Boxing’s New Generation of Record Breakers
In days gone by, it was the big heavyweight title fights that proved to be the most commercially successful. Whether it be Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali, those were the bouts that drew the most money in the arenas and on PPV. In recent years, though, that’s all changed and the most lucrative fight out there seems to be one between a retired boxer and an MMA Champion, as Floyd Mayweather teases the most expensive fight of all-time against Conor McGregor. Let’s take a look at that fight and others that could make promoter and boxers even richer.
McGregor the Boxer?
Floyd Mayweather hasn’t fought in the ring since 2015, but there is always talk of the 40-year-old returning to the ring. A rematch with Manny Pacquiao is often rumoured but that seems to be overshadowed by the perhaps easier but far more lucrative bout against McGregor. Online sports betting on boxing matches, as Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor are going to set new records, though odds strongly favour Mayweather. Even so, the pair will hype this match till the cows come home and that will ensure it being the richest fight in boxing history.
The double UFC title holder has been granted a boxing license and this will prove to be an intriguing contest if it comes off but it almost seems like the kind of bout Mayweather would have if returning to WWE. Can McGregor possibly compete with Mayweather who has one of the best defenses we’ve ever seen?
New Breed of Heavyweights
With there being so many different world titles, it’s possible for boxers to win belts without having to take on the very best contenders, don’t even get me started on some of the weird rankings lists out there. But nothing excites a boxing fan more than a fight between two superstars who will put on a great show and prove just which of them is the best at their division.
The heavyweight division has been lacking such fights in recent years. For far too long the division has been a sleeping giant but that is slowly changing though with the emergence of Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker. If they can all keep winning, then unification matches can prove to be big money spinners. Just how big could a Joshua versus Wilder match for all the titles be worth? Joshua has to get past Klitschko first but Wilder has been talking of a fight with Joshua for a fair while, though he believes himself to be on “another level” to the British boxer.
The Battle of the Big Punchers
Gennady Golovkin continues to rule the roost in the middleweight division holding the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles. There’ talk of a unification match against WBO titleholder Billy Joe Saunders but that’s not the big money fight Golovkin has his eyes on. He’s no stranger to taking on fighters from lower weights with a recent title defense against the welterweight champion Kell Brook.
A bout between Golovkin and the WBO light middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (who is also a former WBC middleweight title holder) is the fight promoters want most because it’d be a massive money-spinner. Two heavy punchers taking each other on is a guaranteed classic. Alvarez has to get past Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on May 6 and a big win there will increase the clamour for Golovkin versus Alvarez. That’s the kind of fight that could be compared to Hagler versus Hearns or Leonard versus Duran as boxing continues to provide sensational fights the fans want to see.