer was still on the table.

Regarding purse split/fighter compensation, Alvarez is the A-side. He has the greater profile, the aforementioned bigger fights and generated larger gates and pay-per-view numbers.

Prior to the fight officially being announced, De La Hoya has been adamant his fighter is the A-side in this matchup and indicated to the LA Times’ Lance Pugmire, that he holds leverage regarding the fight with Golovkin based off of his lack of pay-per-view success.

“Because when Triple G [Golovkin] and Jacobs does between 100,000 and 200,000 homes, it’s a big risk for me to put up a lot of money up front,” De La Hoya said. “So if we want to make this fight happen, we have to work with each other. It all depends on the pay-per-view and that’s the risk we all have to take.”

“People talk about Golovkin being this big superstar. Why is he selling only between 100,000 and 200,000 homes?” De La Hoya asked. “He’s no Canelo [Alvarez], that’s for sure.”

Golovkin is not Alvarez in regards to drawing power, but he is the long time reigning middleweight champion. All he really needs is the golden opportunity he’s been seeking his entire professional career.

In that sense, the financial split doesn’t matter as much. If Golovkin plans on fighting after the Alvarez match-up and wants to become boxing’s No. 1 draw, it may be proposed that he must defeat the A-side to truly become the A-side.

The greatest thing regarding this fight and the financial effect is the positive spotlight it puts on boxing.

Barring a potential Floyd Mayweather vs. ConorMcGregor match-up, this will be the biggest bout in boxing and will generate the most money this year.

For all the numbers and records amassed with Anthony Joshua vs. WladimirKlitschko; pay-per-view record inthe United Kingdom, while breaking the attendance record at Wembley Stadium with approximately 90,000 people.

659,000 viewers on Showtime; Nielsen reported that the fight peaked between rounds five and six with 687,000 viewers, beating a record for Showtime afternoon fight ratings,along with the successful broadcast across HBO, watched by an average of 738,000 viewers and peaked at 890,000.

The Alvarez vs. Golovkin fight can surpass viewership and pay-per-view numbers of the Joshua/Klitschko fight, if not the attendance numbers.

Cotto vs. Alvarez generated 900,000 buys, approximately $58 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue and HBO is hoping it can top that in September.
We’ll see if the Mexican-style “Drama show” produces the big bucks.

Posted on 08/12/2016

Pacquiao: “I Can’t Rely On My Salary As Public Official”
By: Sean Crose

“Boxing is my main source of income,” Manny Pacquiao claimed amidst the hubbub of his public announcement that he will return to the ring this November to face WBO welterweight champ Jessie Vargas. “I can’t rely on my salary as public official,” he added. Considering these words come from a man who literally earned well over 100 million – that’s million – dollars for thirty-six minutes’ worth of work against Floyd Mayweather in last year’s superbout, the reality of Pacquiao’s situation may seem strange to most people.

Look, your author is no math expert, but if Manny’s been making a guaranteed 20 million per fight, as has been said, then his pay would have been close to 40 million dollars an hour if he punched a clock. Outrageous, right? Not so fast. There seems to be more than just immediate family for Pacquiao to support. “I’m helping the family of my wife and my own family, as well,” he states. But that’s not all. “Many people also come to me to ask for help,” he adds, “and I just couldn’t ignore them.”

While it may be easy for people to accuse Pacquiao of being a sap, the truth is the man’s endured some grinding poverty and knows what it means to not have the basics like food and shelter to take for granted. First world judgements are easy to bandy about, after all. Pacquiao may not share one’s political, moral, or religious beliefs, but it’s hard to argue that the guy isn’t generous, nor that he doesn’t understand the plight of the needy.

Still, it’s clear one can’t provide for everyone and that history is littered with stories of boxers done in on account of their generosity before being thrown to the world’s wayside. Perhaps that won’t be the case with Pacquiao in the end, however, since he’s mentioned first that it’s his love of the sport that’s driving him back in the ring. That surely is discouraging to some Filipinos, since the guy is a sitting senator, but Manny feels he can be both politician and pug at the same time.

Only time will tell if he’s right or not. Just like only time will tell if he can keep competing at the top level. Jessie Vargas is a good fighter, but he’s not as highly regarded as Terence Crawford, who many thought should be the man Pacquiao got into the ring with this fall.