Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. locked horns with the former Bellator MMA fighter and “Geordie Shore” cast member Aaron Chalmers, last week in London. The boxing legend agreed to this fight as part of his retirement exhibition tour. However, there was a measly turnout at the arena witnessing “Money” secure his bragging rights though the match ended with yet another no-decision result.
The number of vacant chairs seemed superfluous. This led the organizers to cut ticket costs and push back the commencement by thirty minutes. However, the extra attendance they were hoping for never turned up. Mayweather was left infuriated by the number of attendees. He pointed fingers at the restricted time frame for promoting the event and mishaps regarding ticket sales.
Why did Mayweather point fingers at UK fans?
Leaving incensed by the fiasco, Mayweather implied that the ticket sale should have started a long time ago, not just a month before the fight. However, he stood beside his team. He understood that they were still learning about this aspect of the business.
He even brought up examples of his fighting days in America. He went on to say that ticket sales started immediately as soon as the fight was announced, back home. Drawing the comparison, he criticized the UK for taking their time even after the revelation of a card. Previously, he labeled the UK as the “mecca of boxing.” however, the response of the fans compelled him to turn his feelings toward the UK upside down.
Mayweather’s comments may come off as controversial, and smug to some, especially in light of the fact that the UK is one of the biggest markets regarding combat sports. On the other hand, Mayweather has the right to feel disappointed as his match ticket prices took a dip and even were on sale for 5 pounds!
Will Mayweather look to a different approach?
In spite of the abysmally low turnout, Mayweather won’t let it get to his head. He will likely carry on with his exhibition career. However, his remarks do bear a certain implication. He might take a different route for promoting his fights. And in unforeseen circumstances for him, he will probably tread a different path for selling tickets.
The disruption in sales may have a lot to do with an unsettling match starring heavyweight Christopher Lovejoy. The co-main event between Natalie Nunn and Tommie Lee was hard to watch, to say the least. Mayweather will probably have to look into organizing the fight cards as well. Combat sports enthusiasts won’t turn up in numbers to watch these jokes in the name of boxing.
On Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather beat the MMA fighter and reality TV star Aaron Chalmers in an exhibition bout in front of an almost empty O2 Arena in London.
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Despite a dig at the UK, Mayweather seemed to have understood the gravity of the situation. His comments did suggest that he was well aware of the need to up his ante and rethink his approach to promotion and ticket sales. Otherwise, the steep fall in sales may just continue.
