It’s all about money for Floyd

MANILA, Philippines - For Floyd Mayweather, boxing is all about money which is appropriately his moniker. He used to be called Pretty Boy, prompting comparisons of similar notoriety with ‘30s era gangster Pretty Boy Floyd, but the fighter would rather be known for his love of the dollar sign.

This morning (Manila time), Mayweather takes on Mexico’s new darling Saul (Canelo) Alvarez for the WBA/WBC lightmiddleweight titles in Las Vegas. He’s in an unfamiliar role as challenger but although Alvarez is the defending champion, it was Money who dictated the terms of engagement. Mayweather promotes himself and is guaranteed a record $41.5 million as his contracted purse. Alvarez will bankroll at least $5 million.

When pay-per-view numbers kick in, Mayweather should earn at least $50 million more and Alvarez $7 million. The bonus assumes a pay-per-view audience of 1.6 million generating a gross of $105 million. If the viewership comes close to match or even eclipse the all-time mark of 2.4 million in Mayweather’s fight against Oscar de la Hoya in 2007, the cash register will cough up more bundles. It’s safe to estimate Mayweather will take home at least $100 million from the project, factoring in his share of the live gate of over $19 million and more than $4 million in close-circuit theatre receipts.

Money will come out of Mayweather’s ears after this fight and if he beats Alvarez, that opens the door to even bigger bouts in the future. The possibility of facing Manny Pacquiao isn’t remote particularly if the Filipino convincingly repulses Brandon Rios on Nov. 24. That showdown would be another potential bank-breaker.

The Mayweather-De la Hoya fight delivered close to $140 million in pay-per-view revenues on a pop of $54.95 each. In the Mayweather-Alvarez bout, each hit is valued at $64.95 and if it’s in high definition, the fee is $74.95. So if it generates the same audience of 2.4 million, the gross escalates to $168 million. The impact on Mayweather’s bank account is significant, to say the least.

Beyond money matters, what is intriguing in the Mayweather-Alvarez matchup is the battle between undefeated gladiators. Mayweather has a 44-0 record, with 26 KOs, while Alvarez’ mark is 42-0-1, with 30 KOs. Although the numbers aren’t far off, Mayweather is a 17-year veteran while Alvarez has been a pro only eight years. The Mexican has crammed a ton of fights within a short period. Since 2007, he has logged 34 fights compared to only seven for Mayweather. Alvarez fought seven fights in 2007 and Mayweather twice. In 2008, the Mexican had eight outings and Mayweather none.

Obviously trying to stretch his career as he gets older, Mayweather has slowed down and won four of his last five bouts on points. The only exception was when he sucker-punched Victor Ortiz to register a fourth round knockout. In contrast, Alvarez has knocked out four of his last six opponents.

Alvarez, the youngest of seven boxing brothers, has emerged as a national hero in Mexico at an extremely young age. He has assumed nearly legendary status and will surely cement his legacy among the all-time greats with a win over Mayweather. De la Hoya said Alvarez has what it takes to bring down Mayweather.

“Brute strength doesn’t work against Mayweather’s style,” said De la Hoya quoted by Bernard Fernandez in The Ring Magazine. “It actually plays into his hands. Canelo is really strong but the fact he wants to box intelligently is a good sign. This fight is going to be a lot tougher than Mayweather and his fans probably expect. You don’t crack Mayweather’s style by trying to outspeed him or trying to counter him. When Mayweather wants to throw, you throw. That’s when he’s most vulnerable. Floyd’s a guy that throws one or two punches at a time. He really only fights about 30 seconds of each round. You have to make him work longer than those 30 seconds but you also need to throw your punches when he’s throwing.”

De la Hoya said Alvarez isn’t intimidated by Mayweather. Mental toughness is something that could make or break a fighter. Alvarez isn’t as quick as Mayweather even if he’s younger. If he tries to box Mayweather, it may or may not work. The idea isn’t to beat Mayweather at his own game but to make him fight a different way. Alvarez is a brawler. If he pressures Mayweather into compromising situations, he might find the opening or angle to land the big shot. Mayweather isn’t as power-resistant as before. He’s not used to getting hit and feeling pain. If Alvarez can scare Mayweather into thinking he may not be able to enjoy his millions in the bank, that would be a huge plus.

Pacquiao and Mayweather victim Ricky Hatton said Alvarez will provide a tough test but can’t win. “Mayweather will win on points,” said Hatton. “I don’t think Mayweather will stand there for over a split second. I think he’ll stay with a low shoulder and move and use his speed. Age could catch up with him but he knows how to stay out of the way.”

The fight will be held at a catchweight of 152 even if the lightmiddleweight limit is 154 to accommodate Mayweather. Alvarez’ inexperience and history of beating tomato cans will lead to his undoing. Mayweather is too skilled, smart and quick to be overworked or overpowered by a bigger, younger and brawny opponent. It won’t matter if Mayweather wins by knockout or points. The big surprise is if Alvarez scores an upset.